Marine Atlantic Jobs

Premier John Hamm will continue to press Ottawa and Marine Atlantic to ensure that Marine Atlantic jobs in Cape Breton stay in Cape Breton, and that Nova Scotians receive a fair opportunity at any new jobs created by the ferry service.

The premier provided the assurance today to Mayor David Muise of Cape Breton Regional Municipality and a delegation of Cape Breton regional councillors at a meeting in Halifax.

"I've taken, and created, every opportunity to press our case with Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Senator Bernie Boudreau and with senior officials of Marine Atlantic," said the premier. "Jobs associated with the ferry service between North Sydney and Newfoundland belong in both provinces."

The premier said as far as he is concerned, rumours that new Marine Atlantic jobs will go exclusively to Newfoundland, or that the federal Crown corporation will be moving jobs out of Cape Breton to Newfoundland, are without foundation.

"Nothing I've heard from Marine Atlantic, or the federal government, suggests there is any truth to those stories coming from Newfoundland," said the premier.

As a federal Crown corporation, Marine Atlantic should hire the best qualified people for new jobs associated with the new ferry on the North Sydney to Newfoundland run, the premier said, and the company should maintain its current workforce on both sides of the Strait.