United Front Against Tariff Change

Elected officials, industry and labour have united against a trade proposal that threatens the jobs of thousands of Nova Scotians.

At a news conference today, Premier John Hamm and Economic Development Minister Gordon Balser were joined by the following people to speak out against the current European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) negotiations:

• Opposition leader Darrell Dexter;
• Lunenburg West MLA Don Downe;
• Don MacLeod of Secunda Marine;
• John Murphy of Irving Shipbuilding Inc.;
• Les Holloway of the Canadian Auto Workers;
• Lois Dyer Mann, President of the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce;
• Bill Johns of the Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia (OTANS);
• Stephen Dempsey of the Greater Halifax Partnership.

Under the current proposal, Canada's 25 per cent tariff on ships imported from Norway would be eliminated. Norway heavily subsidizes its shipbuilding and marine fabrication industries, and ending the tariff would put Canadian shipbuilders and marine fabricators at a competitive disadvantage.

"Nova Scotia companies and workers can compete with anybody in the world, so long as there is a level playing field," said Premier Hamm. "The choice for the federal government is clear: either support Canada's shipbuilders and marine fabricators with fair-trade practices, or put thousands of people out of work by giving heavily subsidized foreign vessels easy access to the Canadian market."

Economic Development Minister Gordon Balser noted that the provincial government has been working with the industry for nearly two years to deliver this message to the federal government. The provincial government has also traditionally worked with elected officials, regardless of political affiliation, industry and labour in support of strengthening the federal position on shipbuilding and marine fabrication.

In October 2000, opposition MLAs accepted the invitation of Premier Hamm to participate in a Council of Atlantic Premiers forum held on the issue in St. John's, Newfoundland.

"Ottawa needs to know that we in Nova Scotia and throughout Atlantic Canada are united and will not rest until our concerns are properly reflected in these trade negotiations," said the minister.

Opposition leader Darrell Dexter said maintaining shipbuilding and marine fabrication is important to the provincial economy.

"The burgeoning offshore oil and gas industries represent an unprecedented opportunity for shipbuilding and marine fabrication," said Mr. Dexter. "This is the one area where Nova Scotia can realize true benefits that can't be clawed back by the federal government. We must stand together against attempts to trade away that potential prosperity."

Lunenburg West MLA Don Downe said that by working together Nova Scotians are telling Ottawa of the importance of this issue to the province.

"We have representatives from each political party, as well as businesses and business groups together with organized labour presenting a unified voice to the federal government," said Mr. Downe. "One clear message can be sent to Ottawa: Nova Scotian and Canadian businesses must be given the opportunity to compete fairly within the shipbuilding industry."

Plans are under way to send a joint delegation of MLAs and business and labour representatives to Ottawa to reinforce the province's case with federal decision-makers.