Promoting Fair Trade to Team Canada

Premier John Hamm is using the Team Canada trade mission to Europe as a chance to reiterate the province's position on the federal government's proposed trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

If adopted by Canada, the EFTA agreement would eliminate a 25 per cent tariff on Norwegian supply vessels, putting offshore fabrication and shipbuilding companies in Eastern Canada and British Columbia at a severe disadvantage.

The premier and provincial government officials have been putting forward the offshore industry's case to federal officials, particularly those with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, during the trade mission.

"Clearly, the federal government needs to understand the impact on Canada's offshore oil and gas industry, not to mention shipbuilding, if this agreement goes through without changes," said Premier Hamm. "Our government will continue to work with other elected officials, industry and labour to advance our common priorities."

Last month, the premier announced a coalition of industry, labour and elected officials united against the EFTA agreement. Since then, he has raised EFTA directly with Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Industry Minister Allan Rock and International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew.

Nova Scotia officials have also met with their federal counterparts earlier this month. Meanwhile, the four Atlantic ministers responsible for trade are working jointly to press the federal government.

"The larger our team is on EFTA, the tougher it will be for Ottawa to turn their backs on thousands of jobs in a growing sector of the economy," the premier said. "I have said it before, I will say it again and I will keep on saying it: we in Nova Scotia -- and all Atlantic Canada -- are not prepared to be the throw-away card in these trade negotiations. We are committed to free trade but we are also committed to fair trade."

Premier Hamm expects that after the Atlantic trade ministers' discussions, an all-party delegation, with representatives of labour and industry, will head to Ottawa. Together, they will outline the negative economic impact EFTA will have on the province's offshore marine fabrication industry.