Nova Scotians Must Benefit from Province's Resources
PREMIER'S OFFICE--Nova Scotians Must Benefit from Province's Resources
Revenues from Nova Scotia's offshore must benefit the people of Nova Scotia first, Premier John Hamm said today, Nov. 22.
The premier rejected a federal proposal to put offshore oil and gas revenues into a regional economic development fund.
"I welcome the federal government's recognition that Nova Scotians are not receiving the maximum benefit from our offshore. This is exactly the point I have been making through the Campaign for Fairness," he said. "But the solution is for Ottawa to work with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on finding a way to keep their own resource dollars instead of establishing yet another federal regional-development program. It is up to the people of this province to decide how our revenue is to be spent."
The federal government currently keeps 81 cents out of every dollar generated by Nova Scotia's offshore, despite the 1986 Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Accord. The federal-provincial deal, which was passed into law by both governments, states that Nova Scotia -- not Ottawa -- would be the principal beneficiary of the province's offshore resource revenues.
"The offshore is Nova Scotia's best chance in a generation to build a new, dynamic economy," said Premier Hamm. "It is our children's birthright, and we will not stand by and allow Ottawa to squander it."
The Nova Scotia government is in discussions with Natural Resources Canada on a review of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Accord, including revenue-sharing. Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal and Premier Hamm announced the review in May.
"Let's continue to work together on ensuring this review delivers meaningful results on workplace safety, jobs and benefits, and revenue-sharing," said Premier Hamm. "People expect results, not another federal program."
In January 2001, Premier Hamm launched the Campaign for Fairness to convince Ottawa to honour the intent of the Offshore Accord. Requests by previous governments to address the revenue sharing issue were rejected by the federal government.