Nova Scotia, Canada Announce Crown Share Adjustment Payments Resolution Panel Members

Nova Scotia is closer to a resolution of the Crown Share Adjustment Payments issue after the provincial and federal governments today, Jan. 9, announced their nominees and the chair of the Crown Share Adjustment Payment Panel.

Energy Minister Richard Hurlburt and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that Lorne Clarke has been chosen as chair of the panel, which was established Oct. 10 by Premier Rodney MacDonald and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to solve outstanding questions related to the value of Crown Share Adjustment Payments to Nova Scotia.

Mr. Clarke is a former Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, with a distinguished history of public service, including serving as chair of the Swissair 111 Planning and Co-ordination Secretariat.

Nova Scotia has appointed Dara Gordon, Q.C., as its nominee to the panel and the federal government has selected Brian Lee Crowley.

Ms. Gordon is a partner and member of the board of directors at Atlantic Canada's largest law firm, McInnes Cooper. She was lead counsel for the province in negotiations for the 2005 Offshore Accord and lead counsel for Canada on construction of the Confederation Bridge.

Mr. Crowley is the founding president of the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies. He is the Clifford Clark Visiting Economist at the federal Department of Finance.

As specified by Premier MacDonald and Prime Minister Harper the panel will settle the long-standing technical dispute over the value of federal Crown Share Adjustment Payments to Nova Scotia under the original 1986 Offshore Accord.

The panel will report back by March 15.

"All three members of the panel are dedicated to public service and have the skills necessary to find a solution to this issue," said Mr. Hurlburt. "We wish them well in their work and look forward to their report."

"Given the depth of their understanding of the complex public policy issues involved, their long record of public service, as well as their substantial contributions to Atlantic Canada, the members named to this panel are ideally suited for this task," said Mr. Flaherty.