"First they take money from the Labrador Transportation Initiative and put a passenger ferry in Lewisporte while people in the Labrador Straits and Southern Labrador do not have a ferry service in the third week of April," said Jones. "Then they changed the historic ferry schedule to ensure the boat would overnight on the Newfoundland side of the crossing everyday this year is pure, blatant, politics.

"Southern Labrador has always shared this service with people on the Northern Peninsula and always shared the overnight docking. This is not a move by the people of the Northern Peninsula but a deliberate political move to strip and gut all industry in Labrador."

Jones says the overnight stay of The Apollo in the Labrador Straits generates economic benefits to the region. The hotels, restaurants, B&Bs and retail services depend upon the business generated by the boat.

"I cannot believe that Minister Rideout and Minister Taylor could be so blatantly disrespectful to the people of Labrador as to take the last dollar out of the pockets of businesses in my district."