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Opposition Leader Roger Grimes says that he is pleased
that Prime Minister Paul Martin has agreed to give this province 100 per
cent of our offshore revenues, and now is the time to get this commitment in
writing. Grimes was responding to the announcement over the weekend made by
the Prime Minister that he is now willing to allow Newfoundland and Labrador
to become the primary beneficiary of our offshore resources.
"I am quite pleased that the federal government and all
three federal party leaders have now committed to give this province 100 per
cent of our offshore revenues," said Mr. Grimes. "This province has fought
hard to achieve these revenues for years. We are hopeful that the party that
forms the next federal government will keep their commitment to the people
of Newfoundland and Labrador.
"While each party leader has made commitments
regarding our offshore revenues, there still seems to be quite a bit of
uncertainty in the province related to the exact commitment given by the
Prime Minister. To ensure there is no confusion, the Premier should put the
weekend proposal discussed with Mr. Martin in writing and get it signed.
This will ensure that there is no dispute as to the exact commitment made by
the Prime Minister during this election campaign.
"This issue is too important to rely on the
interpretation of a phone call between two individuals. The Prime Minister’s
interpretation of the commitment may be different from the Premier’s
interpretation. The opportunity is there to have this issue resolved in the
best interests of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. We need to make the
extra effort to ensure that the Prime Minister signs this proposal and
prevent any confusion down the road." |