|
Judy Foote, MHA for the District of Grand Bank and Opposition Critic for
Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, says the future of the plant in
Fortune still remains unclear, following news that Fishery Products
International (FPI) will not soon be selling any of its Newfoundland and
Labrador operations. The Liberal MHA was responding to a press release
issued earlier this week from FPI that any discussions with potential buyers
of its assets have now ended as the company would rather hold onto its
assets than give them away.
"The air of uncertainty surrounding this plant and the community of
Fortune, as well as other communities in the area, has not cleared with this
news and if any thing, it has thickened," states Foote. "Former FPI
employees and others have been waiting months for some news that this option
might mean their future is secure. It now appears FPI has once again played
havoc with the lives of the people of the Burin peninsula just to ensure the
company realizes the maximum profit from the sale of its assets. No
consideration for the very people who helped make FPI a viable company was
involved. The latest move by FPI is truly disheartening as once again the
residents of the Burin Peninsula continue on a roller coaster ride not
knowing where or when it will stop.
"I am also concerned at the government’s continued silence on the option
of Cooke Aquaculture’s stated interest in the plant. What is the status of
this proposal and why hasn’t this government been more vocal and proactive
on this possibility? Was Cooke Aquaculture relegated to the back burner
while discussions were ongoing between FPI and the Penney Group? If so, is
Cooke Aquaculture still interested in Fortune or have they made other plans
rather than wait around for talks between FPI and other interested parties
to finalize? If, as FPI has stated, they are not going to sell their assets,
does this apply to the plant in Fortune since it is still an asset held by
the company? These are questions I am asked daily by my constituents as they
try to make decisions about their lives," says Foote. " Have the premier and
his government lost all sense of accountability to the people of Fortune and
to surrounding communities, and to other places like Harbour Breton, which
are also anxiously waiting for some support and leadership to restart their
plants and their lives?
"I am strongly urging government not to let another week go by without
some meaningful gesture to reassure the people on the Burin Peninsula that
progress is being made on this issue. The Fortune plant has been closed
since last year, plenty of time for government to work with interested
parties to find solutions to the mess instigated by the actions of FPI and
the failure of government to hold FPI accountable.
" It is time for some bold moves and leadership by this government on the
many options available, including working with the federal government to
secure FPI’s fish quotas for the communities impacted, and securing an early
retirement package for those employees who would be eligible for such
benefits.
"The people of rural Newfoundland and Labrador need to be reassured that
this government is truly committed to the sustainability of their
communities. Restarting one fish plant at a time, including the one at
Fortune, would send a message that our rural communities and our people have
a future in Newfoundland and Labrador. People are weary from the relentless
tension and uncertainty hanging over them and are crying out for leadership
from their government."
|