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Percy Barrett, MHA for the District of Bellevue and Opposition Labour
Critic, is questioning why government is willing to allow North Atlantic
Seafoods and Ice Cap Fish Company Limited to continue processing fish when
they owe the Workplace, Health and Safety Compensation Commission (WHSCC)
approximately $500,000.
In 2004, government took a fish plant from James Doyle and Sons Limited
in New Ferrolle because that company defaulted on a government loan
guarantee. Government then turned around and without a public call for
proposals, gave it to Ice Cap Fish Company Limited. In 2005, government
renewed the licence for Ice Cap even though that company owed over $50,000
to WHSCC. Another company owned by the same individuals under the name North
Atlantic Seafoods owes WHSCC approximately $450,000, but are also permitted
to continue processing fish. This company’s plant operations just happen to
be in the Paul Shelley’s district, the Minister Responsible for WHSCC.
"I find it very ironic and strange that these companies are permitted to
continue operating and are granted processing licences from the province
even though they owe approximately $500,000 to WHSCC," said Mr. Barrett. "In
the House of Assembly this afternoon, both the Minister of Finance and the
Minister of Responsible for WHSCC refused to provide an answer to this
question.
"We have a Minister of Finance in this province who is so fixated on
collecting outstanding accounts on school tax from a decade ago, that he is
even sending threatening letters to dead people. Yet today in the House of
Assembly he thought it was perfectly acceptable for a company that owes
$500,000 to WHSCC to continue operating in the province as if everything was
normal. His colleague, Minister Shelley, made no comment at all.
"It begs the question, why is government breaking the rules for these
fish processing companies, while no other individual in the province is
getting the same treatment on school tax or student loans? There certainly
seems to be a double standard taking place on this issue. If there is
nothing to hide, I encourage government to table all documents related to
this issue and answer why these companies have been given licences to
operate in the province while owing such a significant amount of money to
WHSCC."
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