Opposition urges government to pause Churchill Falls negotiations ahead of first ministers' meeting
The leader of Newfoundland and Labrador's Official Opposition wants the province to put the brakes on Churchill Falls negotiations.
PC Leader Tony Wakeham says the world has changed since the memorandum of understanding was first introduced in December, and he wants the governing Liberals to focus on developing a potential "national energy corridor" that has come up in recent months.
"We need to slow down and take an opportunity to evaluate what that might look like," Wakeham told CBC News on Tuesday.
Before the federal election, Prime Minster Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre both pledged to create an energy corridor.
While it's uncertain what that could look like, a post on the federal Liberal party's website says that Carney intends to fast-track "projects of national interest."
The prime minister will meet with leaders from each province and territory, at a first ministers' meeting on Monday in Saskatoon.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Premier John Hogan said he feels that the meeting will be a good opportunity to discuss the province's priorities.
"[Carney is] focused on nation building projects," said Hogan. "And those are the discussions that we're going to be having; about what that means, what the projects will be and what sort of assistance the federal government is looking at providing to the provinces to help develop those national building projects."
At the same time, Hogan says he's committed to moving forward with the Churchill Falls deal while exploring "additional opportunities" with the federal government, according to a statement from the premier's office sent on Tuesday.
The new Churchill Falls deal, which Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec hope to finalize by next year, would bring an average of $1 billion to the province's coffers each year until 2041. Four combined projects outlined in the deal could generate 5,000 direct jobs.
Wakeham insists Newfoundland and Labrador is rushing that deal.
Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jim Dinn says any pause would "spell the end" for Labrador West.
Dinn was a staunch advocate for independent oversight and still questions some parts of the proposed deal, but still doesn't want to see it put on hold.
"It's actually injected a sense of hope and prosperity," he told reporters this week.
"Why would you basically sound the death knell, then, to Labrador West by saying 'let's pause it' and 'let's wait and see what happens. The damage is going to be done."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Quebec premier calls new Trump tariff threats on steel and aluminum 'completely unjustified'
Quebec Premier François Legault is calling U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat on Canadian steel and aluminum producers "completely unjustified." He made the remark in a post on X, after Trump announced his intention to double the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent next Wednesday. "If he goes ahead with this tariff increase, it will harm our economy, as well as the American economy," Legault wrote in French. Legault added the situation was being closely monitored as they await to see the details of the executive order. In the meantime, "assistance programs continue to be available to businesses in need," he said. Both the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) and United Steel Workers Canada condemned the increase in U.S steel tariffs. "We're already in a dire situation with the 25 per cent tariffs imposed on us in March, so an additional 25 per cent will be catastrophic for our industry," François Desmarais, the CSPA's vice-president of trade and industry affairs, told CBC in an interview. Meg Gingrich, assistant to the national director for the United Steel Workers, agreed, saying the move could deliver a "potentially devastating blow" to the industry. Gingrich and Desmarais pointed to hundreds of layoffs across the country as a result of the current tariffs and Desmarais noted a "massive drop" in steel shipments to the United States. Desmarais said in April there were 30 per cent less shipments compared to the same time last year. "You have to keep in mind that over 50 per cent of Canadian steel production is sold in the United States," he said, adding he worries Canadian producers will be shut out of the market if Trump makes good on the proposed increase. Both organizations are calling on the federal government to take strong action and reinstate counter tariffs immediately, but some are hoping for a more measured response. WATCH | International trade lawyer weighs in on Trump's threat: Response needs to be targeted "We understand that we need to have a political answer to the situation," said Julie White, CEO of the Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec — a business association whose mission is to promote the growth of the Quebec manufacturing sector. She said, however, that any response needs to be targeted and take into account how it will impact different sectors. White explained that producers of steel and aluminum are in a different situation than the manufacturers who transform those products. "If it's inputs on the production that are affected by counter tariffs it's going to up the prices of production a lot and there's going to be an impact on businesses in their costs," she said. "Are they going to be able to keep producing? Are they going to be able to keep all their workers in place?" White says the uncertainty from the threat of tariffs has hurt manufacturers and exporters in Quebec more than the tariffs themselves, with those taxes leading to lost contracts and investments being delayed. "At the beginning a lot of people were afraid of the situation, but we've seen that even if Donald Trump has said a lot of things, not all of them happen," she said, adding it's important to take a step back, think longer term and try to find new opportunities. As an example, White said, the federal government is set to increase its defence spending, so "how are some manufacturers going to shift their production to make sure they respond to those new contracts?" Counter tariffs not the only solution Both Desmarais and Gingrich agree that counter tariffs are only part of the solution. Addressing issues surrounding the sectors' competitiveness and ensuring the integrity of the market in Canada are paramount. That, according to Gingrich, would require stemming the flow of unfairly traded steel and aluminum into our borders and could perhaps be achieved with a surtax on countries that don't play by the same rules. She explained how some steel producers affected by American tariffs are looking for new markets to unload their production. There's a risk of the Canadian market being flooded and undercut by products that are made for cheap abroad through practices such as overproduction, poor labour and environmental standards as well as currency manipulation, Gingrich said. Desmarais added another solution to boost the sector would be for governments to require domestic products be used for infrastructure projects. WATCH | Head of CPSA urges Ottawa to retaliate:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ontario signs deals with Saskatchewan, P.E.I. and Alberta to reduce trade barriers
Amid economic uncertainty in Canada due in part to U.S. tariffs, the Ontario government has reached agreements with Saskatchewan, Alberta and Prince Edward Island, with the aim of taking steps to reduce trade barriers among the provinces. Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed separate memorandums of understanding (MOU) with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz in Saskatoon on Sunday ahead of a first ministers' meeting there. Ontario signed an MOU with Manitoba in May and with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in April. Ford, who held a news conference only with Moe about the MOU, said the province is "standing up for free trade" within Canada by signing such agreements, adding that they're an attempt to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian economy. "Our government is on a mission to protect Ontario and to protect Canada," he told reporters in Saskatoon. "At a time when President [Donald] Trump is taking direct aim at our economy — and make no mistake about it, he wants to annihilate our economy, no matter if it's manufacturing in Ontario or any other jurisdiction that he can get his hands on, bring it down to the U.S. — and we're going to fight like we've never fought before, not just to protect Ontario but to protect the rest of our our country." Ford said the agreement aims to not only increase the standard of living in Ontario and Saskatchewan but to improve investor confidence and allow for the free movement of their "best and most in-demand" workers. "We're doing this by reducing barriers to internal trade.... We need to build a more competitive, more resilient, more self-reliant Canadian economy." Saskatchewan's Moe said the MOU is "yet one more way that we are able to stand strong for our provinces, and collectively as provinces, stand strong for our country and all the people who call Canada home." He said both he and Ford have long been advocates of streamlining trade across the country. "It shouldn't be easier to trade with other countries than it is to trade between the Canadian provinces of our nation," Moe told reporters. "It's more important now, I would say, than ever for us to prioritize removing any and all barriers that we have that limit flow of trade and limit flow of professionals from moving across Canada," he said. "It's very greatly appreciated to have another like-minded province join us on that front and to continue to put words into action." Memo to strengthen respective economies, Moe says Moe said the MOU contains mutual recognition and reciprocity — in particular, mutual recognition of goods, workers and investment. The agreement will only strengthen their respective economies, benefit workers and businesses and enhance the Canadian economy, he said. According to the MOU, Ontario and Saskatchewan pledge to build on "enabling legislation" to remove internal trade barriers to boost the flow of goods, services, investment and workers, while maintaining and strengthening the levels of public safety. WATCH | Ontario and Manitoba sign deal to break down trade barriers: Ontario and Saskatchewan agreed that while working to remove trade barriers, they will respect the role of Crown corporations within some provincial industries, while Ontario and Alberta will respect the integrity and role of regulators. Ontario and the other three provinces also agreed to work on improving interprovincial labour mobility, saying they will aim to ensure any good, service or worker deemed acceptable in one province is also deemed acceptable in the other. As well, all agreed to work on a framework to implement a direct-to-consumer sales system of alcohol, "so that producers have easier access to market opportunities across the country, and so that consumers across Canada have greater choice and access to a broader selection of alcoholic beverages." 35% of trade occurs within Canada's borders, Ontario says In a news release on Sunday, Alberta's Smith said: "Together, Alberta and Ontario are taking a big step toward a more open, competitive and united economy." She added: "This agreement is about getting results, making it easier for people to work, do business and grow across provincial lines. It's time to stop letting outdated rules hold us back and show Canadians what real economic leadership looks like." Lantz said in the release: "By eliminating unnecessary trade barriers and streamlining labour mobility, we're fostering a more unified and competitive national economy. Our collaboration with Ontario underscores our commitment to one Canadian economy." According to the Ontario government, 35 per cent of Canada's trade takes place within its borders. In early March, the U.S. imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian exports and 10 per cent on energy product exports from Canada. Later in March, the Trump administration introduced tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian steel and aluminum products, and in early April, it imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian automobiles. Trump has threatened to double the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent on Wednesday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Clara Technologies Corp. Announces Changes to The Board of Directors
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2025) - Clara Technologies Corp. (CSE: CLTE) (the "Company") announces today that effective May 31st, 2025, George Kovalyov has resigned as Director of the Company and Peter Field has been appointed as an independent Director of the Company. Peter Field is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience building and managing successful companies across multiple industries. He has a strong track record in strategic business development, product innovation, and leading high-performance teams. Peter's work spans vertical farming, nutraceutical commercialization, bringing practical, science-based solutions to market. He has helped build and operate two GMP, USFDA-certified manufacturing facilities and has invested in companies focused on wound care, Alzheimer's, depression, and cancer diagnostics. As President of a biotech firm, Peter gained meaningful experience in public markets, capital raising, and regulatory compliance, playing a key role in governance and financing. Outside of business, Peter serves on the board of TeamUp, a non-profit that supports youth through sport—an initiative he values as a way to give back and create positive impact. The board of directors and management of the Company want to sincerely thank George for his dedication and service as a director and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Gerald Tritt – DirectorClara Technologies Corp.34 - 11551 Kingfisher British Columbia Canada V7E 3N5(604) 671-4799geraldtritt@ Forward-Looking Statements; Disclaimers: This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly, are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward‐looking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. There can be no guarantee that the acquisition of HSCPL will be completed. The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
