The long-term economic future of Newfoundland and Labrador was the main topic today, as Premier Andrew Furey—who is responsible for intergovernmental affairs—held his first official bilateral talks with Ottawa.

The federal government says there will be announcements in the near future regarding assistance for the oil industry. That sector is responsible for about 30 per cent of this province’s GDP.

Newly-minted intergovernmental affairs minister Dominic LeBlanc visited St. John’s to meet with Premier Furey after being granted a COVID-19 travel exemption from the province.

The two spoke of Muskrat Falls and rate mitigation, as well as the province’s overall financial plight and the state of the oil and gas sector.

LeBlanc says he and his colleagues will have specific things to say about the oil and gas sector in the coming weeks.

Premier Furey plans to use proceeds from oil and gas to reduce the carbon footprint of the oil industry. They consider the oil offshore Newfoundland, light sweet crude, to be one of the cleaner types of oil.

He says it’s about the men and women working in the sector. Furey also stated that there is no immediate future in Newfoundland and Labrador without a healthy and vibrant oil and gas sector.