Hundreds turned out on Confederation Hill yesterday for a rally in support of oil and gas workers.
The industry has been hard hit by COVID-19, reduced demand, and an international price war.
The provincial and federal governments indicate some kind of a program is being hammered out to help those in the offshore keep their jobs and ensure future exploration, but Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie is less than optimistic.
He says the province needs a champion in Ottawa and in the federal cabinet, which is why he wrote the Prime Minister to get someone else in the job.
Crosbie didn’t stop there. @VOCMNEWS #cdnpoli #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/0yZcnEDen2
— Ben Murphy (@VOCMBen) September 16, 2020
Noia CEO Charlene Johnson is concerned that Bay du Nord is on hold, Hibernia has stopped drilling, and the province’s only refinery, Come by Chance, is shut down.
The Terra Nova is a tourist attraction in Conception Bay and the Sea Rose may join it, says Johnson. She told the crowd that those FPSOs were not built to be tourist attractions.
Premier Andrew Furey says he’s listening to what people have to say and is conveying those stories to Ottawa.
He indicated he’s received many messages from affected workers and their families and said that it weighs heavily on him.
Federal Minister Dominic LeBlanc indicated in a visit to the province last month that a deal was imminent, but Furey was unable to provide an update on the status of progress when questioned by reporters yesterday. He told reporters that the question was best asked of federal officials.
Premier @FureyAndrew gets up immediately after Ches Crosbie.
It was met with some slight backlash from the crowd chanting things like “call an election” and “give us a new mandate”.
A part was cut off to fit on Twitter. @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/hWS34uNvUJ
— Ben Murphy (@VOCMBen) September 16, 2020
Stories of hardship and fears of what the future holds dominated discussion yesterday as hundreds rallied outside the Confederation Building yesterday.
Those who work in the industry and those hoping to work in the industry gathered with union organizers.
One man told VOCM News that he’s hearing about friends and colleagues losing their jobs almost on a daily basis. A 19-year-old told VOCM News his future and that of Newfoundland and Labrador is in the oil and gas industry.
