Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney addressed the Provincial PC party on the eve of their AGM yesterday, and much of his speech centered around the province’s offshore and ended with a call to action for government.

Mulroney detailed his involvement in such things as the Atlantic Accord and bringing Hibernia to fruition. He spoke about how he overrode the opposition to the project because he felt it was in the best interest of Canada nationally and that it would bring prosperity to Newfoundland and Labrador. Looking at what the offshore has done for the province since then, Mulroney says he is very proud of what he and his colleagues did.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” he says, which means it was great for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Looking at the current state of affairs due to the pandemic, Mulroney said, if he were Prime Minister today, he would not allow COVID-19 and “short-sighted thinking” to “kill” the offshore. He called the $320-million from the federal government a great first step but urged for the provincial and federal governments to do more.

He insists that Canada must not allow the offshore industry to die.