All three leaders are disappointed with ExxonMobil’s jobs-cutting approach to counter trends in the industry, particularly as it relates to this province.

The company is eliminating about 2,000 jobs globally, meaning that some white collar workers in St. John’s will be let go. There will be no changes to offshore operations.

Liberal John Hogan plans to meet with the Exxon, the lead on Hibernia, right after the election.

He says he’s happy that groups come here and want to develop the resources, but it has to  be on terms whereby the benefits go to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians first.

“Not only the revenue which comes to government, but the jobs that put money into people’s pockets,” he says.

PC Tony Wakeham sees two main culprits in it all: “a federal Liberal government for not supporting the oil and gas industry and the provincial Liberal government for not speaking out.”

He says the world still has a demand for oil and we should be providing that oil as it has been proven that our resource has less carbon content than others.

NDP Jim Dinn believes that it’s time to play hardball with oil companies.

“It’s going to require some tough negotiations because we want to get as much of this as possible,” he says in reference to the Bay du Nord project.