The MHA for Burgeo-La Poile is calling government’s decision to halt the process surrounding a proposed marine conservation area off the province’s south coast “short sighted.”
Michael King told VOCM Open Line that the concept of a marine protected area was community-led and has been in the works for decades.
“It wasn’t something a provincial government or federal government came down and said ‘this is what we want to do,’ this is the community coming together to look at options, you know, creative, outside of the box thinking to say ‘what can we do to address economic sustainability and long-term viability for the community in the future?’ So, this process was underway , and they made a short-sighted, in my (opinion) a non-fact-based decision to terminate this process.”
Minister Chris Tibbs
Minister says MHA never approached him on the issue
Environment Minister Chris Tibbs told VOCM Open Line that King never reached out to his office to discuss the proposal, or the MOU since being elected.
“In the past 100 days he didn’t send me any correspondence, he didn’t reach out and sit down and talk to me about the NMCA on the south coast, nothing at all. It was a soap box, after-the-fact.”
He says when in opposition he advocated for his district, and that he advocated “before-hand.”
Proponents of the proposed marine conservation area says nixing the process means the region will not benefit from an influx of federal government funding.
