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December 22, 1999
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


Minister cautiously optimistic about announcement of new gulf ferry

Charles J. Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today responded to Minister of Transport David Collenette's statement that he has asked Marine Atlantic to negotiate the procurement of an additional vessel to address the pressure on the current fleet's under capacity. Minister Collenette also announced the appointment of a new Chairman of the Board, Captain Sid J. Hynes.

"We are delighted with the exceptional choice of Captain Sid Hynes as the new Chairman of the Board," Minister Furey said. "Captain Hynes is a distinguished Newfoundland and Labrador mariner and business man whom I originally appointed to the board of the Marystown Shipyard a number of years ago. He knows ships, he knows the marine industry, and he knows the needs of Newfoundland and Labrador. We wish him all the best, and we look forward to working closely with him to put in place a first-class gulf ferry service for the province."

Minister Furey also expressed his thanks to Moya Cahill who is stepping down as Chairman of the Board, having served in that position since her appointment in 1996. "She attended a number of our public meetings on the gulf ferry," said Minister Furey. "Ms. Cahill kept a sharp focus on the need for additional capacity, and we thank her for her efforts on the province's behalf."

Minister Furey expressed cautious optimism, however, concerning Marine Atlantic's authority to procure an additional vessel within the limits set out in the corporation's 2000�2004 Corporate Plan. Marine Atlantic has conducted an initial search for an available vessel, and it may take some time before a vessel is found which both meets the traffic offering and fits within the budget given to Marine Atlantic by the federal government. "We do not know what this budget level is," said Furey, "but it must be large enough to obtain the right ship to serve the real needs of the province when they are needed."

"We know Marine Atlantic's current capacity is insufficient to deal with the forecasted growth in traffic, particularly for the peak season, and we are pleased that there seems to be real progress toward acquiring a new vessel. What we don't know is whether Marine Atlantic has been allocated sufficient funding to provide a night ferry which is what the province requires to meet traffic levels, and ensure users have a comfortable, quality travel experience aboard Marine Atlantic vessels."

The minister also expressed concerns about the timing of securing a vessel. "Marine Atlantic has evaluated a number of vessels and may even evaluate more thus it may take up to several more months to decide on a vessel, negotiate with the ship's owners and have the ship ready for service," said Furey. "Mr. Collenette's announcement today was not about providing an additional vessel for the Marine Atlantic service: It was about approval of finances; the company is still in the process of looking at vessel options. This is an unfortunate delay from the province's perspective."

Minister Furey also called on Minister Collenette to ensure that enough money is allocated to Marine Atlantic to pursue the right vessel option as soon as possible. "We don't want second-best solutions for Newfoundland and Labrador," Minister Furey stated. "We want a night ferry which meets the traffic offering and provides sufficient cabin space to address the very serious service concerns of users. Our needs are immediate and the time is now: We must address these needs and concerns now, not in several months time. I call upon Minister Collenette to do the right thing for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Mr. Furey also expressed his appreciation to federal Minister of Veteran's Affairs the Hon. George Baker and federal Member of Parliament for Burin-St.George's Bill Matthews for their ability to listen to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. "Without their superb listening skills and their willingness to act on our behalf today's announcement would not have happened," said Mr. Furey.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Director of Communications, Phone: (709) 729-0928, Cell: (709) 682-0366.

1999 12 22 3:05 p.m.


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