Premier Pat Binns says the federal government should not wait until September to act on the recommendations in the National Partnership Project Committee report. "Breaking Through" was released on April 5, 2001, after extensive consultations with the provinces and the shipbuilding industry. Premier Binns called on federal Industry Minister Brian Tobin for urgent and immediate action to help the beleaguered Canadian shipbuilding industry.
The Premier sent a letter to the Prime Minister urging immediate action on the issue. "We understood when these consultations were carried out that they would be followed up by a plan of action. We've now seen the plan, but have yet to see any action as a result," he said.
The report contains 36 recommendations. Some recommendations require further study, but others could be acted on quickly, the Premier said. The report contains recommendations on refinancing and leasing, federal procurement, and optimizing Canadian benefits from marine fabrication for the offshore. The recommendations that carried no cost could be implemented with simple changes. Those changes would provide the Canadian shipbuilding industry with the needed tools and flexibility to compete internationally. The report also made several recommendations which would allow for increased training to help workers stay up to date with changes in the industry.
Premier Binns said PEI has already recognized the importance of ongoing training, but sees a need for a better strategy and support for training across the sector. "The Province of Prince Edward Island has already made a significant contribution to training with the creation of the Atlantic Welding and Fabrication Institute located near East Isle Shipyards in Georgetown. What we would now like to see is implementation of the recommendation in the report that calls for a sector council between HRDC and the industry to examine further skill and training needs," he said.
PEI's shipyard, East Isle, currently is finishing a contract to build two tugs for the Panama Canal Authority. The shipyard recently secured a $7.4 million contract for the construction of a new tug boat for Atlantic Towing. The two projects combined provided wages and benefits worth $5.4 million.
The Premier said the industry cannot continue from contract to contract without some assurance that the federal government is prepared to implement a national shipbuilding policy.
The Premier applauded the efforts of his regional counterparts who have lent their support to the report and to the development of a shipbuilding policy. But he said that Ottawa must also do its part to assure the future of shipbuilding in Canada.