'Shared vision': Dwight Ball delivers keynote speech at oil conference

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball focused on the province's pushback for control under Bill C-69, while touting the importance of oil and gas industries, during his opening remarks at an oil and gas industry conference in St. John's Tuesday morning.

"I assure you the future in our offshore has tremendous potential, and we are working hard to make sure that we can realize that potential," Ball told the Noia — Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industry Association — conference audience.

"We do have a shared vision with Noia and your members, and vision where Newfoundland and Labrador plays a leading role in the global offshore oil and gas industry."

We want to build on the tremendous success and realize our true and abundant potential.- Dwight Ball

Bill C-69 would overhaul Canada's environmental assessment regulations, and is going to the Senate for its final time on Monday, after the federal government accepted dozens of changes recommended by the Senate.

The changes that were not accepted were "copy and paste recommendations written by oil lobbyists," Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna said.

Ball and the Liberal government have been writing their federal counterparts to push for more of a say in changes under the new bill.

"Our work on Bill C-69 is about our ability to ensure responsible development of natural resources in our province. We need one clear, consistent process for assessing projects," Ball said.

If enacted, the bill would see longer timelines for environmental assessments for offshore drilling projects, which the province said would mean an exploration well could take three years to approve.

"The changes that we request in the impact assessment act are simply to ensure that we meet the objective of improving our ability to compete both economically and environmentally," Ball said.

"We need an assessment act that works for Newfoundland and Labrador, and all of Canada. We need an impact assessment act that works for you — one that allows us to develop our resources responsibly and effectively for the benefit of our province and our nation."

Ball pointed to a clause in the Atlantic Accord agreement signed with Ottawa earlier this year that gives the province grounds to work through a dispute, if the province feels the joint management mandate of natural resources isn't being met, adding, "you better believe that we are prepared to use it."

"We share the same goals as you do," he told the crowd.

"We want to build on the tremendous success and realize our true and abundant potential here in Newfoundland and Labrador."

'We have all the ingredients'

While there wasn't much discussion about climate change or environmental concerns in his opening speech, Ball reiterated government's claim that Newfoundland and Labrador's oil is more environmentally friendly than oil produced elsewhere.

"While the world still needs oil, the oil offshore Newfoundland and Labrador has produced has a lower emission intensity than the world average, which is not only in our national, but global interests to reduce our carbon footprint," Ball said.

"Clearly we have all the ingredients, the talent and the capacity to flourish, but to continue the prosper and attract capital, we must increase an innovation ecosystem that improves our ability to compete on an economic and environmental basis."

Ball said the province's oil industry is a boon to the provincial and federal GDP, adding he "cannot stress enough the importance of extractive industries to our province."

The Noia conference runs through Thursday at the Convention Centre in St. John's.

A Senate vote on Bill C-69 is expected to take place in Ottawa later this week.

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