Lost in the mail? No response to N.L. premier's letter to federal party leaders

It's been more than two weeks since outgoing Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey outlined a long list of priorities in a letter to federal political leaders, but so far there has not been a written response, his office confirmed on Wednesday.

Furey wrote a letter to party leaders Mark Carney, Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh and Yves-François Blanchet on April 8, stressing the need for action in the face of a trade war with the United States, and the need to strengthen and diversify the provincial economy as new markets outside of the U.S. are explored, and inter-provincial trade barriers are removed.

In his letter, he asked for a commitment to eliminate what he called "costly" Marine Atlantic fees, which he says is a trade barrier for the movement of passengers and goods to and from the province.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney promised this week to cut the cost of travel in Atlantic Canada, including a reduction in the fees for the Marine Atlantic ferry service between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia "by at least half."

At a campaign stop in Newfoundland and Labrador in early April, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he'd consider a rate reduction for the ferry service.

Arctic security and Labrador

Furey called upon the parties to ignore a proposal by the previous Liberal government to impose carbon emissions caps on the oil and gas industry, establish joint federal-provincial management of the fishing industry, and to overhaul the equalization formula to better reflect the higher cost of delivering services in the province.

Furey wants a national program to help fund infrastructure projects such as marine port upgrades to support trade, new transmission lines to support the demand for renewable energy, and improved roads to better connect communities and industries to national trade corridors.

He also requested investments in the military base in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in order to enhance Arctic security, and asked for a commitment to continue support of affordable child care programs.

"We also require the flexibility to fund social infrastructure to support our growing population," Furey wrote. 

After the April 28 vote, it's expected that either Carney or Poilievre will be prime minister. Carney has said he will protect and strengthen the $10-a-day early learning and child care system. Poilievre has said he supports affordable child care, but has said he wants changes to the current model.

Both the Liberals and Conservatives have made promises to fast-track approvals for large infrastructure projects, while the Conservatives have also promised to repeal all carbon pricing, including on industrial emitters.

Furey, meanwhile, was not available for an interview on Wednesday. 

But he wrote in his letter that the province has an abundance of critical minerals, low-emissions oil production, seafood and wind energy potential, and a federal partnership is necessary to "unlock the full value of these resources."

"This requires investing in strategic infrastructure development, reducing regulatory uncertainty, and expediting approvals," he added.

The crumbling relationship between Canada and the United States has dominated debate in the federal campaign, with U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats to Canada's sovereignty overshadowing issues such as climate change.

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