It is amazing how quickly September has come upon us. As this month is shaping up to be both busy and exciting, I hope everyone had the opportunity to enjoy the summer and the beautiful weather Newfoundland and Labrador had on offer.
Canada has a federal general election underway and I believe this is a very important time to discuss the offshore oil and gas industry, its role in meeting the energy demands of our country and world, and how those running for office will support the offshore.
While Noia will not endorse any specific parties or candidates during an election process, we will continue our advocacy work to help our members learn more about the options before them. One of the ways we are doing so is writing the leaders of the five national parties and asking them to answer a series of questions about the offshore industry, specifically how they will support it.
That letter has been sent to each leader and a copy is available on the Noia federal election resources webpage found here. We have requested that the leaders provide their responses by September 7 so Noia members have time to review before casting their ballots. As they are received, we will post the responses to the webpage and share them via our social media platforms.
On our federal election resources webpage you will also find a series of questions pertaining to the offshore oil and gas industry that you can ask candidates in your riding. We encourage you to ask these questions if you meet a candidate, or write or call them to get their responses. The more information we have about the parties and the candidates before we cast our ballots, the better informed we will be, and hopefully, the better supported our industry will be.
Support for the offshore oil and gas industry can come in many forms. It can include promoting the industry on the national and international stage, ensuring a globally competitive regulatory regime is in place, or providing financial support through incentives for exploration and development projects. Support for the offshore means upholding the principles of joint management, full and fair opportunity for the supply and service sector, and local benefits prescribed in the Atlantic Accord. It means continued seismic and exploration campaigns. It means using our low-carbon resource to help our country, and world, achieve net zero emissions. Such support will allow our industry to grow, react, and take advantage of the tremendous resource potential we have.
So please, visit the webpage, read the letter, and ask your candidates these important questions.
The federal election occurs on September 20, just one day before we open our 2021 Noia Oil & Gas Conference. No doubt we will have lots to discuss when we see each other again.
If you have not already registered, I encourage you to do so now as due to COVID-19 restrictions, assigned seating will be in effect and limited seats are available. If you register before September 10, you are eligible for the early bird prize of two round trip tickets anywhere PAL Airlines flies, including one of their new services to Ottawa, Montreal, and Fredericton. Registration can be found here.
I look forward to seeing you at conference and encourage you to get informed about the offshore issues important to this federal election. Ask your candidates if they support the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore oil and gas industry.
Stay well.
