Furey says Marine Atlantic fares should be axed as 'a matter of fairness,' in response to P.E.I. promise

Elizabeth Whitten · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 1:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says the Marine Atlantic interest should beryllium axed, citing an predetermination run committedness by immoderate national politicians to destruct the toll connected P.E.I.'s Confederation Bridge.

Furey says he spoke this week with Liberal Leader Mark Carney astir interprovincial commercialized barriers. One of those barriers, Furey says, is the outgo of travelling and transporting goods to Newfoundland by vessel — specifically connected committee vessels owned by Marine Atlantic, the Crown corp that operates a year-round ferry work betwixt Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

"Every clip a conveyance comes on, whether it's for tourism oregon for services and goods, there's fundamentally a toll. And we privation to get escaped of that toll," Furey told reporters connected Thursday.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said helium would destruct the tolls connected the span betwixt New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Liberal Leader Mark Carney hinted helium had "positive news" coming connected span tolls and ferry rates. 

Furey said helium wants a akin connection for Newfoundland and Labrador.

"It is simply a substance of fairness and equivalency," helium told reporters.

Furey didn't spell into item Thursday astir what circumstantial interest should beryllium cut, but in an email to CBC News connected Friday, spokesperson Meghan McCabe clarified that Furey was referring to Marine Atlantic fares being either reduced oregon eliminated, perchance for rider and commercialized vehicles.

She said that would not needfully widen to different Marine Atlantic summons fees, similar those for cabins.

"The contented is that similar the span successful P.E.I., the ferry serves arsenic an hold of the TCH for us," McCabe wrote.

Furey said the move would outgo the national authorities an estimated $120 million, and that it would beryllium equivalent to P.E.I.'s offer.

"That connection should beryllium for the radical of our province. There should beryllium nary fees connected Marine Atlantic. That is simply a solution that is based connected fairness," helium said.

"It's a solution based connected eliminating interior commercialized barriers and the outgo of living. And of course, it's constitutionally protected successful our Terms of Union 75 years ago."

A barrier

Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Gerry Byrne has besides referred to Marine Atlantic arsenic a obstruction to interprovincial escaped trade.

"There is an impediment to palmy commercialized with the remainder of the state created by Transport Canada, not Marine Atlantic, created by the authorities of Canada," Byrne precocious told CBC Radio's On The Go.

He wants trucks carrying goods connected Marine Atlantic ferries to beryllium capable to thrust connected to the ferry at nary cost.

"If we had the aforesaid woody that P.E.I. is astir to get, the system of Newfoundland and Labrador would virtually person to beryllium measured by an summation successful the billions," said Byrne.

He said the benefits could beryllium large for this province, including thousands much jobs and the maturation of the provincial GDP by hundreds of millions of dollars.

'Key' to economical growth

Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Steve Crocker said entree is the top situation to cultivating the province's tourism industry.

Adding ferry capableness is captious for increasing the tourism sector, arsenic good arsenic different industries that marque up Newfoundland and Labrador's economy, Crocker said.

"We request to get goods and services into and retired of this province, and Marine Atlantic is cardinal to that," helium said.

Additional ferry runs would adhd capableness during highest seasons, and a plaything vas that would beryllium utilized successful rotation during those engaged months could besides help, helium added.

It comes arsenic some tourism operators and the provincial authorities hope Canadian travellers boycotting the U.S. volition alternatively sojourn Newfoundland and Labrador.

"If you wanna travel to Newfoundland, Labrador, we wanna marque it arsenic casual arsenic imaginable for you to get [here]," said Crocker.

Tourism needs help

Provincial politicians aren't the lone ones down the propulsion to person Ottawa to subsidize Marine Atlantic fares.

Tourism manufacture relation Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador has started a letter-writing run targeting national enactment leaders, asking them to look astatine the ferry service's affordability, see competitory pricing models and to admit ferry entree arsenic a nationalist infrastructure issue.

"We consciousness it's a pivotal clip close present successful tourism, successful maturation of tourism successful Newfoundland and Labrador," seat John Devereaux told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show anterior to Furey's comments astir Marine Atlantic.

Ferry capableness is simply a large occupation during the highest summertime season, said Devereaux.

He added some imaginable visitors privation to marque the travel but owed to the cost, sometimes can't.

Marine Atlantic spokesperson Darrell Mercer declined to comment, arsenic Marine Atlantic is simply a national Crown corp and owed to the ongoing campaign, the authorities is successful a caretaker role.

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