NEW SHIPBUILDING STRATEGY MUST INVEST IN CANADIAN MADE VESSELS

FALL RIVER, N.S. – New Democrat Deputy Shipbuilding Critic Peter Stoffer is urging the Conservative government to ensure that its new national shipbuilding strategy has the support of all industry and labour stakeholders. The new strategy is to be released in the next couple of weeks.

“I want to ensure that the federal government has consulted with all of the stakeholders involved in the shipbuilding and marine industry and that they are supportive of this new strategy,” said Stoffer.

“Close to 40 billion dollars may be spent on new ships in the next twenty years. We must ensure that this money will be used to build vessels in Canada and to bring our regional shipyards up to capacity.  The government’s new strategy must prioritize investment in Canadian made vessels.”

Stoffer also hopes that the new strategy builds on earlier reports and recommendations that mapped a way forward for Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industry.

“Investment in our shipbuilding industry has been stalled for many years. Even last year, the Conservative government ignored their own suggestion to invest in the shipbuilding industry as an economic stimulus.  Let’s hope that this new strategy moves Canada’s shipbuilding industry forward.”