Article content“It’s not only about the strategic location, it’s about the fact that we have facilities like Cow Head, Bull Arm, that could be used for some of the work that they’re talking about needing to do,” said Wakeham.Article contentWakeham said NL has the technology, education facilities and a workforce that’s ready and able to do these jobs.Article content“When you start ticking off all the boxes of what they would be looking for, we meet all of those criteria,” said Wakeham.Article contentWakeham said that the next steps involve his team breaking down how the province could do all the things he mentioned on a plan-by-plan basis.Article contentWakeham said that those planning sessions are what’s most important moving forward.Article content“And now (it’s), ‘Let’s work together about how we could do this,’” said Wakeham.Article contentMeeting with PoilievreArticle contentWakeham also met with the official leader of the opposition, Pierre Poilievre, alongside the three conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) that represent NL: Jonathan Rowe, Clifford Small and Carol Anstey.Article contentArticle contentWhile he and the federal Conservatives had some common threads to discuss, such as Bay Du Nord and defence spending, they also discussed health-care access, the rising cost of living and crime in the province.Article contentWakeham said he did reach out to the Liberal MPs who represent the province to ask to meet as well, but they were unavailable due to prior commitments.Article content“I’m looking to catch up with the other MPs from our province when I get back in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Wakeham.Article content NL Minister of Health and Community Services, Lela Evans, left, Federal Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, and NL Premier Tony Wakeham. Photo by ContributedArticle contentSigning up for the PharmaCare programArticle contentWakeham and NL Health Minister Lela Evans did get to meet with federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel.Article contentWakeham said that while they talked about the challenges the province faces, they also talked about the national PharmaCare program— a program that the NL NDP pushed the former Liberal government to sign on for, yet they never did.Article contentWakeham confirmed after his meeting with Michel that NL will be signing on for the program when the federal government is “ready to entertain that.”Article content“Right now, there are only four provinces that have signed on,” said Wakeham.Article content“It’s unfortunate we didn’t sign on originally, but we’re ready to sign on whenever the federal government is prepared to allow us to sign up.”Article content
We have what they need: Wakeham presses Ottawa for Bay du Nord and defence investments
