South Coast Today - mark furey

South Coast firms featured in NS export awards

Timothy Gillespie — Thu, 26 May 2016 16:20:09 +0000

Cedar Bay Grilling takes top honours
Ten Nova Scotia companies were honoured for their success in exporting at the 32nd annual Nova Scotia Export Achievement Awards on Thursday, May 26, and Lunenburg-based Cedar Bay Grilling Company Ltd was named the 2016 Exporter of the Year. Other South Coast firms in the running included Gidney Fisheries Limited (Digby Neck), Eel Lake Oyster Farm (Ste. Anne-Du-Ruisseau, Yarmouth Co) and Pierce Fisheries, a Division of Clearwater Seafoods LP (Lockeport).

Cedar Bay and the other finalists received congratulations from Mark Furey, minister of Business. "On behalf of the government I congratulate and recognize the contribution these exporters make to growing our economy and contributing to the province's goal of doubling exports within 10 years," said Furey. "The Nova Scotia Export Achievement Awards are a celebration of the private sector growth that is driving economic development in communities across the province."

Premier Stephen McNeil said in a news release, "Cedar Bay Grilling provides a great example of the success Nova Scotia businesses can achieve as exporters. Congratulations on being named the province's Exporter of the Year. You and all the companies represented today are making important contributions to the Nova Scotia economy and our future as a trading province."

Other nominees for The nominees for Exporter of the Year, who have already been recognized in their communities by their regional chambers, are:
-- Classic Fine Foods, Edwardsville, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
-- Spa Springs Mineral Water Company, Middleton
-- Seafoam Lavender Farm, River John, Pictou Co.
-- Woodmaster Tools, Clifton, Colchester Co.
-- Authentic Seacoast Company, Guysborough
-- Clearwater Seafoods LP, Bedford

"At NSBI we work with companies from across the province every day to help them increase their export capacity, overcome barriers to new markets, and participate in global supply chains," said Laurel Broten, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc. "We're excited to celebrate, recognize, and share the stories behind their accomplishments."

The awards luncheon took place at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.

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Visitor centres need to be privatized, says minister

Timothy Gillespie — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:47:37 +0000

Business minister Mark Furey told a post cabinet scrum in Halifax Thursday that provincially operated visitor information centres in Nova Scotia will be privatized. When asked by a CBC reporter whether the VICs might be turned over to private operators, Furey said "I think we have to."

The McNeil government has endured much criticism over its closure of three major visitor centres last year and over fears that the remaining six centres would see the same fate.

The province announced earlier this week that the six centres - including the one at the ferry terminal in Yarmouth - would remain open.

Concerns have also been raised by tourism operators in the government's inability to commit to a definite schedule for the Yarmouth-Portland ferry being operated by Bay Ferries.

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Visitor centres to remain open

Timothy Gillespie — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:49:23 +0000

“These workers have dedicated a lot of time and effort into reaching out to tourism operators to advocate for the centres to remain open, and in the end it looks like that hard work has paid off.”

REVISED: The Nova Scotia government appears to have backed off any plans to close the visitor information centre at the ferry terminal in Yarmouth, and five other regional centres.

Business Minister Mark Furey confirmed via anews release Thursday, Feb. 25, that Nova Scotia's six provincial visitor information centres will remain open. They will continue to be operated and administered by the province.

Over the past year, according to the release, Tourism Nova Scotia consulted with industry and communities about its programs and services, including other ways to operate provincial visitor information centres.

"These centres are important provincial assets that add value to the tourism experience in Nova Scotia and to the communities where they operate," said Business Minister Mark Furey. "As technology advances tourism is changing rapidly, and we need to keep up with the pace of change. That's why we took the time to make an informed decision about the role the centres will play in growing this industry."

NSGEU President Joan Jessome gave credit Thursday in a news release to the Nova Scotia government for its decision to keep the six remaining Visitor Information Centres open and run by the same experienced staff, which her union represents.

“I am very pleased with this outcome. Over the last year, our members who work in these Visitor Information Centres have been very concerned about the future of tourism, and the role these centres play within the industry,” says Jessome.

“These workers have dedicated a lot of time and effort into reaching out to tourism operators to advocate for the centres to remain open, and in the end it looks like that hard work has paid off.”

Tourism operators and NSGEU members have been concerned for the future of the remaining centres since the province closed the Digby and Pictou centres last year and these concerns were only heightened by the complete lack of information being provided to the workers, communities and organizations, the release stated.

“I am relieved the government has decided to not turn its back on this $2 billion industry and that they are not throwing away the many of years of tourism experience, passion and dedication our members use to promote Nova Scotia to visitors,” says Jessome.

“We also appreciate the advocacy of the Opposition parties, as they helped raise public awareness around this important issue.”

Argyle-Barrington MLA Chris d'Entremont has been extremely critical of the government on ths issue. In a late afternoon news release, d'Entremeont said the Liberal governmentw a flying by the seat of their pants on the tourism file. “The Liberals put local communities and tourism operators through months of unnecessary confusion and turmoil,” said d’Entremont. “Now it turns out it was all for nothing. This is more evidence the Liberals have no idea what they’re doing. Nova Scotians are tired of watching this government lurch from crisis to crisis with no plan.”

While activity at the centres has decreased over the last decade as tourists get more information online, they continue to play a role in local tourism, said the government news release. The private sector-led Tourism Nova Scotia has a goal to attract more first time visitors to Nova Scotia and double tourism revenues to $4-billion by 2024.

Tourism Nova Scotia acknowledges the importance of frontline visitor information services to help meet that goal and will also continue to offer travel planning assistance 24 hours a day on novascotia.com and 365 days a year through the Tourism Contact Centre. In addition to the six provincial visitor information centres, there are more than 50 locally-run centres across the province.

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Minister Furey defends against privatization claims

Timothy Gillespie — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 17:09:19 +0000

revised: Biggest corporate handout since Nova Scotia Power, says NDP
In a story on Tuesday, SCT characterized the changes in managing three primary government registries as a move to privatization. The union representing affected workers agreed, as do the two opposition parties.

On Wednesday, Service Nova Scotia minister Mark Furey's office sent SCT a transcript of a media scrum Tuesday in which the minister claims his actions do not amount to privatization.

“This is not privatization," minister Furey said. "Many individuals have spoken to me and they’ve compared it to Nova Scotia Power. Nova Scotia Power was a complete divestiture of government ownership and responsibility. Alternate Service Delivery is an option and opportunity for government to engage industry and labour in partnerships that address employee concerns, address government concerns and address industry."

The minister iterated that he thought it important to differentiate past models and future models, citing the Cobequid Pass arrangement, "where industry is providing a service to government where government retains authority of regulations, legislation and responsibilities.”

Also in a news release, NDP leader Maureen MacDonald disagrees with minister Furey. “What we’ve seen in the past, not only in Nova Scotia, but in other provinces, is that over the long run privatization costs more and delivers less,” says MacDonald. “With the government openly talking about a 30-50 year agreement, this deal would provide short term revenue to Stephen McNeil heading into an election and long term costs for everyone else.”

In a technical briefing Tuesday, Service Nova Scotia staff indicated the Department of Motor Vehicles brings in more than $120 million a year in revenue. "They are considering selling it off for a fraction of that price,” says MacDonald. “This would be the biggest corporate handout since the Conservatives privatized Nova Scotia Power and it could cost Nova Scotians millions in revenue on an annual basis for decades to come.”

On Tuesday, NSGEU president Joan Jessome told SCT that the union has been polling Nova Scotia residents about the issue of privatization and that the example of Nova Scotia Power is raised with great regularity.

Note: After this story was published, SCT received an email from the department with this statement from the minister:
“This is not a “corporate giveaway”. Whether the revenue comes to government directly at one of our counters or indirectly as a royalty from a service provider, it is still revenue to the province. At the end of the day, nothing has been lost. If we have an opportunity to take a lump sum payment and substitute a high cost financial obligation for a lower cost one, it makes sense to do so. That is why it is called alternative service delivery.”

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McNeil government unclear about where Cooke Aqua $18M was spent

Timothy Gillespie — Thu, 28 May 2015 12:44:14 +0000

"...how they've utilized that money and what they retain, I'm not sure I can actually answer the question." Minister Mark Furey

FROM CBC: Herschel Specter has lived in Shelburne for about 20 years and says many in town have watched with frustration as Cooke Aquaculture has failed to come through on a promise to build a fish processing plant.

The New Brunswick-based company promised five years ago that a processing plant would be built in the area, creating more than 300 jobs. But nothing has happened.

Construction of a Cooke Aquaculture fish processing plant in Shelburne has been delayed. (CBC)

"Unemployment is a characteristic of Nova Scotia and along comes somebody and dangles a huge number of jobs in front of them and of course the government and everyone else jumps on board," Specter told CBC Radio's Mainstreet.

Back in 2012, the NDP government awarded Cooke Aquaculture $25 million.

"This investment represents a tremendous opportunity for southwest Nova Scotia and the entire province," Premier Darrell Dexter said at the time.

The provincial investment included at $16 million interest-bearing loan and a $9 million forgivable loan through the Nova Scotia Jobs Fund and JobsHere.

Empty promise

But Specter says people in Shelburne are angry, calling Cooke's promise of a processing plant in Shelburne an empty one. He said the date keeps getting pushed back.

"It's the carrot that draws people forward. It's like somebody crossing the desert, desperate for water and you dangle a glass of water and you can make them do anything."

Specter questions why the provincial government awarded Cooke Aquaculture taxpayer money and wonders why there hasn't been a more thorough investigation into the how the money has been spent so far. He also questions how the provincial government can both regulate the aquaculture industry and promote it.

"I want to know how is the provincial government serving the people of Nova Scotia with regard to aquaculture," he says.

"A lot of us have heard promise after promise that never materialize. It's the ever-receding mirage. Well, enough is enough."

Mark Furey, Nova Scotia's minister of business, says the government is working on file. Of the $25 million, Furey says $16 million is intended for four projects and $2 million was spent on salt water cages at Cooke sites across Nova Scotia. He says there is $7 million that remains in the hands of government.

Only two of four projects completed.

"A third one, the expansion of the feed mill site in Truro, they've just recently applied for a licence," Furey says. "And the one project that there's been no advancement on is in fact the processing facility in Shelburne that Mr. (Specter) has referenced."

"The monies that were expended were for Cooke to develop that industry and how they've utilized that money and what they retain, I'm not sure I can actually answer the question. But the money was intended for the overall development of that industry."

When the minister was asked if the provincial government might ask for some of that taxpayer money back, Furey said: "Those are possibilities, but I really want to give this industry and this corporate partner an opportunity to live up to their commitments and we recognize that it will be beyond the date of the commitment.

"But I think government is certainly accountable for taxpayers money. At the same time we have to balance the opportunity to engage industry and to give industry opportunities when extenuating circumstances may be driving some of these outcomes."

"Industry has been challenged, given the economy has been challenged in the last number of months."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/cooke-aquaculture-fish-plant-d...

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More lavish parties planned for liquor execs

Timothy Gillespie — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:53:03 +0000

Booze bash cancelled

Party costs on top of $2 million-plus in salaries for top execs.

According to a news release Thursday from the PC caucus, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation has been spending close to $700 per person at lavish "training conferences" for executives and staff of the crown corporation - at a total cost of more than $140,000 per year.

NSLC is planning to repeat the $141,000 management conference in 2015, in spite of Premier’s tough talk, says PC MLA Tim Houston.

Houston is demanding action from Liberal Minister Diana Whalen on unjustifiable spending of $141,000 of taxpayers’ money for a NSLC Management Training Conference.

According to documents obtained through access to information requests, a 2013 “training session” held at Digby Pines Resort, included an appearance by a popular and expensive band at a cost of $6,000.00 plus tax. For 212 attendees, the cost was $665 per person.

According to agency files, the NSLC’s next Management Training Conference is scheduled for May 4 and 5 at the Inverary Inn, in Baddeck, and will have a price tag of another $140,000.

“The Liberals keep talking about having to make tough choices in the interest of Nova Scotia’s fiscal challenges. It should be an easy choice to axe lavish government parties like this,” said Houston. “The posturing and tough talk is hollow when they cut programs and services rather than wasteful spending.”

The NSLC documents were released days after Houston says he asked Liberal Minister for Service Nova Scotia, Mark Furey, why his department spent $222,000 on courier fees in one year. The Liberals, according to Huston, also increased the cost of Senior Management of government departments by $1.7 million.

Minister Furey, says the release, told the Legislature on Tuesday, “The province is broke and everybody will have to contribute to right the ship.”

The NSLC executives are some of the most highly paid in the province, according to filings required by with the Public Sector Compensation Disclosure Act, with top execs pulling in more than $2 million in compensation.

“When the budget came out, the Liberals said it would be a ‘tough one.’ We asked tough on who?” Houston said. “Minister Whalen has no issue with cutting the film tax credit throwing thousands of young Nova Scotians out of work. But she can afford money to throw lavish parties for management at NSLC.”

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