Natural Resources committee  I'm going to try my best here to be as diplomatic as possible.

Natural Resources committee  What I would say to clew up there is that my only goal is to get what's best for Newfoundland and Labrador. I will do whatever is possible to make sure that happens. In this case, this requires this bill to move forward as expeditiously as possible.

Natural Resources committee  Absolutely not.

Natural Resources committee  No, what I'm a believer in is the opportunity to have clear conversations, discussion and study into the pros and cons of everything and what the total impact will be. I certainly take the point of the question, and I understand the logic behind it, but I wouldn't be able to just wholeheartedly say yes to that without knowing what these different impacts are.

Natural Resources committee  There are just a couple of things there. When it comes to the offshore, no, we haven't had any proposal put to us, even in the roughest terms, in terms of what it would cost or what it would entail. Certainly, when it comes to onshore projects, of which we have four that have now been given approval to move forward, they all differ depending on the megawatts, the scope of the project and what they hope to produce.

Natural Resources committee  We've been a part of this process, and we are quite satisfied with the bill as it stands. We are looking forward to the quick passage of this piece of legislation. We would like to see this move forward so we can continue on with the development of our offshore renewable resource, but we've been quite clear about the impact of the oil and gas sector on our province and what it does for us as a province.

Natural Resources committee  I think the term “death knell” may be a bit of hyperbole. Again, as it stands, we were very co-operative with the federal government when it came to the development of this legislation. Certainly, there were conversations between ministers, premiers and officials as they related to this, but again, I do not speak for the entirety of the government as it relates to how legislation is to go.

Natural Resources committee  What I would say is that our government—whether it be the premier or various ministers, as well as the officials—certainly played a role in the development of this. This is something when it comes to the offshore.... We've had a well-running board for decades now, and in this case we were very interested in moving forward on the offshore regulation of this new opportunity.

Natural Resources committee  I think it's very important when it comes to renewable energy that we be able to move forward quickly and efficiently. Certainly there's an excitement within the province regarding the opportunity that comes with our offshore, but there's also the need to get a strong regulatory framework in place.

Natural Resources committee  What I would say is that I certainly have respect for his knowledge as someone who's been in that field. Again, I haven't had this conversation with him, but what he's saying sounds like it makes some sense.

Natural Resources committee  No. I believe I've seen that number, actually.

Natural Resources committee  I am aware of Mr. Ruelokke as an individual and as a former member of the board, but I do not know him personally.

Natural Resources committee  I would agree with a portion of the statement, which is that it will be hard to invest or have a retroactive that would have an effect. I do not agree with the beginning of the commentary, that this particular section or bill will have that effect, given the fact that nothing can be done without provincial approval as it relates to our offshore.

Natural Resources committee  I don't recall the number. It would probably be in the range of 30 to 40. From what I understand, Mr. Tessier may have spoken earlier, so whatever number he says I would certainly stand by as being accurate.

Natural Resources committee  I believe there were zero bids.