Dion opposed Atlantic Accord

Okay, maybe I'm behind and this was reported already, but I was away for a week.

This is a shameless plug of official Party talking points... so sue me!

Dion Opposed the Atlantic Accord

Today Liberal leader Stéphane Dion pretends to care about the Atlantic Accord. However, Dion’s record was clear – he fought tooth and nail AGAINST Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador receiving any benefits at all from their offshore resources. How does Dion explain his record?:

The facts:

- Stéphane Dion and the Liberals have always denied that the fiscal imbalance even exists

- Dion voted AGAINST the implementation of the Atlantic Accord on November 15, 2004

- The federal government says it no longer wants to talk about Nova Scotia's so-called "campaign for fairness". Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion met with Premier John Hamm yesterday, and told reporters the campaign is over. Dion says it's only fair that as provinces take in more money on their own, they receive less in equalization transfers. (BN, May 15, 2002)

- Premier John Hamm's Campaign for Fairness on offshore royalties was flawed from the start, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said Tuesday. "I suggested to stop arguing about the past," Dion said after meeting with Hamm for more than an hour. "It's a mistake to link (the offshore) to equalization payments, because then other provinces want to be part of it." (The Daily News (Truro), May 15, 2002)

- Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion says Ottawa has had enough of Nova Scotia's campaign for fairness. The province wants to keep equalization payments, even as it takes in new revenues from offshore development. Dion told reporters yesterday that wouldn't be fair to other provinces. (BN, May 15, 2002)

- Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion says he's fed up arguing about Premier John Hamm's ``campaign for fairness,'' (Halifax Daily News, May 15, 2002)

- Dion said he doesn't like the name of Hamm's campaign, or its insistence that Nova Scotia got a raw deal in the past. (Halifax Daily News, May 15, 2002)

- Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion, who stated the federal Liberals see no need to amend the equalization formula to accommodate the Atlantic premiers' wish to keep all their oil and gas booty (Report Magazine, August 20, 2001, quoting Globe and Mail op-ed by Dion)

- “Look, we have received two requests from some premiers. Premier Hamm has requested to not take into account his offshore revenue in the equalization payment formula. We have explained why it would be unfair for the provinces.” (CBC Radio, The House, August 4, 2001)

- Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion said last week that ``goes against the whole idea of equalization'' and could cause resentment among the ``have'' provinces, such as Alberta, that pay into the fund. (Edmonton Journal, April 18, 2001)

- Federal Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion argued recently that it would be unfair to allow provinces such as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to hang on to both equalization payments and their oil and gas revenues if that gives them fiscal capacities surpassing those of British Columbia or Ontario (Ottawa Citizen, July 19, 2001)

Anybody able to get ahold of some of those published articles? ;-)