The Atlantic Liberal caucus is slamming the Conservative party for opposing new legislation that would extend the Atlantic accords to include renewable energy.

害羞草研究所淥ur caucus views this as an attack on Atlantic Canada,害羞草研究所� said Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois, who serves as the party害羞草研究所檚 regional caucus chair.

The Conservatives reject any accusation they害羞草研究所檙e standing against the region.

They insist any opposition they have to the bill is not because they害羞草研究所檙e against economic development, but rather due to their belief the bill would add red tape and give politicians power to kill offshore oil drilling in protected areas.

The latest East Coast partisan melee comes as the region, which eight years ago was painted entirely Liberal red, has increasingly shown signs of displeasure with the governing party.

The Conservatives see lots of opportunity in the four Atlantic provinces, where inflation and some unique effects of climate policy caused energy prices to rise more than elsewhere in the country in July.

About three-quarters of the 24 Liberal MPs from the four Atlantic provinces staged a news conference on Parliament Hill Wednesday to call out the Conservatives for opposing Bill C-49.

The legislation, which was introduced in May, came up for its first significant debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 shocked that we害羞草研究所檙e even here,害羞草研究所� said Labour Minister and Newfoundland MP Seamus O害羞草研究所橰egan.

害羞草研究所淲e do not have time for foolishness, for utter foolishness, or partisan debates that are not founded in reality.害羞草研究所�

The accords are two separate pieces of legislation first passed in the 1980s to establish a singular regulatory process and revenue-sharing arrangement for offshore oil and gas development in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

Canada and the two provinces agreed in April 2022 to update both federal and provincial legislation to add offshore renewable energy, as both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland look to harness the wind off their coastlines.

The government says it has the support of both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for the bill, and that similar bills will be introduced at the provincial level.

O害羞草研究所橰egan and Housing Minister Sean Fraser, a Nova Scotia MP, both said the federal bill is just an evolution of energy development that will allow both provinces to take advantage of massive investment opportunities in the transition to clean electricity.

They stressed that it is an investment and climate action opportunity rolled into one, for a region that knows first-hand the brutality climate change is bringing with it.

Fraser said it害羞草研究所檚 a 害羞草研究所渂illion-dollar investment害羞草研究所� opportunity that will bring good jobs to the Atlantic.

But he said timing is of the essence because lots of competition exists for the investments, and if Canada doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to miss them, it needs to pass the bill allowing for offshore wind projects. He said the bill is just 害羞草研究所渢he next step in the process.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淔rankly, I thought this was going to be the simplest piece of legislation that all parties to get behind,害羞草研究所� said Fraser.

害羞草研究所淭his is the kind of thing that inspired me to get involved in politics in the first place. And when I see the opposition making a bonehead decision to oppose green energy in my home province, it害羞草研究所檚 the kind of thing that inspires me to continue my work on Parliament Hill.害羞草研究所�

Alberta MP Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative critic for natural resources, dismissed allegations that the Tories oppose the bill because they oppose green development.

Instead, she said the bill will result in longer approval times for new projects, and allow for 害羞草研究所減otential arbitrary decision-making害羞草研究所� to end existing and future offshore oil and gas projects, as well as renewable projects.

害羞草研究所淭his bill is an attack to end offshore petroleum drilling, as is the government害羞草研究所檚 track record, and it will also hold up the development of renewables too,害羞草研究所� said Stubbs.

New Brunswick Conservative Jake Stewart said the idea of a single regulator for offshore renewables makes sense the same way it did for oil and gas. But he said the government害羞草研究所檚 process is going to take too long to identify suitable sites for offshore wind.

害羞草研究所淏y the time the current process concludes, at the pace they are going, the opportunity will likely have passed (in) Canada anyway,害羞草研究所� said Stewart.

He added that he has concerns about the bill putting Indigenous consultation in the hands of the regulator, and whether that will open up its decisions to court challenges.

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