Categories: Need to know

Harper strikes oil exploration deal with Quebec

Province allowed to keep 100 per cent of royalties from Old Harry oil field

by macleans.ca on Thursday, March 24, 2011 1:31pm - 26 Comments

The federal government has come to an agreement with Quebec with respect to oil exploration operations in the St. Lawrence. The deal, unveiled in Gatineau, Que. on Thursday, will open up the Old Harry oil field in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to exploration for billions of barrels of oil and natural gas. Under its terms, the province will be allowed to keep 100 per cent of royalties from operations there. The accord amounts to a breakthrough in relations between the Harper and Charest governments just as the Conservatives start looking for ways to win support away from the Bloc Quebecois ahead of the federal election campaign.

The Globe and Mail

Tags: old harry

Tim

I am actually suprised this agreement got done as it is pretty similar to those the feds have with Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. I would assumed Quebec would have endlessly demanded special treatment and Ottawa wouldn't have given in.
Keith M

Congratulations Quebec, It's like watching your child get their first job and there is hope in the back of your mind that soon they will be supporting themselves. We can hope that this will one day stop Quebec from sucking money from Ontario and the West.
ICFATCATS

OLD HARRY OIL DEAL STRUCK with voter rich Quebec, yes!!! but at the cost of throwing Alantic Canada under the bus. Call on all Canadians to join A-B-C campaign.
Leo

Guess Charest will be keeping his yap shut on the oil sands now.
john

Must be an election year…………
sam

He should, thats where all his free money comes from!
TimesArrow

I don't know how long this has been in the works, but if it's recent and hasty concession on the part of the feds, then it starts to stink of a Paul Martin last minute deal to save his govt. Talk about history biting you in the ass.
Leo

It has been in works for a while – CBC October 21, 2010

Normandeau said Thursday the province's territorial integrity is at the heart of a potential agreement with Ottawa on energy resources.

"We're going to speed up the pace in the coming days, coming weeks," she told a news conference in Quebec City.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's interested in arranging an offshore resources agreement with Quebec, much like the one Ottawa has with Newfoundland and Labrador.

"The seismic work being undertaken is a decision made independently by an independent agency," Harper said Thursday in St. John's, referring to the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Resources Board.

"The government of Quebec has expressed interest in having a similar arrangement for its offshore resources and the government of Canada is very much interested in having discussions with Quebec to establish that kind of arrangement."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2010…
Agha Ali Arkhan

If Quebec strikes it rich on oil royalties, does any chance exist that Quebec may have to contribute to the equalization pot instead of feeding from it? Or will a new formula be adopted? Someone out there knows.
Scott_G

Exactly, this equalization business has been mismanaged. Its smart for Harper to support provinces. What a nobel thought, to bad other Gov't never thought of it.
TimesArrow

Thx. I had my doubts after reading the globe story "After" commenting…always an unwise thing to do…oddly enough i got thumbed up. ID voting sure is screwy. [I'll vote you up before she who must be heard lots comes along.]
Guess it's just smart politcs on Harper's part?
sam

I agree, but if he says something, then he's paying politics.He cant win for losing at times.
Tceh

Harper reneged on the oil deal struck between NF and the Feds because he thought it would blow over quickly and quietly. Harper then subsequently lost all his NF seats in the next election when Danny Williams actively campaigned against the CONs.

Harper can't let that happen again, better to strike a deal now. But the problem is the BQ will take the credit and remind the Quebecois Harper's words don't count for much. What the Conservatives give here they will take away somewhere else and with CON credibility at an all time low I doubt this deal will translate to votes for the Conservatives.
Keith in Brampton

I sure hope you meant "noble"; Harper winning a Nobel prize for anything would be a sign of the apocolypse!
Leo

Shhhh, lol!!! There has been some nom de plumes showing up here the last few weeks that I recognize from the CBC and G&M sites. Oh well.

Pretty much everything that said or done by Harper et al will have a spin put on it….sigh.
Keith in Brampton

On another front: when the NL deal was struck, one part of the deal was that the oil NOT be refined in NL, as the Feds were protecting jobs in Quebec refineries.

Any chance the reverse will be true this time around? (Rhetorical question; Quebec always finds a way to get a piece of NL's pie, but it never works the other way)
http://twitter.com/konop @konop

Struck a deal, IE, gave Quebec 100% of what they wanted and got 0% in return. Some deal.
Les belle garson.

Well why wouldn't he sell them a pig in a poke? lol. Newfoundland, with Corridor resources already have legal signed ownership of 60% of the old Harry! All looked after with a huge backer! Who, is going to tie in with quebec? Everybody is saying who me, er, I'm broke! Like Quebec Hydro, run into the ground. Harper no fool.lol Tis why he has 43% support, WITHOUT QUEBEC!
And besides, quebec gets no access to the NEW pipeline to the United States, unless it pays big rent! I LOVE IT!
Leo

Devil is always in the details, lol!!! Kudos to you – Mr. Market always knows best!!
Olivier

I fail to see what the CPC gains from this deal.

It's not a bad deal, they've been working on it for a while, but I don't see the CPC making any gains based on that.
Cav

Queerbec does nothing but wine. Just like the natives of this country wa wa wa Cry me a river. Noow the rest of canda will have to lose my of there money to make up the different that they keep and the politicians will keep spending on them. Go ahead call an election. Maybe the people of this country will open there eyes and see what's really out there running this country. I'll tell you. Corprations. They pay off who they want in and then it's all down hill for them. It's the only way there companies can make a profit. By stealing it and making us pay twice. One buy there product. Two taking our taxes.
LoyalSubject

Probably half a dozen seats in eastern Quebec.
Je un bon homme

Mr Harper, is very well aware, that, its not Quebec they are working on, but Ontario! Ontario and Quebec, (how they can stomach it is beyond me, but they did elect Bob Rae), have working agreements, a coalition of their own, to prevent the West from becoming the main man! If you get the drift? Hence the kid gloves stuff. Why the West hangs in there is confusing, but I hope they are aware of this coalition! A Liberal win, would end it for any growth in the West. No matter how powerful you think you are.
Je un bon homme

THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO
represented by the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
and Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal
(hereinafter called « Ontario »)

AND

THE GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC
represented by the ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes, de la Francophonie canadienne, de l'Accord sur le commerce intérieur, de la Réforme des institutions démocratiques et de l'Accès à l'information
(hereinafter called « Québec »)

Hereinafter called « the Parties »
Je un bon homme

WHEREAS the Premiers of Québec and Ontario have signed a Cooperation Protocol expressing in particular the interest of their two provinces in promoting the development of the French fact and increasing exchanges with respect to Francophone affairs;

WHEREAS Québec and Ontario wish to create ties for cooperation to promote the development and vitality of the French language and culture;

WHEREAS Québec and Ontario are determined to see this desire for cooperation translated into concrete actions in the areas of culture, education, early childhood, health, and any other area deemed to be relevant by the Parties;

WHEREAS in the context of the Ontario-Québec Cooperation Protocol, the Parties wish to acknowledge their important historic relationship and recognize that a new era of cooperation can contribute to improved public services in both provinces, thereby building a higher quality of life for their citizens,

THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS :
Je un bon homme

Ontario craves to be run by the french. Its desire to be another Belgium, or Algeria, or better still, they love to be another New Brunswick. Which I don't blame them, we have various pension options, never need to be qualified for anything, etc.