6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      5,
      1996
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maritime
      Union:
      A
      Good
      Idea
      for
      PEI?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Tom
      Beveridge
     
    

    
     
      This
      article
      is
      written
      in
      response
     
     
      to
      the
      Institutes
      of
      Island
      Studies
      and
     
     
      Public
      Administration
      of
      Canada
      day
     
     
      long
      seminars
      on
      Tuesday,
      February
     
     
      27,1996
     
    

    
     
      After
      130
      rounds
      of
      debating
      the
     
     
      issue
      in
      as
      many
      years
      as
      the
      federally
     
     
      constituted
      jurisdiction
      known
      as
     
     
      Canada
      has
      been
      around,
      the
      specter
      of
     
     
      Maritime
      Union
      continues
      to
      raise
      its
     
     
      head.
      The
      question
      of
      Maritime
      Union
     
     
      was
      again
      discussed
      in
      Charlottetown
     
     
      through
      a
      day-long
      seminar,
      co-spon-
     
     
      sored
      by
      the
      Institute
      of
      Island
      Studies
     
     
      from
      the
      University
      of
      PEI
      and
      the
     
     
      Institute
      of
      Public
      Administration
      of
     
     
      Canada
      (I.P.A.C.).
      This
      event
      drew
      a
     
     
      cross
      section
      of
      interested
      academics
      in
     
     
      the
      fields
      of
      economics
      and
      political
     
     
      science,
      labour
      leaders,
      politicians,
      the
     
     
      media,
      and
      approximately
      half
      a
      dozen
     
     
      students.
     
    

    
     
      The
      university's
      Vice
      President,
     
     
      Doctor
      John
      Crossley
      welcomed
      every-
     
     
      one
      to
      the
      seminar
      as
      the
      moderator
      for
     
     
      discussion
      and
      the
      debates.
      The
      Hon.
     
    

    
     
      Robert
      Morrissey
      was
      the
      first
      to
      make
     
     
      a
      presentation
      with
      comments
      regarding
     
     
      the
      usefulness
      of
      Maritime
      Council
      of
     
     
      Provinces
      over
      its
      25
      year
      history
      and
     
     
      the
      PEI
      government's
      commitment
      to
     
     
      continued
      economicco-operation
      with
     
     
      the
      other
      Maritime
      provinces.
      Leo
     
     
      Broderick,
      former
      President
      of
      the
      PEI
      -
     
     
      Federation
      of
      Teachers
      Union
      pressed
     
     
      Morrisey
      on
      the
      question
      of
      jobs
      and
     
     
      suggested
      that
      corporations
      were
      taking
     
     
      control
      of
      the
      government's
      public
     
     
      agenda
      to
      meet
      their
      own
      needs,
      namely
     
     
      profits.
      The
      response
      was
      one
      of
      denial,
     
     
      of
      course,
      and
      the
      day
      moved
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      first
      half
      of
      the
      day
      was
     
     
      committed
      to
      the
      economic
      side
      of
      the
     
     
      issues
      facing
      PEI
      regarding
      the
      possibil-
     
     
      ity
      of
      Maritime
      Union.
      It
      was
      fitting
     
     
      then,
      to
      have
      two
      respected
      economists
      -
     
     
      -
      Brian
      Russell,
      the
      director
      of
      the
      North
     
     
      American
      Policy
      Group
      at
      Dalhousie
     
     
      and
      Brain
      Crowley,
      the
      president
      of
      the
     
     
      Atlantic
      Institute
      for
      Market
      Studies,
     
     
      debating
      the
      economic
      effccts
      of
      Mari-
     
     
      time
      Union.
      Brian
      Russell
      presented
      a
     
     
      good
      case
      for
      the
      topic
      of
      Maritime
     
     
      Union
      as
      timely
      and
      beneficial
      to
      PEI.
     
     
      He
      stated
      that
      after
      25
      years
      of
      incre-
     
     
      mental
      economic
      union,
      the
      Maritime
     
     
      Council
      of
      Provinces
      and
      the
      govern-
     
     
      ments
      involved
      should
      shoulder
      the
     
     
      burden
      of
      proof
      in
      light
      of
      its
      lack
      of
     
     
      substantial
      performance.
      With
      so
      little
      to
     
     
      show
      over
      25
      years,
      Russell
      made
      his
     
     
      point
      that
      other
      alternatives,
      including
     
     
      Maritime
      Union,
      should
      be
      looked
      at
      in
     
     
      a
      closer
      light.
      Brain
      Crowley
      presented
     
     
      the
      other
      side
      of
      the
      debate
      with
      less
     
     
      "fast
      talking"
      than
      Russell
      was
      accused
     
     
      of,
      but
      his
      point
      about
      the
      short
      term
     
    

    
     
      economic
      burden
      was
      not
      as
      well
      made,
     
     
      though
      the
      research
      was
      very
      sound
      and
     
     
      effective
      in
      itself
     
     
      Other
      speakers,
      such
      as
      Kenize
     
    

    
     
      MacNeil,
      an
      editor
      of
      The
      Cape
     
     
      Bretoner,
      Eric
      Ellsworth,
      the
      chair
      of
      the
     
     
      Atlantic
      Provinces
      Chamber
      of
      Com-
     
     
      merce,
      Professor
      David
      Milne
     
     
      -fromUPEI’s
      political
      science
      department
     
     
      (with
      some
      absent
      ghostly
      assistance
     
     
      from
      Barry
      Bartman,
      also
      withUPEI’s
     
     
      political
      science
      department)
      and
      Aubrey
     
     
      Cormier
      from
      the
      Acadian
      community
      in
     
     
      New
      Brunswick,
      provided
      the
      seminar
     
     
      with
      further
      peppect
      ve
      on
      Maritime
     
    
   
   
    
     
      political
      Union.
      Mr.
      MacNeil
      provided
      .
     
     
      an
      emotional
      plea
      for
      PEI
      to
      retain
      its
     
     
      "adult
      independence"
      based
      on
      the
     
     
      experiences
      that
      Cape
      Breton
      felt
      in
      its
     
     
      loss
      of
      independence.
      Professor
      Bartman
     
     
      provided
      his
      ghostly
      indignity
      over
      the
     
     
      idea
      that
      a
      small
      island
      such
      as
      PEI
      can
     
     
      not
      make
      it
      alone
      as
      a
      viable
      economic
     
     
      jurisdiction.
      Mr.
      Ellsworth
      and
      Mr.
     
     
      Cormier
      made
      presentations
      along
      with
     
     
      statistics
      showing
      support
      for
      Atlantic
     
     
      Union
      from
      the
      small
      business
      commu-
     
     
      nity
      and
      the
      Acadians
      across
      Atlantic
     
     
      Canada.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      event
      as
      a
      whole
      brought
      to
     
     
      light
      many
      new
      question
      and
      allot
      of
     
     
      new
      arguments
      and
      defense
      on
      the
      topic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _of
      Maritime
      Union.
      In
      the
      near
      furture
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      discussion
      of
      Maritime
      Union
      will
      be
     
     
      have
      to
      been
      taken
      up
      by
      more
      than
      the
     
     
      politicians,
      public
      service
      or.academics.
     
     
      With
      this
      issue
      about
      to
      heat
      up
      as
     
     
      another
      Quebec
      referendum
      approaches,
     
     
      along
      with
      constitutional
      meetings
     
     
      scheduled
      for
      1997,
      individual
      people
     
     
      will
      have
      to
      decide
      what
      Maritime
      Union
     
     
      means
      to
      them
      and
      whether
      it
      is
      good
      for
     
     
      PEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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