For Immediate Release
March 12, 2025
Today, on the anniversary of the Cougar Flight 491 tragedy, NDP MHA Jordan Brown (Labrador West) wants to know why government continues its refusal to implement key recommendations to enhance safety for workers.
The Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador, more commonly referred to as the Wells Report, made important recommendations in 2010 around improving workplace safety. One of these recommendations is for, “a new, independent, and standalone Safety Regulator be established to regulate safety in the C-NL offshore.”
Brown argues that successive Liberal and Conservative governments have resisted implementing these recommendations, most recently while the Atlantic Accord Mirror Legislation, an act that remodels how the C-NLOPB will work in terms of how it oversees offshore wind energy development, was brought forward in the House of Assembly.
“It is truly unfortunate to see that yet again this Liberal government bypasses the needs of workers, especially in this case where we are dealing with workers’ safety,” said Brown.
“Over the last decade and a half, the NL NDP has championed Justice Wells’ recommendations We have repeatedly urged government to take immediate action on enhancing worker safety,” said Brown. “It is appalling that government continues to leave these recommendations to collect dust, especially now that we are expanding the C-NLOPB’s role to deal with offshore wind energy.
“The C-NLOPB cannot be the safety monitor while also being the promoter for the industry. This is bigger than business. This is workers’ lives. And government should be ashamed they are not taking any action they can to strengthen that safety.”
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
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