Harbour Main PC ready for third kick at the can

By Mark Squibb

PC MHA Helen Conway Ottenheimer said when it came time to put her name forward again as the PC candidate for Harbour Main in the coming provincial election the decision was an easy one.

“I have been honoured to represent the constituents for two terms now, and there’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Ottenheimer, who was first elected in 2019 and again in 2021.

“If I thought that I had done what I could do for the constituents and it was time for someone else, I would step aside,” she said. “But there’s still much work to be done… I take my responsibility as MHA very seriously and I love the work I do.”

Ottenheimer said she has seen a significant increase in the number of people contacting her constituency office for help. She said she’s glad that people see her office as a place to go for help, and it’s helped her highlight the concerns of her constituents.

One thing she hears about often is the poor cell phone service in the district, which stretches from Kelligrews in the southeast to North River and Clarke’s Beach in the northwest.

“I hear repeatedly about the abysmal cell phone service in the district of Harbour Main, and it’s only gotten worse,” said Ottenheimer, who has raised the issue numerous times in the House of Assembly and with the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology.

Ottenheimer noted that a 2023 Auditor General’s report showed this province as having the worst rural cell phone service across the country and that petitioning for better cell phone service has to become a priority of the provincial government.

Ottenheimer said she has had conversations with Bell representatives, who have told her the problem arises from congestion — the system is unable to accommodate the amount of users

“We need to pressure these service providers, strongly,” said Ottenheimer. “We need to put pressure on these huge, profitable companies. We as consumers, are paying for a service that we’re not getting.”

Ottenheimer said the provincial government should hold consultations and try to ferret out a solution.

“Government has a responsibility,” said Ottenheimer. “We can’t just sit back and say, ‘Oh, its not our problem, it’s a federal jurisdiction.’ No, we have responsibility, there has to be more effort, we have to step up and really engage and challenge the service providers, and that’s not happening.”

Ottenheimer said that while she was glad to see fresh pavement laid in certain parts of the district, she will continue to lobby for upgrades to Route 60, particularly the stretch from the roundabout in Holyrood to Kelligrews.

“That is a fight that I’ve been engaged with government for a very long time,” said Ottenheimer. “And I will continue to fight. I’ve raised it in the House of Assembly, and have been very vocal in Question Period, and with petitions, and in debates, trying to get the attention of government to do something about the deplorable state of the road.”

Ottenheimer accused the Liberals of “playing politics with pavement” and said there needs to be a better policy to ensure fairness.

“The roads that are the worst, need to be done first,” said Ottenheimer. “And I don’t believe that that happens.”

While not unique to her district, Ottenheimer said access to healthcare is another major concern shared by people in Harbour Main district. Along with wait times for procedures, Ottenheimer said homecare for seniors needs improvement. Government needs to increase both homecare hours available to seniors and supports for homecare workers, she argued.

“The healthcare system is really in a terrible state, and I’m hearing that from my constituents all the time,” said Ottenheimer.

In her role as Official Opposition critic for Justice and Public Safety, Ottenheimer lobbied for an increase in Crown prosecutors after accused murderer Kurt Churchill was cleared of charges in September because his case wasn’t tried within a reasonable time. In November, the Province committed to hiring 18 more Crown attorneys, 25 correctional officers, and 14 deputy sheriffs. Ottenheimer has also lobbied the Province to fill RCMP vacancies.

“We’re seeing a significant rise in crime, and an increased risk to public safety because of that rise in crime, and so that was a highlight and an accomplishment in my role as critic,” said Ottenheimer.

One of the big headlines of 2024 was the announcement of a new Churchill Falls Memorandum of Understanding with Hydro Quebec.

Ottenheimer was heavily involved in the four-day debate on the deal, which Premier Andrew Furey unveiled just days before Christmas.

“I have some serious concerns about the MOU,” said Ottenheimer. “I feel that the failure of government to have an independent, expert analysis of this agreement is very concerning and very worrisome, because this is going to impact future generations, our grandchildren’s grandchildren… We don’t want another 1969 deal with Quebec, and I fear that that’s what’s going to happen with this deal.”

After four days of debate, the governing Liberals as well the Independent members of the House voted in favour of signing the MOU. Members of the PC Party, Ottenheimer among them, abstained from voting, choosing to walk out.

“We abstained from voting because we didn’t have enough information, enough independent analysis,” said Ottenheimer. “We’re not saying that the deal is not good. Maybe an independent oversight will determine that it is a good deal, and not only a good deal but the best deal possible… We cannot accept anything short of that. It has to be the best deal possible. We deserve that.”

Ottenheimer said the PC Party wanted Justice Richard LeBlanc, who led the inquiry into the Muskrat Falls project, to be tasked with examining the Churchill Falls MOU, or at the very least, another qualified candidate.

The PC Party has been critical of the appointment of consumer advocate Dennis Browne as head of an oversight committee.

“Dennis Browne, who will be leading the committee, has known Liberal ties,” said Ottenheimer. “And he came out publicly the week before the MOU was debated and said that he thought it was a good deal.”

Ottenheimer, along with her PC colleagues, have also accused the Liberals of trying to push the deal through too quickly.

“Is this an election ploy? You just want to ram it through so you can call a snap-election and secure another four years on this MOU?” queried Ottenheimer.

She added that if some portions of the MOU are binding, such as an exclusivity clause, which essentially means neither Newfoundland nor Quebec can discuss the project with other partners or potential buyers, then the train may have already left the station in some regards.

“The MOU cannot be unsigned,” said Ottenheimer. “Minister (John) Hogan acknowledged that in the House of Assembly.”

On a lighter note, Ottenheimer said she has enjoyed attending different events in the district throughout the year, from senior socials to school events, and added her office was able to secure funding for many community groups in her district.

Helen Conway Ottenheimer