Nunatsiavut president waiting for sit-down with premier on ferry concerns

The president of the Nunatsiavutgovernment says he's disappointed Premier Dwight Ball had time to deal with comments made by an MHAearlier this monthbut hasn't made time to discuss their concerns about the north coast ferry.

"He basically said that a meeting was not doable and he should have at least told us that he was not available and told us why," Johannes Lampe told CBC.

Nunatsiavut First Minister Kate Mitchell has made repeated requests, according to a press release Thursday, to meet with Ball, who is also the minister of Labrador and Indigenous affairs,as well as Transportation and Works Minister Steve Crocker.

The Kamutik W replaced the Northern Ranger this year and has been under fire for not travelling its route regularly due to weather delays.

"Nunatsiavut, the north coast, relies on foods that are shipped in by the Kamutik W and it's not able to ship in that freight," Lampe said.

"It's getting late in the time of the year and we're getting afraid that the supplies that we depend on will not make it on time."

In a statement emailed Sunday night, the premier's office took issue with claims there was no response to requests for a meeting, adding that a meeting betweenCrocker and the Labrador Inuit delegation had been set up for Oct. 3.

"On September 24, 2019 communication took place between officials in Indigenous Affairs, Transportation and Works, and the Nunatsiavut government," the statement read.

"The date of the meeting was confirmed by Minister Crocker on September 25, 2019, yet the Nunatsiavut Government put out the news release Sept 26, 2019," the statement read, adding the meeting was set up under Ball's direction.

More problems than ever

However, Lampe said he was looking for the premier to be part of that meeting in Ball's role as minister of Indigenous Affairs.

Freight service from Lewisporte on the island of Newfoundland was discontinued with the end of the Northern Ranger run, changing how freight services operate along the coast with the Kamutik W.

"TheKamutik W is not able to take the adverse weather that happens in northern Labrador, and so it's frustrating for the Labrador Inuit," Lampe said.

In the press release, Lampesuggested it was more important to Ball to do "damage control" to protect a member of his caucus than to address the transportation concerns.

Earlier this month, PerryTrimper resigned as municipal affairs and environment minister after a recording was leaked on which he saidthe Innu Nation plays "the race card."

A delegation of representatives of the Nunatsiavut government and the five Labrador Inuit community governments is still heading to St. John's week to demand solutions, he said.

"We need to see something happen before it is too late," he said.

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