| This work addresses why offshore oil and gas development has occurred in Newfoundland and Labrador, while it has not in British Columbia. Despite exploration commencing in 1949, development in BC has been under federal moratorium since 1972 and provincial moratorium since 1982. NL, conversely, began exploration in the 1960s and aggressively pursued development following the discovery of Hibernia in 1979. After an arduous legal and political battle, the federal and provincial governments concluded an accord, setting aside ownership in favour of joint management and allowed the province to be the principle beneficiary of revenues, in 1985. This precedent established a ripe political context for negotiations in British Columbia. Unable to forge an agreement, the moratoria were maintained in 1989. This thesis examines the political history of developing a new 'staple' natural resource, focusing on the public policy environment and global energy trends, to explain different developmental outcomes on each coast. |
