Aubrey Norton waiting on general election to reveal his plans for oil sector

May 19, 2023 ExxonMobil, News, Oil & Gas

Kaieteur News – The Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton is reluctant to disclose any plans relating to the management of the oil sector at this time. He said his strategy will be revealed closer to elections.

Norton gave this explanation on Thursday during his weekly press conference, while being pressed by Kaieteur News’ reporters to reveal some of the changes he would like to see in the industry.

According to him, “we have looked at these issues and when we are ready, we are going to…we are a political party, we will head to an election, we have to time when we say what and when we begin to do our election campaign etcetera, we will state clearly what it is we intend to do; how we intend to do it and what changes we think are needed in some areas.”

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton

In the meantime, Norton would only say that he would like to see the current Stabroek Block projects be ring-fenced.

When further pressed by the newspaper to explain what exactly is preventing him from sharing information regarding aspects of the contract he wants adjusted, that has been publicly criticized over the years, he maintained that these will be revealed at the right time.

“As a party, we are working on our policy position. While the newspaper has a right to ask whichever question it wants, as a party, we have a right to time when we respond to achieve the objectives that we need to achieve and so the party at some stage, and not very far, will present a comprehensive policy position on the environment on oil and gas,” he explained.

Norton noted that the same will be done for health and education, since “…as a political party, you have to be strategic and tactical.”

He added, “We will determine the strategy for ourselves. We understand that newspapers have an interest that they want things that will sell it but we also understand that we have a constituency and we have to first of all educate them before we actually say to the world [our plans].”

While the Opposition Leader is adamant that his plans to adjust the Stabroek Block deal will be revealed later, the party is also yet to share its comments on the two model Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) that will govern future offshore development projects in other oil blocks.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has called out the Opposition on what he believes is a “lazy” attitude being portrayed by the political group. Jagdeo during his press conference yesterday again chided the Leader of the Opposition for the lax approach.

He said, “Norton again, on the oil and gas side, I don’t know what his positions are again…I am very confused because they don’t seem to have a clear position on any issue, except to parrot what other people are saying but when cornered, don’t have any original thought or a clear position on any matter.”

Jagdeo said it is still unclear as to whether the Opposition wants to renegotiate the terms of the Stabroek Block PSA, whether comments will be submitted on the new PSA and if the party has anything to share in this regard.

Jagdeo argued, “They have no policy-making capacity.”

• Elections, oil, reveal, sector, Stabroek