ST. JOHN'S — Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier vowed on Tuesday to pump new life into the province's offshore oil industry, saying previous governments have been far too reluctant to champion oil and gas.

Tony Wakeham said he would leave later in the day for Ottawa, where he planned to ask Prime Minister Mark Carney to designate a proposed offshore oil development as a major project of national interest. The premier was referring to the Bay du Nord project led by Norwegian energy giant Equinor.

He also wants the federal government to make more national defence investments in the province.

"For too long now, we've been dormant and we have been afraid to talk about oil and gas," the premier said during a state of the province speech hosted by the St. John's Board of Trade. "I am pro

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