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May 26, 2015

LePage backs out of helping Nova Star Cruises

The widely held notion that Gov. Paul LePage would help Nova Star Cruises obtain a $5 million line of credit has been dispelled by the governor’s top economic development official.

George Gervais, commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, told the Portland Press Herald that it’s up to the ferry operator to obtain a loan on its own by going to a commercial lender. The ferry, which underperformed during its inaugural season last year, provides service between Portland and Nova Scotia.

The LePage administration’s apparent flip-flop on helping Nova Star Cruises find a line of credit caught Nova Scotia official Geoff MacLellan by surprise. MacLellan said he will not comment until he meets with LePage sometime this summer.

LePage said on the campaign trail last fall that he would submit legislation to help obtain a $5 million line of credit for Nova Star Cruises, which is already heavily subsidized by Nova Scotia’s government. But now, Gervais said “there is no legislative solution.”

Read more

Nova Scotia seeks $5M ferry subsidy from Maine

Nova Star spent $30.2M in first year

Nova Star ferry gets new $13M subsidy

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