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Manx Gas agreement issue still not resolved

Tynwald votes to prolong regulatory discussions

Tynwald has voted that government should terminate the regulatory agreement with Manx Gas, but we won't know more about a new deal until after next month’s sitting. 

Former Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas had been leading the negotiations on a new agreement, and previously promised an update by this month, before he was sacked from the Council of Ministers.
 
In parliament yesterday, he wanted government to report back with a new deal by the July sitting, which met a list of criteria.
 
However his successor, Ray Harmer, successfully argued government should instead either suggest heads of terms for a new agreement for the court to approve, or essentially just outline a timetable of further negotiations.
 
His efforts to stall the already-delayed process found favour among parliamentary colleagues, which will frustrate the protesters who already say the time for negotiation is over.

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