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“In this highly competitive world, if we’re going to make headway, we have to be able to think big and see what we can do together, to ask, how can we put our small differences aside in order to help build a better Maritimes for our kids and their kids.

“For 1.8 million people we are terribly over-governed. But the bigger part of this is working in concert, together, to try to create economic development.

“How do we make our region more competitive, more attractive and more interesting? Stephen Greene is really going to lead this off,” said Mr. Duffy.

Calls to Mr. Greene and Mr. Wallace were not returned before deadline Tuesday.

However, even before their proposal is released, it’s generating criticism. After speaking publicly in favour of union, Mr. Duffy was criticized in the P.E.I. legislature.

“I have grave concerns that one of our government representatives in Ottawa, who should have the best interest of Islanders at the top of his mind, would say such a thing,” said Robert Mitchell in the provincial legislature on Tuesday.

George Webster, deputy premier, agreed, saying such comments “shocked and dismayed” him, adding: “I take great pride, and most Islanders do take great pride, in who we are as Prince Edward Islanders.”

The idea of a Maritime union, however, is not new. It predates Confederation: the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 was supposed to see representatives from the three Maritime colonies discuss a union but it was reworked to accommodate what is now Ontario and Quebec.