ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale has been unable to persuade Prime Minister Stephen Harper to scrap his plan to close a maritime rescue centre in St. John's.

Sara MacIntyre, Harper's press secretary, said the two talked by phone Wednesday night about the plan to close the 12-person search call centre and consolidate regional operations in Halifax.

She said the prime minister reiterated to Dunderdale that the closure is part of the Conservative government's deficit-reduction measures and won't jeopardize the safety of those working at sea.

"The decision stands," MacIntyre said in an interview from Ottawa. "Existing search-and-rescue resources -- such as helicopters and vessels -- will remain where they currently based, as well as personnel."

Ottawa has said previously that the centre in St. John's is redundant and shifting communications to Halifax is part of $56 million in cuts to the federal Fisheries Department budget.

Dunderdale has criticized the decision, saying it is especially wrong-headed in light of her province's long history of tragedy at sea.

Her office said in a release that she would comment Thursday on her discussion with Harper.

MacIntyre said maintaining "a readily equipped" coast guard is a priority of government and it is simply more efficient to have a central call centre in Halifax to handle distress calls.

She said the St. John's centre handled only 420 calls in 2010 compared to 2,200 for its West Coast equivalent in Victoria.

MacIntyre said the only thing that will change about search-and-rescue operations in the Atlantic region will be where emergency calls are directed.

"The on-water response time for search and rescue will remain the same -- same vessels, same resources, same personnel," she said.

"Safety is paramount for those who work in search and rescue, as well as those who work offshore. That will not be impacted."

The Canadian Coast Guard website says 18 lives are lost and 600 saved in Newfoundland and Labrador each year, on average.

Two of the worst marine disasters off the province spurred a royal commission and a public inquiry. The Ocean Ranger drilling rig sank in a fierce storm on Feb. 15, 1982, killing all 84 workers on board.

On March 12, 2009, 17 of 18 passengers and crew died on Cougar Flight 491 when the chopper ferrying offshore oil workers crashed about 55 kilometres east of St. John's.

There was hope in the province that safety recommendations stemming from a related inquiry would beef up search-and-rescue services. A rally to protest the loss of the St. John's maritime centre is planned for Saturday on the city's waterfront.

MacIntyre said Harper and Dunderdale also discussed a proposed $6.2-billion hyrdroelectric project at Muskrat Falls in Labrador, but she didn't elaborate on what was said.

The governments of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have asked the Harper government for a loan guarantee for the project that would transmit power to both provinces. Federal help could save hundreds of millions of dollars in interest costs on the development.