Messages to the Premier on Lower Churchill
Danny Williams had better take notice of how people feel relative to the development of the Lower Churchill. Sue's Blog has received hundreds of emails on this subject over the past few months. I can assure the Premier and the caucus - this is not the fibre optic deal - and it will be scutinized 1000 times more by those of us who have spent 15 years following it.
Please view the comments sections of the post "the biggest giveaway moves a step closer".
Here's a Letter to the Editor that the PC caucus might want to read.
With the fisheries pretty much a lost cause, our last kick at the can, in
terms of still owning a resource with the promise of future prosperity, is
the Lower Churchill. What I fear is being overlooked by the decision
makers is that it is not economics only that should be the deciding factor,
for it is not the hydro power potential that is the most valuable component
of this resource, but rather the latent power of the spirit of our people:
their pride, their strength, their hopes and their dreams, now lying
dormant as a result of more than half a century of subservient membership in
the Canadian federation. I cringe in dread whenever I hear Danny Williams
speak of the necessity of negotiating favourable terms with Quebec. Damn
it ,we don't need Quebec; we have other options. Besides , how could he
even consider further demeaning his electorate by crawling to Quebec for
concessions while they brazenly and blithely continue to rob us blind, and
with the blessing of the Ottawa brahmin.
In a comment posted to a recent letter to the editor, Kathleen writes: "
Here's hoping Dion will do right by us." Dear God, Kathleen, with all
respect, don't you see that this is the death trap into which we have been
led by false prophets. This is representative of the mentality that has
become our nemesis and unless we determine to rid ourselves of it, we don't
deserve to survive. We know that in the evolution of social values, it is
not weakness and subservience that prevails. This is not as case of Dion
doing right by us, but a case of our doing right by ourselves. If Danny
lets us down in this deal, it is only because we allowed him to do so. Yes,
we do have the power to determine our own destiny, but the question is, do
we have the guts!!.
Lloyd C
I encourage the readers of the Blog to submit comments or letters on this important subject.
Please view the comments sections of the post "the biggest giveaway moves a step closer".
Here's a Letter to the Editor that the PC caucus might want to read.
With the fisheries pretty much a lost cause, our last kick at the can, in
terms of still owning a resource with the promise of future prosperity, is
the Lower Churchill. What I fear is being overlooked by the decision
makers is that it is not economics only that should be the deciding factor,
for it is not the hydro power potential that is the most valuable component
of this resource, but rather the latent power of the spirit of our people:
their pride, their strength, their hopes and their dreams, now lying
dormant as a result of more than half a century of subservient membership in
the Canadian federation. I cringe in dread whenever I hear Danny Williams
speak of the necessity of negotiating favourable terms with Quebec. Damn
it ,we don't need Quebec; we have other options. Besides , how could he
even consider further demeaning his electorate by crawling to Quebec for
concessions while they brazenly and blithely continue to rob us blind, and
with the blessing of the Ottawa brahmin.
In a comment posted to a recent letter to the editor, Kathleen writes: "
Here's hoping Dion will do right by us." Dear God, Kathleen, with all
respect, don't you see that this is the death trap into which we have been
led by false prophets. This is representative of the mentality that has
become our nemesis and unless we determine to rid ourselves of it, we don't
deserve to survive. We know that in the evolution of social values, it is
not weakness and subservience that prevails. This is not as case of Dion
doing right by us, but a case of our doing right by ourselves. If Danny
lets us down in this deal, it is only because we allowed him to do so. Yes,
we do have the power to determine our own destiny, but the question is, do
we have the guts!!.
Lloyd C
I encourage the readers of the Blog to submit comments or letters on this important subject.
1 comment:
If Premier Danny Williams succumbs to the pressures of Quebec and Ontario on the Lower Churchill Project, he will end up going down in the annals of Newfoundland and Labrador history as making the worst decision ever. While the Upper Churchill development was a larger project, I do think Premier Joey Smallwood had a bit of wool pulled over his eyes in more than one instance. There have been a number of points made since that deal to point to that being the case.
After all, it is said that Premier Smallwood went to Ottawa before the deal was signed to ask the Prime Minister at the time, P.M Lester B. Pearson, to allow NL a corridor across Quebec to transport the power to markets. It is purported that P.M Pearson said "I know it is your constitutional right Premier Smallwood, but please do not ask me to grant it". Of course P.M Pearson didn’t want to have to deal with the ire of the Quebec Government and having it demanding separation. It was very stupid on Premier Joey's sake not to have demanded that corridor, and to have gone ahead with the project after being denied that right. We now have a lot more knowledge with hindsight than we did back then, and as a result we should be able to apply a bit of foresight of what will happen if we sign another deal allowing our energy to be shipped to Ontario. Premier Williams has that knowledge as well. The Upper Churchill Hydro energy is a licence to print money for this province, if it is retained here to grow industries in Labrador.
Premier Williams now has the foresight of what happened on that dreadful deal, and if he goes ahead and does the same thing, well then he will be a bigger fumbler than Premier Smallwood. Why would he even contemplate doing it in the first place? His subjects are telling him not to do so. We weren’t as aware back in the days of the development of the Upper Churchill Project, but now we know the terrible deal that occurred and we do not want a duplicate. If he signs a deal like that, he will be tagged with the title of being traitor to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and their ability to be able to create economies here in the province.
There will be a lot of need for that hydroelectric energy with the two greatest powers in the world, China and India on stream and coming on stream with a lot more momentum in their development in the next upward swing of the world economy. If Premier Williams is as astute as most of us are giving him credit for, Premier Williams will have the energy developed here in the province and he won’t need a corridor west, because the development will be done solely for creating industries Labrador.
If he proceeds to make that step, I, for one, will be calling for a referendum.
Maybe this thread is all for naught, because I am hoping and praying that our Premier will not make such a move.
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