There's something about an "appearance" - you know like the "appearance" of conflict in the fibre optic deal. These appearances can very quickly turn into reality - well some of them are reality - but those that are not should never be presented as if they are.
The Premier is batting a thousand this week with his "u-haul constituency tour" to Alberta. The first thing he'd like to point out is:
“I personally see Alberta as the land of opportunity,” said Williams. “I really, honestly think that Canada should be looking and realizing that Alberta is going to be the province that’s going to lead us into the future and we should wrap our arms around this opportunity.”
There is a place for you Premier - and Newfoundland and Labrador clearly is not it. A businessman like yourself - held back by a weak economy that cannot support jobs for its young graduates. May I offer a suggestion - move to Fort McMurray and start a Cable Alberta - take your sidekick Dean MacDonald with you and then you can become real oilmen - right on the frontier. You can wrap your arms around it - and perhaps Albertans can pay for your "branding" and "marketing" of that province - because the people of Newfoundland and Labrador should not pay for it. When I say the man has no vision - I mean just that - Alberta is going to lead us into the future? I don't know what does the future hold? Green - renewable power - renewable resources like the fishery, forestry, fresh water etc. Funny I thought Newfoundland and Labrador was going to lead the way in the future.
Just stop and think for a minute people - can you envision Jean Charest over in Davos at the World Economic Forum explaining to corporate and political leaders of the world - that they need to embrace Alberta because they will lead Canada into the future?
And then the man - while on the trip we are paying for - says:
Williams said he’s not in Alberta to persuade people to return to Newfoundland.
“I’d love to have them all home,” he said. “However, the projects and the jobs are not there yet. We’re building our economy.”
What exactly are you telling the business community you are trying to attract? Our skilled people can stay in Alberta because we can't afford to have them in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are building our economy?????
Listen up Danny:
1. The person you have hired to build that economy is Dr. Doug House. He has been rebuilding our economy since Brian Peckford. Its been over 25 years of economic recovery plans with this individual. When do you expect we will recover?
2. While on a "business" junket - you do not say that we cannot afford our own graduates and talent - especially to the audience you wish to attract.
3. Your fascination with Alberta is unhealthy - and while there are some similarities we have a broader base of resources and more renewables than they do.
4. "I'd love to have them all home", I'll tell you what - you leave and let them come home. Why do we have you hired? Remind me! Oh I get it - this is the "I'm gonna be brutally honest witcha" - game. When you are unable to develop an economy you bail out and say "wait and see". Smallwood said it before you - Moores said it before you - Peckford said it before you - Wells said it before you - Tobin said it before you. We have been "economically recovering" now for over 50 years.
Then if all this garbage was not enough - what positive news did Williams offer?
Williams added he’s very happy to see that Fort McMurray now has a direct flight to Newfoundland, allowing some workers from his province to return home more often to spend time with their families.
Oh yes that's great - our people have convenient holiday opportunities to visit their families. And then there's the "we need immigrants for our fishery" bit. Have you checked out the cost of flying to Labrador from the Island or vice-verse. You think you might be able to get around Alberta cheaply?
You are a failure and your presentation is embarrassing. Yes go west young Women and Men of Newfoundland and Labrador - until this Premier is gone. While he's here he would like you to embrace Alberta.
For the Story from Global National Press Here
6 comments:
Isn,t it wonderful to have a direct flight to alberta,guess in the next couple years they will need another airport to support the extra planes taking us back and forth,or maybe danny can come up with a plan where we can travel there in our boats,cause they won,t be used for fishing.Our sons and daughters are gone now in 10 years our grand-children will be gone,it scares me to think what will happen to the elderly left in the small communties,or will they build retirement homes for us there also
It is very sad - when our leaders have no vision...
Yes Sue indeed - The East has everything to offer in resources, especially Newfoundland and Labrador, but those resources are not offered to the province which owns the resources Newfoundland and Labrador. I am speaking of Fish, Minerals, Oil, and Hydroelectric.
The above resources have to be developed for the continuance of manufacturing and to create economices in the Canadian heartland, and the Eastern US Seaboard.
The only thing Newfoundland and Labrador gets out of it is the pollution from the Acid Rain that falls on us from the industries created, since weather systems mostly move from West to East, most of the Acid Rain from the industries created from our resources in the heartland of Canada and the Eastern US Seaboard falls over Newfoundland and Labrador. We get pollution instead of a bouyant economy.
Yes, that's right Acid Rain and as a result of giving away our resources, we get a few equalization dollars. Two Canadian Corporations Pratt and Whitney and Bombardier have gotten billions of dollars in grants, and the records show only 17 per cent of these grants ever get paid back. That bit of information is according to a report on the CBC National radio this morning.
Some of your readers will say well whose fault is that that you haven't been the primary beneficiary of your resources? Well, of course, it was our politicians who have done that dirty deed. In the meantime, they have been honouring Ottawa's wishes, but our politicians are not working on behalf of Ottawa, instead they should have been working on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. But they saw fit to work on behalf of Canada and ignore the awful economic situation at home. The big question now is will our present politicians allow this type of political manoeuvring to continue and leave us destitute for ever?
I hope Premier Williams sees that it doesn`t continue.
Right now there is no leadership in the Province. When anybody talks about exporting the Lower Churchill power - they are talking about the biggest resources giveaway in our history - unless we count Ottawa and our fish...
We need some new blood and we need people who are not johnny come lately - and decide to get involved when and only when they want to get elected.
We should demand more from our leaders but right now we are looking at a very tired and uninspired lot.
We cannot afford more mistakes...we have nothing left to give.
Please run again Sue. Unless you are tired of politics. Take a look at Averrill Baker's column and see all the great leaders we used to have. Zero is what we have now.
Al. C. Rostyk
Corner Brook
I agree with you Al. Please do so Sue, we need someone of your calibre with your outlook on how our resources need to be administered to create economies in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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