Both are colonial - both are backward - both are experiencing Island disease - and both are wrong.
The Lower Churchill power must be used to develop Labrador - industrially - in that way Labrador can benefit from population growth - a booming economy - infrastructure development - and municipal revenues.
Here's the tough part for St. John's or Carbonear - the boys want to export the power - grab the money - and pass some back to Labrador for what they (Gerry and Danny) thinks Labrador needs.
They prefer to receive more money and let the industry - jobs - and people go to Ontario - than - receive less money and grow industry in Labrador and keep Newfoundlanders and Labradorians home. Even this colonial attitude is wrong - because mathematically - for a "society" not a "cable monopoly" it is best to use the power home.
Danny does not expect you to read the Blue Book - he just wants you to adore and follow him - blinders are in the mail. Gerry thinks all red books end up in the "trunks of cars" and that nobody really wants to read that stuff anyway.
Maybe the two gurus can much on these tasty bits from the "energy for industry" world. (That's the one everybody else lives in but us)
These statements from a story in the Gulf News out of the Middle East:
The world is currently experiencing a shrinkage in the number of 'power islands' able to competitively support energy intensive industries such as aluminium production. In recent times, new power supply contracts at considerably higher prices in the United States and parts of Western Europe have resulted in a number of smelter output reductions and permanent closures.
In the future, new aluminium smelting capacity is expected to be concentrated in areas such as the Middle East, Russia, Iceland and South America.
And then there is this from the The Wall Street Journal Online:
With energy prices steadily increasing, the world's biggest aluminum companies are investing heavily to secure dedicated power sources, at times buying local power plants or building aluminum-making operations in remote parts of the world where energy is more abundant and cheaper.
United Co. Rusal, Alcoa Inc., Norsk Hydro ASA and others are jockeying to corner supplies of hydro power in Siberia and Iceland, and cheap natural gas in the Middle East, to fuel new metal plants. The producers are acknowledging that it is more important to be closer to energy sources than to customers...
The only thing missing in these stories is a direct reference to Labrador - that is because neither the Tory nor Liberal leader have the guts and/or intelligence to do what is right with Lower Churchill power - if it is to be developed at all.
I expect there is a good reason Norsk Hydro and other Norwegian firms visit Sue's Blog - don't you think?
2 comments:
Danny wants to hightail Lower Churchill Power to the Island - but believes it is too expensive to service areas of Labrador
Shame on us.
"How Colonial can they be?"
Well, sitting from this Labrador viewpoint, it sure seems that there is no end to how colonial they can be. Honestly, if the evil Canadian empire came to the Island of Newfoundland, dammed up the Humber and the Exploits, built a transmission line across the rest of the Island to the Country of Canada, of which Newfoundland is an integral part, and told them, 'Well if we give you some it will make the project not feasible', Maybe when we get all this done, we'll build you some wind mills or something and maybe sometime we'll put a line back across the gulf to let you have a little. After all, you're only a small minute part of the country and some small minute parts might get left out. Honestly, what would be the reaction of the Premier. I'd say that would be the end of all his gaskets, wouldn't you?
Mind you, Labrador won't get left ouot on his watch. Mr. Premier, we just wish you'd just go away and forget all about us if our only purpose is to be your 'energy warehouse.
thanks, Sue.
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