The government of NL must be joking. These terms signed with a Nova Scotian company - not the government of NS - are absolutely a giveaway. More than our usual NL giveaway not only do we lose a resource - we get to pay for doing it.
We as a people must be very careful here. Let's review the Hansard of days since past.
March 25-03
MR. WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, the Premier stated that Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro yesterday was the absolute gem of public corporations. What an acknowledgment by a member of a former Cabinet who wanted to sell this gem while the members of the opposition parties opposed it and stopped it, just as we opposed and stopped the Lower Churchill deal.
Well I do have something to say to that. Mr. Williams had absolutely nothing to do with the saving of Hydro and in fact we must ask him the opposite. Did he agree with Clyde Wells at the time - that it should be sold. The Opposition opposed it for so long and opposed various componenets - the Opposition however gave up in the HOA and believed there was nothing more they could do. The People of NL stopped that giveaway and now the people of NL must do it again.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
A final supplementary. In the last two weeks in this House, members of the Opposition have been called fear mongers, scare mongers; we are not proposing the truth; the questions we are asking were not appropriate. In an effort to clear all of that up, so the people of the Province can decide who was doing what, in view of the fact that the minister has now moved back from his statement, or the government have moved back from the deal, let me ask him this, Mr. Speaker: Will he, on behalf of the government, table the documents that he presented to his caucus, table the documents and the resolutions that he presented to Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, so that people of the Province can decide who was on the up and up as it relates to the development of the Lower Churchill?
Above are the words of wisdom from a politician who claimed he was protecting the people of the province. Ed Byrne wanted the government to table all the documents, show us the truth. I ask the reader - considering what was tabled by the Auditor General in the years that followed - what was Ed Byrne really doing? Was he capable of spinning a tale to promote his own political interests? He was afterall Danny's first choice for Deputy Premier.
MR. E. BYRNE: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions today are for the Minister of Mines and Energy.
In his ministerial statement yesterday the minister tried to lure and seduce Newfoundlanders and Labradorians into believing the unbelievable, that there was never a deal with Quebec on the Lower Churchill.
Mr Speaker, my question to the minister is this: How does he expect Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to believe that there was never a deal after the dozens of hours of late night sessions with the Liberal caucus, with the marathon session with members from the caucus from Labrador and the leadership in Labrador to sell the deal and, finally, with the Premier’s statement outside this House when asked directly: Was there a deal or had a deal been done with Quebec? He answered: That was a fair characterization. How does he expect anybody in this Province to believe his words yesterday, Mr. Speaker, that there was never a deal with Quebec on the Lower Churchill?
In this gem Ed Byrne - the Premier's lieutenant - asked if the Liberal Minister was trying to seduce and lure the people into believing the unbeleivable. What as a people should we take from that? Was Ed telling the truth?
MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions this afternoon are for the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, with each passing day we learn more and more about the terms of the secret deal on the Lower Churchill, which appears to be a very, very bad deal for Newfoundland and Labrador and a very, very good deal for Quebec. Now we all know why it is, in fact, a hidden deal and why the Premier will not answer any questions on the terms.
Mr. Speaker, would the Premier confirm what was told to the private meeting in Labrador, that at the end of construction of this multi-billion development of our resource, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will only get fifty - fifty, Mr. Speaker - long-term jobs while Quebec will use more of our cheap power to create thousands of new jobs for Quebecers?
As Opposition leader Danny Williams was for full accountability and transparency on deals. In fact the Voisey's Bay deal he wanted brought into the HOA and fully debated.He did receive that. Where is the full disclosure on this deal and the private discussions with a private Nova Scotian company that he announces as he is putting his hat on and leaving the Premiership? Quebec is a no-no yet the first tender goes to SNC Lavelin.
Head Office
SNC-Lavalin
455 René-Lévesque
Blvd. West
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H2Z 1Z3
Telephone: 514-393-1000
Fax: 514-866-0795
MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the reason that the Upper Churchill is so important to myself and to the caucus is because every single day that that contract continues $2 million a day worth of profit goes to the coffers of Quebec. That is $40 million after twenty days. That is $60 million dollars after thirty days. We could put that into creating jobs, into education, into health care ...
So the question is what do we get from this proposed project? We can certainly see the major benefit to the private Nova Scotian company Emera.
1894 Barrington Street
Barrington Tower, Scotia Square
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2A8
Phone: (902) 450-0507
Why are we doing this project - how does it fit into our energy plan. What industry over the long-term is created? Most importantly what about Labrador?
This proposal is a giveaway and in the days to come I will outline exactly why - with the little information we have been given.
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