Newfoundland and Labrador must have the worst record in the developed world for natural resource projects.
As Labrador rises up - rightfully so - against the poisoning of their people - the Island population is in its usual temporary jobs trance.
Premier after Premier in our history promised new wealth and growth through commitments of change in the development of our resources.
Always with the exception of one - we have been let down - robbed - and depressed as these commitments disappeared.
Each and every time the lure of quick and temporary jobs tempers the outcry of the public that we've given something else away.
Can we actually claim that jobs created during the construction of the Upper Churchill were in any way compensatory for the billions of dollars of lost revenue? As we charge Hydro Quebec 1/5th of a cent per kilowatt hour and they sell it at 100 times that - can we really celebrate the construction jobs?
We have done the same with minerals, oil, fish, and forestry.
The mourning of the Upper Churchill contract has been longstanding. There is no way we would ever let that happen again right? We swore - it would never happen again.
Now it has. The Muskrat Falls project is worse than the Upper Churchill - we will pay for this project - our children and grandchildren will pay for this project. Unlike the Upper - this project is over budget - unsafe and unnecessary.
Only yesterday I seen stories of people complaining about being off the job because Labradorians have the gall to demand a reduction in the poisonous aftermath of the flooding.
There is no justification to keep this going.
Here's what we have:
Danny Williams says great deal - many people say not so fast but were ignored by the media and called traitors, conspiracy theorists and naysayers by the politicians.
Williams leaves and then Dunderdale's job is to keep it moving no matter what. Many people were crying stop and warning the population that this project was bad and should be stopped.
The PC's Liberals and NDP allowed the project to keep going.
The PC's delayed the election to allow more money to be spent while the Liberals and NDP permitted the Tories to get away with it.
The media still not tuned in. Continue to ignore the many voices warning the people that this project would cause irreparable harm.
People were once again lured with well paying construction jobs for short-term personal gain - while these very employees were subjecting their own children and grandchildren to years of financial pain and continue to do so.
The unions did their special interest bidding and completely ignored the damage to the province as a whole. One group of unions would of course cause problems for another set of unions as the province would have to lay-off CUPE and NAPE members and have no money for teachers or nurses.
Labour spokespeople like Lana Payne encouraging the development and making sure the NDP followed suit.
This project needs to be stopped. We must have a complete resolve to the Northern Spur and we must know what the costs are to stop the project. This is not-withstanding the issues Labrador faces with environmental costs.
We need a referendum on this - and we need it now.
Where's the leadership?
Where is the commitment of all our people that we would never ever again let the Upper Churchill happen again?
We are letting yet another 3 generations down - as we bankrupt their future and allow corporate interests rob our resources.
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