Willderdale Government and Sensational Distractions

Russell Wangersky continues his justified written assault on "tobacco gate" today in the Telegram. He stirs up more questions and comparisons that causes one - who wants to believe in the Willderdale government - to necessarily plug their nose and ears and place a blindfold over their eyes.

Several media outlets have continued to semi-probe the Matthews appointment to the CNLOPB - leaving PC supporters including Ministers like Shawn Skinner to come up with ridiculous excuses to justify the move. Pass out those plugs and blindfolds again.

Since Williams resigned unexpectedly and hurriedly almost immediately after a proposed deal was cut with a publicly traded company (Emera) to develop Muskrat Falls - bits and pieces of sensationalism have cropped up - almost on a weekly basis.

1. The Cabana Fiasco - kept the media hopping for weeks as if somebody really relevant had stepped forward. (That has nothing to do with Brad's CFA status - rather the fact that he is a rookie relative to Newfoundland and Labrador affairs). A guaranteed pass apparently into the "new" Liberals club.

2. The Dumeresque Enlightenment on the resale of Upper Churchill power - pointing an already complicit finger at the PC's - while he himself was involved with a) the attempted privatization b) responsible for a deal that made the already inept Churchill Falls deal with Hydro-Quebec even worse.

3. The almost "pee in one's pants" return of the great one as he inserted himself hypocritically into the Humber West by-election.

4. The awarding of the tobacco lawsuit to Danny's former and maybe current business buddies and former partners in his old law firm - including the Phoenix rising from the ashes piece as the "Firm" moved into new offices - after an investigation found nothing on cause of the fire and rendered it "undetermined".

5. The release of the Fisheries Report - designed apparently to show us the way forward on that Ottawa battered and fried resource. The provincial Minister Clyde Jackman claimed the report was useless and not what they were looking for - particularly in an election year. Then we had everyone from Earl McCurdy to Lorraine Michael to Derek Butler weighing in on it.

 6. The fibre optic deal - with another of Danny's former business buddies - Dean MacDonald got the go over by the Auditor General - and apparently has us left stranded and unlit.

 7. Of course the Elizabeth Matthews nomination by the Willderdale government to be the Vice-Chair of the CNLOPB. That has the whole gang singing her praises - as beautifully and choreographed as if a maestro was hiding behind curtain number one.

 All of these things have kept us a safe distance from the real issue before the people now and one which won't cost us $200,000 a year but may risk the future of several generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians - the proposed deal on the Lower Churchill. These billions and billions of dollars of potential - the hundreds of millions and thousands of hundreds of thousands ... you know what Joey meant - is sitting unprotected - unquestioned - not debated - in hopes of slipping this Legacy of Shame through.

If you really want history to repeat itself - continue your blind journey into this abyss - and while Emera shareholders and likely Hydro-Quebec delight in the folly - your children and grandchildren will have to make the U-Haul journey across the rails to roads ruts and take an inadequate ferry service to the great Canada beyond - and Labradorians will be left still unserviced providing economic nutrition needed to strengthen Atlantic Canada.

The Liberals, the NDP, and the media must stop this unimpeded Williams parade into this devastating energy giveaway - by truly engaging the people in debate and discourse designed to ensure we are not marching ourselves into decades of regret and moaning over what could have been. Those in power in the sixties could have stopped the Upper Churchill and those in power now must stop the Emera deal.

Way to go Dean Dan & Ed

I see the "best minds in the Province" (quote by Minister Dunderdale regarding Energy) are up to speed again.

Listen Newfoundland and Labrador and while you are listening take a sniff.

The sound you hear is the mighty Churchill meandering it's economic potential through Labrador and right in to Central Canada. If you take a sniff you might get a scent of manure being spread around the pastures of Newfoundland and Labrador - as the energy gurus contend they are "all over it" as it relates to energy and industrial development.

In your dreams MacDonald and Williams - if you believe the misguided logic you are using to export hydropower will place us in the same category as Hydro Quebec. In fact you are insuring we never will experience that success.

Hydro developments require significant equipment purchases such as turbines and generators - they are supplied by various manufacturing companies around the world. Obviously Newfoundland and Labrador as with Quebec have engaged in this type of transaction in the past and will do so in our future.

Here's where we miss the boat over and over and over - falling square of the wharf and into the drink...

Here's the latest today - way to go Quebec - hey Dean and Dan you need to connect those advanced fibre-optics (with duct tape) into your brains and see if you can't stimulate the necessary thoughts to lead us to prosperity.

Media advisory - Voith Siemens Hydro Grows Presence in Québec - CEO to address members of the electricity industry

MONTREAL, Jan. 15 /CNW Telbec/ - The President and Chief Executive
Officer of Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation Hubert Lienhard (PhD) will
deliver an address to members of the Quebec electricity association during his
visit to Montreal on January 17th. His speech will focus on the role of
equipment suppliers in the sustainable development of hydropower.
Founded in 1867, Voith Siemens is a leader in hydropower equipment and
services. The company is responsible for having built and installed close to
one third of the world's hydropower turbines and generators. The opening of a Canadian head office in Montreal, accompanied by the creation of 50 new jobs in 2007 confirms the strong economic potential of hydropower in Quebec and in Canada.

Viper - Bentley - Jaguar - or Mercedes - your oil and gas guzzlers are being left in the dust by the little electric car that could.

And the extinct Newfie Bullet (the Liberals) have gone completely off track with no commentary on the matter. I'll take that means you are in agreement with the PC policy.