Regional Cooperation = Robbing Newfoundland and Labrador

The word "regional" flows from the lips of our provincial Tories much too loosely.

First of all I must remind each and every one of you accepting a salary from us and stating that for that salary you represent us - that your job is NOT regional growth.

Nova Scotia - New Brunswick - Prince Edward Island and Quebec "region' have their own politicians as well as federal representatives.

Regional to us has meant - the giveaway of the Upper Churchill, the giveaway of fisheries stocks, the giveaway of our people, the giveaway of our secondary processing of minerals, and the giveaway of refining for our top grade oil.

Regional cooperation has not returned resources and people from other provinces including the "region".

We have sent our people to Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia,  and Prince Edward Island for work. What do they do? Well they process and refine fish, oil, gas, and minerals in these provinces.

We have sent 5000 MW's of power to Quebec at outrageous prices and in return they have created tens of thousands of jobs that we cannot qualify for.

We do not have the transportation infrastructure that other provinces in our region do. In fact our transportation has seen the elimination of railway, inadequate ferry service to Canada, and inadequate search and rescue assets.

We do not have the population growth and size of other provinces and yet we continue to export raw resources and minerals.

Now they want cooperation in order they may take even more hydro resources. We will subsidize power going to Nova Scotia. Why? They (Ottawa included) feel that Muskrat Falls is a good project so we can do OUR SHARE in the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Listen up - the 5000 MW's 5 BILLION Watts that we send from the Upper Churchill is the largest per-capita contribution to greening up in Canada. It is now time to do what we do for us.

We cannot be a "have province" in a region of "have-nots" that have more jobs, people, and infrastructure that we do. Where is our equivalent population growth or where is the lowering of our average age?

How about our cooperation on our fisheries resources?

What did we ultimately get in return? What did we give up? What other provinces benefited from the giveaway of fish stocks to foreign nations? How many communities have we lost?

Tourism numbers - how many tourists in the other provinces in our region? How many do we see?

Regional cooperation has always been a one way benefit and it has not been for us.

Tell me - what have we received from our historic cooperation (giveaway) of our resources? Nothing other than loss of communities, resources, and people.

Then there is Labrador - what can I say? Missing one gold plated highway, search and rescue resources, two smelters, four refineries, and hydro power for all communities.