The Sun has FINALLY Shone on Muskrat Falls

Now we are talking. When did this become such a notion for our sitting Tories and retired Chief?

The big revelation! The mines need the power. Alderon needs the power. 

Here we were humming along - chatting with Quebec - talking Lower Churchill - then - as if from nowhere - OMG - we are running out of power. We will need to put bricks in our beds in order to stay warm. 

A new fight with Quebec. Negotiations are off the table - go away - pull out the flag - fly it - use it - "we don't like Quebec" remember - they say - remember the Upper Churchill. It's their entire fault - they are unreasonable so we will go around them. Watch us - lace up the skates - off with the gloves. 

Then we got a deal - we will avoid Quebec - keep the bricks from our bed - and green up Canada and the northeast USA.

Deal announced - Premier gone, Bureaucrat gone, Nalcor executive gone, - where?

Well after an "acceptable" period of absence - to the open arms of Alderon. Who? Alderon - who claim they better get power or their materially damaged.

Slowly but painfully surely we reached today - the day when we are told the mines need the power.

Now it's all okay - the massive debt, empty consumer pockets, and hospitals - roads - potable water - - schools can all take a hit because we are spending on power for the mines.

What's the deal now?

Well if we were told the mines needed it in the first place - which has been known for some time - then we would demand something in return for favourable power rates and access to the raw resources.

Example - if INCO wanted the ore - we want - long-term jobs, post-secondary processing, research dollars, and investments in community infrastructure. That was just to do what these mining companies in Labrador want to do and that's extract and export raw resources.

Have a look at Hansard and count how many times Opposition Tories demanded that these things not only occur but be cast in stone.

Oh let me remember now - smelting, secondary processing, long-term jobs for the ore. Go have a look at yourself - refresh your memory because now the time has come for the Tories to deliver the same.

  

Count how many times a PC MHA said smelter and refining of our precious natural resources - how many times they explained NO MORE GIVEAWAYS. 

Now the ball is directly in their court - they control the playing field and companies want to extract ore from Labrador. 

1. If you want special finance rates for power - become involved in the financing of the project. 

2. Deliver secondary processing of every ounce of ore you extract.

3. Provide research and development funds, and improve upon what INCO started with commitment to secondary education. 

4. For every mine being talked about today by the Minister and Premier - deliver a special debate in the House of Assembly on every deal to develop ore bodies so we can get a look at what they are offering.

The shoes are on your feet now - let's see you walk the talk.

  

The game changer was announced today and now there should be full media attention and exposure to what each of these mining companies will be doing for us.

  

Right now what I see is we - the owners of the power resource - pay for the production, transmission, and distribution of power from Muskrat so that mining companies can get a reduced rate to send our ore to China for processing.

Was the back door approach used? Let us now proceed with the real debate.

Do not let one new MW be constructed until we have a referendum on the project and a full and complete debate in the House of Assembly on every deal to extract ore.

Remember the Tory Position

Remember a few short years ago.

MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The real torpedo in the bow of this government's scam and sham was when Scott Hand came out and said that they were going to keep the smelters in Sudbury and in Thompson productive and competitive for a long, long time. That was it. That was the fatal blow, because then the jig was up. Then the people of Newfoundland and Labrador finally found out what the real deal was; and the real deal was that our ore, our concentrate, our nickel, our whatever, was going to leave this Province and keep Sudbury and Thompson going for a long period of time. To add, Mr. Speaker, 300 new jobs are going to be created in Sudbury this year. To add to that, Mr. Speaker, the Mayor of Thompson, Manitoba, is breaking champagne and the people are dancing in the streets because they are going to have our jobs. That is simply wrong.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WILLIAMS: 

What about us, Mr. Speaker? What about Newfoundland and Labrador? What about the jobs here, Mr. Speaker? That is what we need to concentrate on, not 300 jobs in Sudbury, not 1,000 jobs in Thompson.

Let's go through out-migration, Mr. Speaker. Let's talk about what has happened in our communities in the last five years when 40,000 people have left our Province. Let's look at the percentages over the last five years. In Portugal Cove South, 21.4 per cent of the people have left. In St. Shotts, 31 per cent of the people have left. In Aquaforte, 22.7 per cent of the people have left. In Peter's River, St. Vincent's, St. Stephens, 24.3 per cent of the people have left our Province. In Gaskiers, 21.5 per cent.

I am going to continue on, Mr. Speaker. I know it is difficult for hon. members opposite, but we are going to go through some of this list. In Sunnyside, 23.2 per cent of the people have left. In Heart's Desire, 25.3 per cent. In Cupids, 13 per cent. In Ricketts,13 per cent. In Lawn,18.6 per cent. In Lamaline, 21.4 per cent. In Fox Cove, Bay L'Argent, Grand Le Pierre: 14 per cent, 15 per cent and 10 per cent. In Rushoon, 18 per cent of the people have left our Province. In Gaultois, 24.1 per cent in the last five years have left Newfoundland and Labrador. In Milltown, 21.4 per cent. In Morrisville, 22 percent. In Ramea, 30 per cent of the people, one third of the people of Ramea, have had to leave our Province and this government is going to send jobs to Sudbury and Thompson, Manitoba. Shame on all of you!

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WILLIAMS: I will continue, Mr. Speaker.

In Cape St. George, 15.4 per cent. In Lourdes, 14.2 per cent. In Port au Port West, Aguathuna, 15.2 per cent. In Jackson's Arm, 10.6 per cent. In Howley, 19.3 per cent. In Hampden, 16.4 per cent. In Norris Arm, 16.3 per cent. In Little Catalina, 16.2 per cent. In Elliston, Catalina and Bonavista, 21.9 per cent, 13 per cent and 11 per cent have left in those communities. In Traytown, 18.3 per cent have left. In Happy Adventure, 14 per cent. In St. Brendan's, 21.8 per cent. In Melrose, 13.7 per cent. In Carmanville, 12.6 per cent. In Fogo, 18.2 per cent. In Change Islands, 21.7 per cent. If I may, Mr. Speaker, I will continue. In Summerford, Twillingate and Campbellton, 11.2 per cent, 11.6 per cent and 12 per cent have left these three communities.

MR. WILLIAMS

Thank you, Mr. Speaker

I thank the hon. the Premier for indicating that there, in fact, will be no conventional smelter. That promise has been broken. In fact, he has also confirmed that there may not be a hydromet. So, there is no guarantee of a smelter and there is no guarantee of a hydromet facility. 

 Mr. Speaker, can the Premier please confirm, in the event that the experimental hydromet facility does not prove to be economically, technically or commercially feasible, that this Province will not receive a Conventional smelting facility, which I am certain that he has, and he has already done so, as was promised and guaranteed by both the Premier and the Minister of Mines and Energy, but instead may, not will - may, and may only - receive a nickel matte refinery or some other facility, which is referred to in the documentation as some other facility? It doesn't specify what it is. It is some other facility, as stated in clause 22. Will the Premier, in fact, confirm that particular facility is also not guaranteed?