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?
