So our Fisheries Minister continued today - on a local talk show - to prove that his government is vindictive toward critics.
The Minister was all over the place unsure if he was against criticism or not - for punishment or not - in charge or not - or simply too frustrated to do his job.
The Minister now wants to restate his position from yesterday - when he informed Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that they may be punished if they criticize the government. Today he removed a million bucks from the FFAW because union chief Earl MacCurdy said the government was not spending it's money in the right places - within the industry.
So the Minister wants us to believe that of the over 50 million spent by government - only 1/50th of which is for special projects with the union - the only immediate concern was that of the FFAW. Darin you believe that Earl was saying that their projects were not worthwhile - so it was okay to start by cutting that?
No you did not believe that Minister King - do not lie. The FFAW was questioning how some investments of the government in the fishery might not be the best investments - so you - without any investigation cut the funds of the one group that spoke out?
Have you in any way contributed to the well-being of OCI? Have the people of Newfoundland and Labrador contributed any funds in any way whatsoever to that company? Has the government provided in any way - policy decisions - that were favourable to OCI?
I recall that OCI criticized King for denying its request for unprocessed export. The government has granted them exemptions in the past - right? Now that Ches and Company have criticized the Minister - how will they be punished?
King went on to talk about the frustration he feels when the FFAW talk about things that he (provincial fisheries Minister) does not have jurisdiction over (fish quota's). Minister - has the government stepped in on quota allocations before?
Where did OCI get all these assets anyway? Was FPI sold? What was sold? Buy it back.
While we are at it - now that OCI has criticized government - will you Minister King launch a full review of their operations and determine if government should be supporting anything at all that it asks for?
As for pointing the finger at the feds and saying it's them not us - and we can't criticize them because they punish critics - the same way you do - then we are all in a mess.
Perhaps it's time for Darin to be shuffled before he puts more fins in mouth.
Showing posts with label FPI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FPI. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What happened to Good Public Policy? Ask Tom Rideout!
The following is a statement made by Tom Rideout when in government and Trevor Taylor was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
Do they still believe it is Good Public Policy?
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, again, I cannot control the flights of fantasy that the Leader of the Opposition might engage in, but the fact of the matter is, he knows, everybody in Newfoundland knows, the people in Harbour Breton know, the people in Fortune know, the people in Marystown know, the people in other communities around know, that those quotas are assigned to a company. They are not assigned to a community.
Now, should there be community quotas? Maybe, but the fact of the matter is, the reality of the matter is, right now the quotas that used to be assigned to National Sea, we were able to purchase and have them repatriated to Arnold’s Cove. I think that is good public policy. When we speculate on doing that, in terms of the FPI operation, the Leader of the Opposition comes down on us like a ton of bricks.
Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You are either for that as a public policy option or you are not. So, yes, that is one option and there are many others that we are exploring.
Do they still believe it is Good Public Policy?
MR. RIDEOUT: Mr. Speaker, again, I cannot control the flights of fantasy that the Leader of the Opposition might engage in, but the fact of the matter is, he knows, everybody in Newfoundland knows, the people in Harbour Breton know, the people in Fortune know, the people in Marystown know, the people in other communities around know, that those quotas are assigned to a company. They are not assigned to a community.
Now, should there be community quotas? Maybe, but the fact of the matter is, the reality of the matter is, right now the quotas that used to be assigned to National Sea, we were able to purchase and have them repatriated to Arnold’s Cove. I think that is good public policy. When we speculate on doing that, in terms of the FPI operation, the Leader of the Opposition comes down on us like a ton of bricks.
Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You are either for that as a public policy option or you are not. So, yes, that is one option and there are many others that we are exploring.
Let's Revisit 2007 and FPI - Why do we ask Questions?
Sue's Blog posted the following in 2007 just after the deals were cut to slice and dice FPI.
For those of you who wonder why I and others ask questions about natural resource policy - read below.
Don't be so cocky about brushing off the questions regarding Muskrat Falls.
FIRST PUBLISHED August 24th 2007
What has Premier Williams managed to do that other Premiers could not?
...allow the destruction of FPI.
I am upset today as a Newfoundlander and Labradorian - are you?
While equity in non-renewable assets is the order of the day for Williams - valuable renewable assets and associated business get the thumbs down.
A Nova Scotian based company ends up with the lucrative North American marketing arm of FPI - yahoo!
How many Sullivan's does it take to consume FPI?
Give me a penney and I'll tell you.
This is pathetic and deserves as much negative attention as the Hebron MOU deserves positive. The fishery until Danny Williams became the Premier - was referred to as the backbone of our economy. Nowadays - I think the government MHA's are careful or told not to say that.
As most of us should have observed by now Dean and Danny have a fetish for oil and gas and that is where the focus has been. It is nice to have the diversity of natural resources we have - but with Williams it will be oil oil oil and soon gas gas gas. The Premier just does not have the same protective passion for renewable - generational resources like the fishery - hydro-power - and wind.
Today I will focus on the fishery. Regardless of how the Premier or his top-spinner Ross Reid might plan and roll out announcements during polling period or just before an election - they are just inadequate when it comes to that resource of the sea.
Danny is the man to fight Ottawa over equalization (oil revenues primarily) and fallow field legislation - but when it comes to the fishery - he is impotent. The grand fisheries conference a year or so ago - has produced nothing new.
Do you see Williams pulling an ABC because there is no early retirement package - or inadequate federal money dedicated to science - the failure of the ground-fish stocks to recover well past the originally predicted time-frame? You have not heard a peep from him on proposed changes to the federal fisheries Act or the NAFO shenanigans brought to light by former DFO official Applebaum. Oil is sexy to St. John's, the business and construction labour communities - whereas fish is just this nuisance that the rural crowd keep pestering him about.
There is no doubt about it - Williams just does not have the guts - knowledge - interest - or some combination of them to take on the feds over the fishery - and further - the display of bravado to big oil companies - is just not present with the fish merchants. For some reason the Barry's - Penney's - and Risley's of the world are just too tough.
Here's a portion of the News Release put out by Highliner Foods International on the purchase of a portion of FPI assets:
High Liner Foods Incorporated today announced it has signed an agreement with FPI Limited and its subsidiary, Fisheries Products International Limited, to purchase its
marketing and manufacturing business.
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million.
So if they become the leading - where are we?
Just to put that in perspective:
Highliner
The company began in 1899 with the founding of W.C Smith & Company, a salt fish operation located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia -- the current home of our head office and one of the most modern and diversified food processing plants in the world.
FPI
Fishery Products International is an industry leader in harvesting, processing, global sourcing, and marketing a wide selection of high quality seafood products. From its corporate headquarters in St. John’s, FPI manages primary and value-added seafood processing plants and a fleet of modern harvesting vessels.
From the few words which I have highlighted - can you see the problem already?
Please remember when the legislated restrictions are finally gone - the guarantees have a very short time-frame. The rural communities affected by this deal today - no longer have the protection of socio/economic policy attached to the harvesting of the resources adjacent to them.
First problem:
The Provincial Government has achieved a five-year agreement for the sustained operation of existing FPI facilities.
What happens then???
Second problem:
...we have made it a condition of sale that FPI and OCI proceed expeditiously with the transfer of the Fortune facility to Cooke Aquaculture. Is Cooke still interested? I thought not. (That's if you buy into Aquaculture being a panacea to replace the wild fishery) More on that in the next post.
So what happens now?
Third problem:
Sold to Highliner -
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million. I wonder who benefits from that now?
What's the provincial portion of tax lost etc...What does Nova Scotia gain - and what does Newfoundland and Labrador lose?
NO EQUITY IN OR FOR THE FISHERY!
That's the real problem - so tilt your glasses and toast the man of the hour Danny Williams who has done what no other Premier could do before him - allow the destruction of FPI.
I will conclude by saying: In my opinion it's much tougher to make your million on a crab boat or prosecuting ground-fish than it is to make it off - let's say a bunch of poles and wires capable of bringing sports - news - and whatever else into your house!
For those of you who wonder why I and others ask questions about natural resource policy - read below.
Don't be so cocky about brushing off the questions regarding Muskrat Falls.
FIRST PUBLISHED August 24th 2007
What has Premier Williams managed to do that other Premiers could not?
...allow the destruction of FPI.
I am upset today as a Newfoundlander and Labradorian - are you?
While equity in non-renewable assets is the order of the day for Williams - valuable renewable assets and associated business get the thumbs down.
A Nova Scotian based company ends up with the lucrative North American marketing arm of FPI - yahoo!
How many Sullivan's does it take to consume FPI?
Give me a penney and I'll tell you.
This is pathetic and deserves as much negative attention as the Hebron MOU deserves positive. The fishery until Danny Williams became the Premier - was referred to as the backbone of our economy. Nowadays - I think the government MHA's are careful or told not to say that.
As most of us should have observed by now Dean and Danny have a fetish for oil and gas and that is where the focus has been. It is nice to have the diversity of natural resources we have - but with Williams it will be oil oil oil and soon gas gas gas. The Premier just does not have the same protective passion for renewable - generational resources like the fishery - hydro-power - and wind.
Today I will focus on the fishery. Regardless of how the Premier or his top-spinner Ross Reid might plan and roll out announcements during polling period or just before an election - they are just inadequate when it comes to that resource of the sea.
Danny is the man to fight Ottawa over equalization (oil revenues primarily) and fallow field legislation - but when it comes to the fishery - he is impotent. The grand fisheries conference a year or so ago - has produced nothing new.
Do you see Williams pulling an ABC because there is no early retirement package - or inadequate federal money dedicated to science - the failure of the ground-fish stocks to recover well past the originally predicted time-frame? You have not heard a peep from him on proposed changes to the federal fisheries Act or the NAFO shenanigans brought to light by former DFO official Applebaum. Oil is sexy to St. John's, the business and construction labour communities - whereas fish is just this nuisance that the rural crowd keep pestering him about.
There is no doubt about it - Williams just does not have the guts - knowledge - interest - or some combination of them to take on the feds over the fishery - and further - the display of bravado to big oil companies - is just not present with the fish merchants. For some reason the Barry's - Penney's - and Risley's of the world are just too tough.
Here's a portion of the News Release put out by Highliner Foods International on the purchase of a portion of FPI assets:
High Liner Foods Incorporated today announced it has signed an agreement with FPI Limited and its subsidiary, Fisheries Products International Limited, to purchase its
marketing and manufacturing business.
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million.
"This acquisition will be an important milestone in pursuit of our vision to become the leading value-added frozen seafood company in North America..."
So if they become the leading - where are we?
Just to put that in perspective:
Highliner
The company began in 1899 with the founding of W.C Smith & Company, a salt fish operation located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia -- the current home of our head office and one of the most modern and diversified food processing plants in the world.
FPI
Fishery Products International is an industry leader in harvesting, processing, global sourcing, and marketing a wide selection of high quality seafood products. From its corporate headquarters in St. John’s, FPI manages primary and value-added seafood processing plants and a fleet of modern harvesting vessels.
From the few words which I have highlighted - can you see the problem already?
Please remember when the legislated restrictions are finally gone - the guarantees have a very short time-frame. The rural communities affected by this deal today - no longer have the protection of socio/economic policy attached to the harvesting of the resources adjacent to them.
First problem:
The Provincial Government has achieved a five-year agreement for the sustained operation of existing FPI facilities.
What happens then???
Second problem:
...we have made it a condition of sale that FPI and OCI proceed expeditiously with the transfer of the Fortune facility to Cooke Aquaculture. Is Cooke still interested? I thought not. (That's if you buy into Aquaculture being a panacea to replace the wild fishery) More on that in the next post.
So what happens now?
Third problem:
Sold to Highliner -
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million. I wonder who benefits from that now?
What's the provincial portion of tax lost etc...What does Nova Scotia gain - and what does Newfoundland and Labrador lose?
NO EQUITY IN OR FOR THE FISHERY!
That's the real problem - so tilt your glasses and toast the man of the hour Danny Williams who has done what no other Premier could do before him - allow the destruction of FPI.
I will conclude by saying: In my opinion it's much tougher to make your million on a crab boat or prosecuting ground-fish than it is to make it off - let's say a bunch of poles and wires capable of bringing sports - news - and whatever else into your house!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
80,000 people lost from coastal NL Letter to Minister King
Please find below a response to Minister Darin King from Dr. Phil Earl regarding the OCI situation.
Their reaction is typical of the philosophy of the ASP corporations which are all about their own concerns of bottom lines and profits. If these corporations are permitted to continue dominating our provinces fishing industry and have inordinate influence with governments the future of the fishery and any hope of saving costal NL is doomed. The first, and main, duty and philosophy of our government should be to protect the jobs and peoples of our coastal fishing communities and not companies whose success appears to be also the success of the ‘industry’. How can their ‘industry’ success be success if at the same time it destroys the fisher people, their communities and the resource itself? The government must step in now to protect the resource for the future of our people.
Everything under the sun has been done and given to corporations for the holiness of saving and protecting their success and propagation. To the point where what was zero unprocessed fish shipped out a few years ago by FPI, is today 75% of shell and 80% of ground fish being shipped out. This fact alone is enough to explain all that has befallen our coastal plants and their workers in the past four years.
Stopping the exemption, as you have done, is the first step, reversing all the rest of the ‘unprocessed exemptions’ must be started, it is the only way that will give any air to the chance of restoring our Industry. This action may appear to be what would break the companies, if some can’t handle it then they would fold but that would only create the chance for others, smaller operations with different approaches, to be successful. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Regardless of my rambled, incomplete, remarks one over all description of the whole situation can be truthfully summarized. What OCI pertains to in the Industry is that group of corporations which cry out in every possible manner and way, at any cost to anything else or anyone else in their way, to continue their selective, personal or collective existence. On the other side of the balance scale in this situation is the survival of the fish stocks and the dependent fishers and their communities. That’s a fact.
We have been watching the tipping of these scales for 20 years, where stocks have disappeared, not recovered, 80,000 people lost from coastal NL and 40,000 fisheries jobs gone to hell, and a great part of this is due to what governments have allowed corporations to do on their end if the scales.
If you are really serious about wanting to protect the welfare of our fishers, our coastal peoples and saving our fishing heritage and culture you, our government, must act now and show the leadership that can save it. You are the government, you are the people. You cannot be directed by the chosen, corporate powerful, wealthy few, you must take your direction from the people. The people who are Newfoundland and Labrador. God be with you to do the right thing.
Respectfully
Philip Earle
Dear Minister King, Jan 10/12
As you can see, and not surprising, the quick response from OCI to our government’s announcement of refusing their request to ship out more unprocessed fish is one that can be likened to blackmail.
As you can see, and not surprising, the quick response from OCI to our government’s announcement of refusing their request to ship out more unprocessed fish is one that can be likened to blackmail.
Their reaction is typical of the philosophy of the ASP corporations which are all about their own concerns of bottom lines and profits. If these corporations are permitted to continue dominating our provinces fishing industry and have inordinate influence with governments the future of the fishery and any hope of saving costal NL is doomed. The first, and main, duty and philosophy of our government should be to protect the jobs and peoples of our coastal fishing communities and not companies whose success appears to be also the success of the ‘industry’. How can their ‘industry’ success be success if at the same time it destroys the fisher people, their communities and the resource itself? The government must step in now to protect the resource for the future of our people.
Everything under the sun has been done and given to corporations for the holiness of saving and protecting their success and propagation. To the point where what was zero unprocessed fish shipped out a few years ago by FPI, is today 75% of shell and 80% of ground fish being shipped out. This fact alone is enough to explain all that has befallen our coastal plants and their workers in the past four years.
Stopping the exemption, as you have done, is the first step, reversing all the rest of the ‘unprocessed exemptions’ must be started, it is the only way that will give any air to the chance of restoring our Industry. This action may appear to be what would break the companies, if some can’t handle it then they would fold but that would only create the chance for others, smaller operations with different approaches, to be successful. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Regardless of my rambled, incomplete, remarks one over all description of the whole situation can be truthfully summarized. What OCI pertains to in the Industry is that group of corporations which cry out in every possible manner and way, at any cost to anything else or anyone else in their way, to continue their selective, personal or collective existence. On the other side of the balance scale in this situation is the survival of the fish stocks and the dependent fishers and their communities. That’s a fact.
We have been watching the tipping of these scales for 20 years, where stocks have disappeared, not recovered, 80,000 people lost from coastal NL and 40,000 fisheries jobs gone to hell, and a great part of this is due to what governments have allowed corporations to do on their end if the scales.
If you are really serious about wanting to protect the welfare of our fishers, our coastal peoples and saving our fishing heritage and culture you, our government, must act now and show the leadership that can save it. You are the government, you are the people. You cannot be directed by the chosen, corporate powerful, wealthy few, you must take your direction from the people. The people who are Newfoundland and Labrador. God be with you to do the right thing.
Respectfully
Philip Earle
Monday, January 09, 2012
ICU - OCI - Will the media go after the Goods?
After listening to the public commentary of Martin Sullivan CEO of Ocean Choice - one could only be left with a feeling of sympathy for the owners.
The absolute hardship OCI is feeling is hard to fathom. The Hook Line and Sinker sob story that Martin portrayed was really tough to take without tears.
What is wrong with the people of our province - can't we see that the Sullivan's are like everybody else in the fishery? Can't we see the hardship this is causing them personally? They need a job too and they might be too old to be retrained. What about the value of their houses - in communities where the fishery is all but gone? Can't we see that they are under the same pressure as the plant workers in Marystown or the fishers with no fish?
Then there was this bit about them living up to their commitments to government - per their legal agreement for the FPI assets. Martin moaned and groaned about losses since 2007. Yes they must have had a clue that was going to happen when they bid on the assets and made commitments relative to plant operations. They also knew that they could ditch some of these obligations after a period of time or if they could prove financial hardship relative to them.
The investment decision was made based on all of that and they knew that some losses would be acceptable if the value of the overall netted them a profit.
Their interest in Newfoundland and Labrador does come after the interests in their corporation and they should not attempt to portray anything other than this.
More importantly than all of this is the following question which I trust will be asked by our local journalists:
Martin Sullivan stated that some information was asked for verbally and was delivered verbally - this outside information which was asked for in writing and delivered in writing. What was the information asked for verbally and what information was delivered verbally?
The absolute hardship OCI is feeling is hard to fathom. The Hook Line and Sinker sob story that Martin portrayed was really tough to take without tears.
What is wrong with the people of our province - can't we see that the Sullivan's are like everybody else in the fishery? Can't we see the hardship this is causing them personally? They need a job too and they might be too old to be retrained. What about the value of their houses - in communities where the fishery is all but gone? Can't we see that they are under the same pressure as the plant workers in Marystown or the fishers with no fish?
Then there was this bit about them living up to their commitments to government - per their legal agreement for the FPI assets. Martin moaned and groaned about losses since 2007. Yes they must have had a clue that was going to happen when they bid on the assets and made commitments relative to plant operations. They also knew that they could ditch some of these obligations after a period of time or if they could prove financial hardship relative to them.
The investment decision was made based on all of that and they knew that some losses would be acceptable if the value of the overall netted them a profit.
Their interest in Newfoundland and Labrador does come after the interests in their corporation and they should not attempt to portray anything other than this.
More importantly than all of this is the following question which I trust will be asked by our local journalists:
Martin Sullivan stated that some information was asked for verbally and was delivered verbally - this outside information which was asked for in writing and delivered in writing. What was the information asked for verbally and what information was delivered verbally?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Fouling up the Fishery - the Food resource, the industry Future, and the Fight ahead.
Sue and Shannon will take on this difficult but most important issue Sunday, November 13th at 8 pm.
You can listen in and participate in Newfoundland and Labrador`s Newest Talk Show by Pressing HERE
Please forward this to anybody who has an interest in our future, particularly after oil and importantly for our rural communities.
You can listen in and participate in Newfoundland and Labrador`s Newest Talk Show by Pressing HERE
Please forward this to anybody who has an interest in our future, particularly after oil and importantly for our rural communities.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Inept Politicians Responsible for kicking the Pride out of our People
It is true that I am opinionated - but unlike frenzied partisan zealots - my opinion is based on research.
The title of this post is no longer a matter of opinion - it is a fact.
How many of you have listened or read negative and quite often nasty comments made by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians regarding the fishery?
You know like "it's time we rationalized" - "time to stop the welfare" - "I am sick of hearing fishermen complaining"?
How sad - to hear our own people kick our own people - when they are NOT responsible for the fisheries disaster.
How sad to hear other people inflicted by unemployment caused by inept politicians turn on unemployed fishermen and plant workers instead of the inept politicians.
How utterly pathetic to hear inept politicians ponder how to cut the guts out of the fishery, entire communities and families rather than tackle Uncle Ottawa.
1. The fishery was mismanaged by the federal government.
2. That mismanagement costs this province 1 billion dollars annually.
3. The recovery expected by 2001 did not occur.
4. There has been NO compensation for the past decade meaning we have lost 10 billion dollars.
5. The federal government continues to diminish fisheries science rendering the resource and the industry dead.
6. Newfoundland and Labrador has lost over 40,000 people and rendered many communities bankrupt from this loss.
7. The fishery continues to be a bargaining chip for foreign trade without the benefits of such accruing to Newfoundland and Labrador.
8. The provincial government does not have the knowledge, the will, or the guts to do what is right.
9. Rationalization is a word used to cover up incompetence at both the federal and provincial levels.
10. Politicians are responsible for kicking the pride out of our people and for turning one Newfoundlander and Labradorian against another Newfoundlander and Labradorian.
The title of this post is no longer a matter of opinion - it is a fact.
How many of you have listened or read negative and quite often nasty comments made by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians regarding the fishery?
You know like "it's time we rationalized" - "time to stop the welfare" - "I am sick of hearing fishermen complaining"?
How sad - to hear our own people kick our own people - when they are NOT responsible for the fisheries disaster.
How sad to hear other people inflicted by unemployment caused by inept politicians turn on unemployed fishermen and plant workers instead of the inept politicians.
How utterly pathetic to hear inept politicians ponder how to cut the guts out of the fishery, entire communities and families rather than tackle Uncle Ottawa.
1. The fishery was mismanaged by the federal government.
2. That mismanagement costs this province 1 billion dollars annually.
3. The recovery expected by 2001 did not occur.
4. There has been NO compensation for the past decade meaning we have lost 10 billion dollars.
5. The federal government continues to diminish fisheries science rendering the resource and the industry dead.
6. Newfoundland and Labrador has lost over 40,000 people and rendered many communities bankrupt from this loss.
7. The fishery continues to be a bargaining chip for foreign trade without the benefits of such accruing to Newfoundland and Labrador.
8. The provincial government does not have the knowledge, the will, or the guts to do what is right.
9. Rationalization is a word used to cover up incompetence at both the federal and provincial levels.
10. Politicians are responsible for kicking the pride out of our people and for turning one Newfoundlander and Labradorian against another Newfoundlander and Labradorian.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Let me help Minister Clyde Jackman - OCI made a hefty political contribution
Last week Minister of Fisheries Clyde Jackman issued the following News Release:
Company Named to Assess Finances of Marystown Processing Plant
As part of its response to concerns about the viability of the Ocean Choice International (OCI) processing plant in Marystown, the Provincial Government issued a request for proposals for an independent assessment of the financial health and viability of the plant. The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today announced that Deloitte has been chosen to carry out the assessment and will begin work immediately.“We are taking an important early step toward resolving an issue of great importance to everyone connected with the Marystown plant,” said Minister Jackman. “This assessment will be valuable because it will give insights about the issues causing financial difficulty at the facility, the long-term planning and prospects of the plant, and the possibility of making changes operationally or financially to improve the fortunes of the operation.”
OCI acquired the facility in 2007 as part of a purchase of assets from the former Fishery Products International Limited. As part of the acquisition the Provincial Government had OCI agree it could only close the facility if it incurred significant losses with no reasonable prospect of eliminating those losses in the future, and on the condition that those losses were not the result of deliberate decisions by OCI. Deloitte will verify the past financial performance of the plant in each year of operations since the acquisition, and will evaluate the financial and operational parameters of OCI’s yellowtail flounder harvesting and processing to determine the outlook for the facility.
“I look forward to receiving the assessment and I encourage the continuation of meaningful dialogue between the union and the company so that the best possible outcome can be achieved,” said Minister Jackman.
-30-
Money talks but it don't fish and vote and it don't walk. As long as you are here with me - I'd much rather be investing in PC's. (with apologies to Neil Diamond)
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
OH - SEE - I something's fishy about Marystown Taxation
A story in the Telegram today has left me with more questions than answers.
The Headline read "OCI and Marystown settle municipal taxes".
Excuse me? What taxes - how many years were owed? What prevented the taxes being paid before now? What do they mean a settlement? Why won't they tell the public what the settlement was?
What does the following quote from the story mean? "While both parties have mutually agreed to the settlement of taxes up to and including 2011 we look forward to negotiating a more fair and reasonable tax structure for 2012 and beyond with the Town of Marystown as we have with other municipalities”...
So let me get this straight - if you are an employer in a community needing employment - the municipal tax structure is out the window. If a fisherman/woman or plant worker is having a rough year - taxes will be waived - renegotiated? Why not open it up to negotiating provincial tax as well.
Does OCI - owned by Ches Penney have problems paying tax?
How much more do we have to turn over to merchants to remain in their good graces?
How much access to the resources do they already have?
Are they losing money or something?
Why not visit the OCI website and have a look!
While you are there review the News Release regarding Loyola Sullivan being appointed VP of Resource Management and Sustainability.
So yes Loyola achieved a great deal when he was Canada's Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation - right?
The News Release lists Martin Sullivan as CEO and Blaine Sullivan as COO - all in the family for conservation right? Who is conserving what? Who are they conserving it for?
Oops better stop talking now - or OCI might haul up their stakes and move from Marystown.
Looks like Newfoundland and Labrador is on the way to creating an Irving sort of control. So how much is enough?
Was there enough tax saved in Marystown to pay for a philanthropic Ches Penney venture?
Ah just another rut in the highway of Corporate Voodoo - get those paving trucks out - again and again - and again...
One final note what are the media allowed to ask these days?
From Sprung to Brinco - and from Cable Atlantic to Persona - what control do we have of our government anymore?
No Control!
I must admit Mr. Penney - you have managed to put some squarely in their appropriate social status.
The Former president of FPI is now where?
The Former Minister Sullivan is now where?
How was that pick - up and "purchase" of FPI assets.
I must say that when I go to the the FPI site today our familiar little fishy is still around - unfortunately it's now controlled by Highliner USA - then again we've lost control of all our little fishies right? That is the ones we can find.
Remind me again - who owns the resources? Who should be the primary beneficiary?
The Headline read "OCI and Marystown settle municipal taxes".
Excuse me? What taxes - how many years were owed? What prevented the taxes being paid before now? What do they mean a settlement? Why won't they tell the public what the settlement was?
What does the following quote from the story mean? "While both parties have mutually agreed to the settlement of taxes up to and including 2011 we look forward to negotiating a more fair and reasonable tax structure for 2012 and beyond with the Town of Marystown as we have with other municipalities”...
So let me get this straight - if you are an employer in a community needing employment - the municipal tax structure is out the window. If a fisherman/woman or plant worker is having a rough year - taxes will be waived - renegotiated? Why not open it up to negotiating provincial tax as well.
Does OCI - owned by Ches Penney have problems paying tax?
How much more do we have to turn over to merchants to remain in their good graces?
How much access to the resources do they already have?
Are they losing money or something?
Why not visit the OCI website and have a look!
While you are there review the News Release regarding Loyola Sullivan being appointed VP of Resource Management and Sustainability.
So yes Loyola achieved a great deal when he was Canada's Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation - right?
The News Release lists Martin Sullivan as CEO and Blaine Sullivan as COO - all in the family for conservation right? Who is conserving what? Who are they conserving it for?
Oops better stop talking now - or OCI might haul up their stakes and move from Marystown.
Looks like Newfoundland and Labrador is on the way to creating an Irving sort of control. So how much is enough?
Was there enough tax saved in Marystown to pay for a philanthropic Ches Penney venture?
Ah just another rut in the highway of Corporate Voodoo - get those paving trucks out - again and again - and again...
One final note what are the media allowed to ask these days?
From Sprung to Brinco - and from Cable Atlantic to Persona - what control do we have of our government anymore?
No Control!
I must admit Mr. Penney - you have managed to put some squarely in their appropriate social status.
The Former president of FPI is now where?
The Former Minister Sullivan is now where?
How was that pick - up and "purchase" of FPI assets.
I must say that when I go to the the FPI site today our familiar little fishy is still around - unfortunately it's now controlled by Highliner USA - then again we've lost control of all our little fishies right? That is the ones we can find.
Remind me again - who owns the resources? Who should be the primary beneficiary?
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Let's look back at Loyola Sullivan Archives - before we vote
Below you will find a post from 2007 - It should help us to remember our history so we do not repeat our mistakes.
Sue's Blog hopes you find it informative as part of the election process. Meanwhile I am working on a special report on the Muskrat Falls deal with Emera.
Danny surrounds himself with the best people. That's what he says.
When the PC's were in Opposition Ed Byrne and Loyola Sullivan were like Danny's pit bulls - attack when they were tormented or challenged.
Sullivan would go on and on about financial mismanagement - bad deals - inappropriate spending like travelling with spouses. Sullivan would speak endlessly to budgets and publicly review the Auditor General's reports.
Do you remember when the House of Assembly fired Frasier March? These holier than thou MHA's passing judgement on others and their poor accounting methods.
Then Loyola's party won and they were government. He ended up with his dream job - Minister of Finance. He then began the "preach" of fiscal management - accrual accounting - tightening the belt - spend only what we have to spend.
He tortured citizens with decade old school tax accounts - with compounding interest. He was holding the Premier's fiscal hand when public servants hit the streets and then threatened to legislate them back. We just don't have the money he'd say - we are almost bankrupt.
That's when Loyola should have brought in a Chartered Accountant and asked - if we are almost bankrupt what should we spend the little money we have on. I bet he/she would not have said Seasons Tickets to the St. John's Maple Leafs.
Then there was the Premier - going off his head at the mere mention that Loyola Sullivan might appear to be in conflict of interest when Cabinet discussed the RMS system for the fishery or the sale of FPI (parts of which did end up under a couple of his brothers). Do you remember Danny saying - how dare you question the integrity of somebody like Loyola Sullivan. The man's reputation is impeccable.
Then we move to Loyola "knockout punch" Sullivan who took on the feds over equalization and won. He took on the mean old Liberals and brought home the bacon. Remember him standing next to Williams - puffed up with pride. Well that fellow has ended up taking an appointment from Newfoundland and Labrador's mortal enemy - Stephen Harper - while running away from the FPI fiasco - the Auditor General's latest expose and yet to come report on the fibre-optical illusion. Where is Loyola now that Harper has lied to us about equalization? Not a peep from Sullivan.
To top it all off - the big spending scandal - the one which resulted in criminal charges - took place during a time where Sullivan was the longest continuous sitting member of the Internal Economy Committee.
Where is he now? He's now named in the latest AG's report as being one of only 9 MHA's who had not paid back or made arrangements to pay back the $2875 special payment - by August 16 of this year.
He is named for buying season hockey tickets for the St. John's Maple Leafs from his constituency allowance. $4800 + $1000 to Mile One.
Now can those of you looking for potential life saving drugs - or a house without mold - or a retired public servant looking for indexing really blame the "scrooge" for wanting some hockey tickets? As you pay back your thousands of dollars in interest on a school tax bill of a couple of hundred - remember the drop of the puck at Mile One.
Note to the above story - Danny then added Kathy to his list of chosen people - not a good track record.
Sue's Blog hopes you find it informative as part of the election process. Meanwhile I am working on a special report on the Muskrat Falls deal with Emera.
Danny surrounds himself with the best people. That's what he says.
When the PC's were in Opposition Ed Byrne and Loyola Sullivan were like Danny's pit bulls - attack when they were tormented or challenged.
Sullivan would go on and on about financial mismanagement - bad deals - inappropriate spending like travelling with spouses. Sullivan would speak endlessly to budgets and publicly review the Auditor General's reports.
Do you remember when the House of Assembly fired Frasier March? These holier than thou MHA's passing judgement on others and their poor accounting methods.
Then Loyola's party won and they were government. He ended up with his dream job - Minister of Finance. He then began the "preach" of fiscal management - accrual accounting - tightening the belt - spend only what we have to spend.
He tortured citizens with decade old school tax accounts - with compounding interest. He was holding the Premier's fiscal hand when public servants hit the streets and then threatened to legislate them back. We just don't have the money he'd say - we are almost bankrupt.
That's when Loyola should have brought in a Chartered Accountant and asked - if we are almost bankrupt what should we spend the little money we have on. I bet he/she would not have said Seasons Tickets to the St. John's Maple Leafs.
Then there was the Premier - going off his head at the mere mention that Loyola Sullivan might appear to be in conflict of interest when Cabinet discussed the RMS system for the fishery or the sale of FPI (parts of which did end up under a couple of his brothers). Do you remember Danny saying - how dare you question the integrity of somebody like Loyola Sullivan. The man's reputation is impeccable.
Then we move to Loyola "knockout punch" Sullivan who took on the feds over equalization and won. He took on the mean old Liberals and brought home the bacon. Remember him standing next to Williams - puffed up with pride. Well that fellow has ended up taking an appointment from Newfoundland and Labrador's mortal enemy - Stephen Harper - while running away from the FPI fiasco - the Auditor General's latest expose and yet to come report on the fibre-optical illusion. Where is Loyola now that Harper has lied to us about equalization? Not a peep from Sullivan.
To top it all off - the big spending scandal - the one which resulted in criminal charges - took place during a time where Sullivan was the longest continuous sitting member of the Internal Economy Committee.
Where is he now? He's now named in the latest AG's report as being one of only 9 MHA's who had not paid back or made arrangements to pay back the $2875 special payment - by August 16 of this year.
He is named for buying season hockey tickets for the St. John's Maple Leafs from his constituency allowance. $4800 + $1000 to Mile One.
Now can those of you looking for potential life saving drugs - or a house without mold - or a retired public servant looking for indexing really blame the "scrooge" for wanting some hockey tickets? As you pay back your thousands of dollars in interest on a school tax bill of a couple of hundred - remember the drop of the puck at Mile One.
Note to the above story - Danny then added Kathy to his list of chosen people - not a good track record.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Cod and who pays?
Below is a response to my fisheries blog yesterday. I believe it is very important to dialogue back and forth agreeing or disagreeing - in an effort to find solutions to significant problems. Please read the response by a reader and my response to it.
Response
Welcome back Sue. While I love your passion for our province I feel your bent about any of our provincial leaders ability to control or do anything about the fishery is misplaced as we only control processing licences.
Since the fishery is a national/international common property resource and the majority of Canada's population lives either in ON/QU or Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver for all intensive purposes we have no say in how the fishery is managed or controlled. In fact I submit to you that all of the national parties use it as a bargaining chip to better the majority of the population through DFAIT.
Until we start electing Independent federal MP's nothing will change because it is essentially an
National/International Tragedy of our Commons at the hands of our
Tyranny of the majority political system
where by any and all of the national party MP's we elect to represent us on the federal stage will continue to toe their national party lines of doing what is in the best interest of the majority of the population to get their national party elected or re-elected.
We need a veto on fisheries issues in the national party cabinets,and NAFO. Even if we have to do it in conjunction with the maritime provinces.
Wanna make a bet that the 2013 UNLOS deadline will come and pass with the flemish cap being given away and or ownership and control since we already have custodial management being the adjacent state just we all of hte national parties choose not to act on it.
Response to the Response
You will notice that I continue to state the federal government is responsible for the mismanagement and therefore responsible for compensation.
Provincial leaders have the responsibility to go after the feds if they believe we have been wronged.
The federal government is not going to pursue itself.
If you were wronged personally or in business due to mismanagement of a responsibility of the other party you are the only one that could take an action.
While the provincial leaders do not have jurisdiction over many areas (confederation) all provincial leaders fight for fairness and equity for their province.
This case is unique - the feds manage our fish stocks unlike manage the weather in the case of western farming losses year over year. And even though the farms are not the responsibility of the feds (unlike our fishery) they are still compensated year over year.
Regardless of who goes to Ottawa - the federal system will never work for our province.
It is time that this province sought and received compensation for the following:
Loss of economic value of the ground-stocks for ten years.(first ten years tags encarp)
Loss of population = loss of transfer payments (not equalization)
Revenue to the province for increased costs due to increased need for seniors care (once provided for by the moved away family members)
Compensation directly to rural communities for outrageous losses of property value and tax base
Compensation in the form of increased federal presence in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Response
Welcome back Sue. While I love your passion for our province I feel your bent about any of our provincial leaders ability to control or do anything about the fishery is misplaced as we only control processing licences.
Since the fishery is a national/international common property resource and the majority of Canada's population lives either in ON/QU or Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver for all intensive purposes we have no say in how the fishery is managed or controlled. In fact I submit to you that all of the national parties use it as a bargaining chip to better the majority of the population through DFAIT.
Until we start electing Independent federal MP's nothing will change because it is essentially an
National/International Tragedy of our Commons at the hands of our
Tyranny of the majority political system
where by any and all of the national party MP's we elect to represent us on the federal stage will continue to toe their national party lines of doing what is in the best interest of the majority of the population to get their national party elected or re-elected.
We need a veto on fisheries issues in the national party cabinets,and NAFO. Even if we have to do it in conjunction with the maritime provinces.
Wanna make a bet that the 2013 UNLOS deadline will come and pass with the flemish cap being given away and or ownership and control since we already have custodial management being the adjacent state just we all of hte national parties choose not to act on it.
Response to the Response
You will notice that I continue to state the federal government is responsible for the mismanagement and therefore responsible for compensation.
Provincial leaders have the responsibility to go after the feds if they believe we have been wronged.
The federal government is not going to pursue itself.
If you were wronged personally or in business due to mismanagement of a responsibility of the other party you are the only one that could take an action.
While the provincial leaders do not have jurisdiction over many areas (confederation) all provincial leaders fight for fairness and equity for their province.
This case is unique - the feds manage our fish stocks unlike manage the weather in the case of western farming losses year over year. And even though the farms are not the responsibility of the feds (unlike our fishery) they are still compensated year over year.
Regardless of who goes to Ottawa - the federal system will never work for our province.
It is time that this province sought and received compensation for the following:
Loss of economic value of the ground-stocks for ten years.(first ten years tags encarp)
Loss of population = loss of transfer payments (not equalization)
Revenue to the province for increased costs due to increased need for seniors care (once provided for by the moved away family members)
Compensation directly to rural communities for outrageous losses of property value and tax base
Compensation in the form of increased federal presence in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Renewable Energy is the only future left - they have taken the rest
Oil is here - Oil is gone
To be competitive in today's world you must have an advantage.
Newfoundland and Labrador is rich in natural resources - unfortunately either by giveaways or mismanagement we have lost the industrial edge we were geographically gifted with.
Our non-renewable ores were shipped out without processing fuelling the economies of Ontario, Quebec, and even Manitoba. The rich iron ore from Bell Island was shipped out to Nova Scotia for processing and do you believe Labrador has gained properly from its iron ore?
The Upper Churchill was developed by an astute Quebec and is a major reason Hydro Quebec is an "energy giant" today. The fishery (best in the world) was taken over by Ottawa a few years after confederation and was destroyed by Ottawa in a few short decades. The forestry resources were given away and advanced industrial development on the paper mill side was non-existent.
The boom in metro is at the cost of rural communities and is only as a result of oil. Where are the real oil jobs? What of our oil do we refine or process into goods?
Politicians of all stripes have contributed to the mess we have today - short-term prosperity for Newfoundland and Labrador - long-term prosperity for others who process what we own.
We lost at least 40,000 people to the fisheries moratorium and numbers of plants while decimating rural communities. Who owns what is left of our fishery now? Is it still being plundered (shellfish) and when will that collapse?
We are down to one paper mill when we should have kept at least two. Politicians made fine work of that planning - there was grest opportunity in Stephenville but it was squandered by politicians who did not have foresight and certainly no vision. What we do now in Grand Falls-Windsor and Stephenville is manage the loss. Can we bring in a Costco or Walmart a Canadian Tire or Sobeys or Kent - that is the mantra. Maybe haul a few government agencies or divisions to (decentralize). Where is the new money in this - it is simply hauling the same money around and in this case giving to mainland companies so that reinvestment happens outside Newfoundland and Labrador instead of local companies reinvesting here. What happened to our airports?
About the only thing we have managed to hang on to is renewable hydro - and only because the people waged a three year battle against the policy. Now we are set to start giving it away again. We need this energy to attract industry. Industry goes where the power is and we are making sure that it is everywhere but our province.
We will give it to Nova Scotia to either use themselves or transport to other provinces or states to use there. Nothing in Labrador! Labrador who relies on Quebec and thermal generation for power. What a joke.
We must stop this Emera deal and start again - go back to an energy plan which uses that raw resource to generate industrial growth right here. If we go ahead with the Emera deal we will have escalating costs for our own domestic power and have nothing to offer industry which will follow our power out of the province.
We continue to have excessively high unemployment, our rural communities continue to be decimated and Labrador continues to be raped of its tremendous resources without any real return. This must stop.
Where is the vision of government - does it rest with senior faceless bureaucrats who quite often move on to the same private industrial sectors they help through policy? Is it politicians too lazy to read - to understand - or are they incapable of real vision. Do we ever really know who stands to gain personally from decisions they have played a part in?
Then there is Ottawa - Danny gains 2 billion (gets hit with the stock crisis) net??? and then loses 10 billion in the change-up of equalization while Quebec the (have-not) province continues to receive the most equalization.
When you take on the establishment the banks, brokers, investors, basically private sector greed there is a price to pay. Personally and professionally they attack you until you starve. They run political parties like they are their own assets. They move saviors in and out and ensure that their policies continue to move forward.
When they go after the last of our hopes for the future - we must take a stand - and that we will do. Premier Dunderdale and her Cabinet take note - this will not happen without thorough discussion and consultation and it will be done to benefit us not to ruin our future.
I ask the backbenchers of the Tory government - do you want to be responsible for a giveaway as great as the Upper Churchill?
And while we are at it why does the a crown corporation of Saskatchewan deliver tv service to hospital rooms in Newfoundland and Labrador
To be competitive in today's world you must have an advantage.
Newfoundland and Labrador is rich in natural resources - unfortunately either by giveaways or mismanagement we have lost the industrial edge we were geographically gifted with.
Our non-renewable ores were shipped out without processing fuelling the economies of Ontario, Quebec, and even Manitoba. The rich iron ore from Bell Island was shipped out to Nova Scotia for processing and do you believe Labrador has gained properly from its iron ore?
The Upper Churchill was developed by an astute Quebec and is a major reason Hydro Quebec is an "energy giant" today. The fishery (best in the world) was taken over by Ottawa a few years after confederation and was destroyed by Ottawa in a few short decades. The forestry resources were given away and advanced industrial development on the paper mill side was non-existent.
The boom in metro is at the cost of rural communities and is only as a result of oil. Where are the real oil jobs? What of our oil do we refine or process into goods?
Politicians of all stripes have contributed to the mess we have today - short-term prosperity for Newfoundland and Labrador - long-term prosperity for others who process what we own.
We lost at least 40,000 people to the fisheries moratorium and numbers of plants while decimating rural communities. Who owns what is left of our fishery now? Is it still being plundered (shellfish) and when will that collapse?
We are down to one paper mill when we should have kept at least two. Politicians made fine work of that planning - there was grest opportunity in Stephenville but it was squandered by politicians who did not have foresight and certainly no vision. What we do now in Grand Falls-Windsor and Stephenville is manage the loss. Can we bring in a Costco or Walmart a Canadian Tire or Sobeys or Kent - that is the mantra. Maybe haul a few government agencies or divisions to (decentralize). Where is the new money in this - it is simply hauling the same money around and in this case giving to mainland companies so that reinvestment happens outside Newfoundland and Labrador instead of local companies reinvesting here. What happened to our airports?
About the only thing we have managed to hang on to is renewable hydro - and only because the people waged a three year battle against the policy. Now we are set to start giving it away again. We need this energy to attract industry. Industry goes where the power is and we are making sure that it is everywhere but our province.
We will give it to Nova Scotia to either use themselves or transport to other provinces or states to use there. Nothing in Labrador! Labrador who relies on Quebec and thermal generation for power. What a joke.
We must stop this Emera deal and start again - go back to an energy plan which uses that raw resource to generate industrial growth right here. If we go ahead with the Emera deal we will have escalating costs for our own domestic power and have nothing to offer industry which will follow our power out of the province.
We continue to have excessively high unemployment, our rural communities continue to be decimated and Labrador continues to be raped of its tremendous resources without any real return. This must stop.
Where is the vision of government - does it rest with senior faceless bureaucrats who quite often move on to the same private industrial sectors they help through policy? Is it politicians too lazy to read - to understand - or are they incapable of real vision. Do we ever really know who stands to gain personally from decisions they have played a part in?
Then there is Ottawa - Danny gains 2 billion (gets hit with the stock crisis) net??? and then loses 10 billion in the change-up of equalization while Quebec the (have-not) province continues to receive the most equalization.
When you take on the establishment the banks, brokers, investors, basically private sector greed there is a price to pay. Personally and professionally they attack you until you starve. They run political parties like they are their own assets. They move saviors in and out and ensure that their policies continue to move forward.
When they go after the last of our hopes for the future - we must take a stand - and that we will do. Premier Dunderdale and her Cabinet take note - this will not happen without thorough discussion and consultation and it will be done to benefit us not to ruin our future.
I ask the backbenchers of the Tory government - do you want to be responsible for a giveaway as great as the Upper Churchill?
And while we are at it why does the a crown corporation of Saskatchewan deliver tv service to hospital rooms in Newfoundland and Labrador
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Does Risley want another piece of Newfoundland and Labrador?
Just two days away from the "vote" - and I am thinking about FPI. This once king of "seafoods" companies gone from our rural communities - gone from the memories of our politicians - as well.
John Risley - the "Danny" slayer has done what media and opposition could not. Risley has taken Danny on and won.
On Friday FPI issued a news release - advising of a special meeting of shareholders. On October 22nd - the shareholders will vote on the sale of FPI assets. The get-together will also be used to discuss the future of FPI. The release says in part:
So now that our politicians have allowed the company to moan and groan its way out of commitments to our communities - and at the same time making some millionaires of a select few - what are the boys going to do with the money? What exactly does the statement above mean? An investment and holding company?
Why not let John Risley answer that question. The Montreal Gazette attributes the following quote to Danny's conqueror:
Apparently the name of the new company will be FP Resources Ltd. What now - will they come after energy investments? Do they want a piece of the Lower Churchill? How about Labrador uranium? Or maybe gas projects? Will they suck the good out of other resources in Newfoundland and Labrador and then change-up again?
And in a twist of irony - FPI announced today the appointment of a new director - another "Newfoundlander and Labradorian" - Mr. Graham Roome - who started his career with the "Lake Group" - one of the fish companies that had to be rescued by the formation of FPI - when we the taxpayers became the owners. Talk about having sea-legs - apparently Mr. Roome who went from Lake to FPI in Bonavista - to Clearwater - and then back to FPI - is doing a hell of a lot better that our fishermen.
Danny - Tom - Gerry - Loyola - and Loyola - "hook line and sinker". Way to go Risley - no wonder you and Ches Penney have the personal wealth you have.
John Risley - the "Danny" slayer has done what media and opposition could not. Risley has taken Danny on and won.
On Friday FPI issued a news release - advising of a special meeting of shareholders. On October 22nd - the shareholders will vote on the sale of FPI assets. The get-together will also be used to discuss the future of FPI. The release says in part:
FPI intends to transition from an operating company engaged in the harvesting, processing, global sourcing and marketing of seafood products to an investment and holding company.
So now that our politicians have allowed the company to moan and groan its way out of commitments to our communities - and at the same time making some millionaires of a select few - what are the boys going to do with the money? What exactly does the statement above mean? An investment and holding company?
Why not let John Risley answer that question. The Montreal Gazette attributes the following quote to Danny's conqueror:
"our historical business has been the seafood business and our future business will be something other than the seafood business"
Apparently the name of the new company will be FP Resources Ltd. What now - will they come after energy investments? Do they want a piece of the Lower Churchill? How about Labrador uranium? Or maybe gas projects? Will they suck the good out of other resources in Newfoundland and Labrador and then change-up again?
And in a twist of irony - FPI announced today the appointment of a new director - another "Newfoundlander and Labradorian" - Mr. Graham Roome - who started his career with the "Lake Group" - one of the fish companies that had to be rescued by the formation of FPI - when we the taxpayers became the owners. Talk about having sea-legs - apparently Mr. Roome who went from Lake to FPI in Bonavista - to Clearwater - and then back to FPI - is doing a hell of a lot better that our fishermen.
Danny - Tom - Gerry - Loyola - and Loyola - "hook line and sinker". Way to go Risley - no wonder you and Ches Penney have the personal wealth you have.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador is not their oyster...
This Province and potential opportunities from resource development must not be restricted to a few close buddies or a "special" corporate group.
I recognize that right now - it is difficult for one to question Premier Williams on anything he does - as the "fan power" right now is similar to one NFL player before they found dead dogs on his property.
One example - the Sullivan boys from the Southern Shore. Loyola - after just leaving as the Minister of Finance for the province - emerges to become Canada's new "Fish Ambassador" - Karl - Senior Manager of the Barry Group - has managed to steer assets - quite cheaply into the Barry Group's list of holdings with government guarantees - and just the other day - significant assets of FPI purchased by Ocean Choice - of the Penney Group - with Ches Penney flanked by Martin and Blaine Sullivan President and CFO respectively.
Think about the various potential conflicts or influence here - and within one of our most important resources - fish.
Then let's look at the fibre optic deal - remember that one? Persona - whose chief is Dean MacDonald and his buddy's government pumps a 15 million dollar investment that way - without any Request for Proposals - arguing that anybody that could be in the deal already was - Rogers - Persona - MTS Allstream. That's if first you can get past the potential conflict or influence with Rogers involved - with the Premier's selling of his company Cable Atlantic to them or the Premier's former law and business partner Steve Marshall's brother Ken Marshall remaining in a senior position with Rogers.
Then there was the whole mess of Aurora Energy appointing Dean MacDonald to the Board when the company is involved in uranium potential for energy - even though Dean at the time was the Chair of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro including the responsibility of the Lower Churchill Development. Although MacDonald quit the Aurora Board within a couple of days after Sue's Blog and then media pointed out the potential conflict - we are left to wonder what type of influence Aurora has and more importantly Altius - which as at January 2007 held a 10% interest in Aurora - 30% Rambler gold-copper mine - 37.5% interest in Newfoundland and Labrador refining corporation (you know the refinery proposal) and then there was and is their proposal for financing the Lower Churchill project described this way:
Altius has also made a proposal to the provincial government for financing the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project. Its proposal was put on the three-bid short list; its proposal (involving a royalty foundation for provincial residents) has the benefit of benefiting the local populace, a sensitive issue in a poor province where many projects have been sold to outside interests. Altius’ proposal could also be combined with other financing proposals. Currently, the provincial government is working on the development plan. Once this plan is complete, after three or four months perhaps, then it will turn again to the financing proposals. If successful, Altius would likely end up with a free-carried interest generating cashflow, for very little initial cost.
So there we have the fisheries - minerals - oil and gas - hydro - and communications all wrapped up in a little corporate gang.
For more specifics refer back to the following posts:
Dean MacDonald Please Resign
Why it's okay to question Dean and Dan on the Fibre Optics
The Fibre Optic Deal and Lobbyist Part 1
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 2
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 3
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 4
Political Patronage "Persona"fied
Now we can fight with Ottawa (as we should) but there is no plan to correct the deficiencies in our federation - and it will do wonders to keep our eye off the ball.
Williams is becoming the master of red herrings - to cover for:
Keep your on the balls being juggled by Williams while he attempts to divert your attention with nationalistic heroism.
I recognize that right now - it is difficult for one to question Premier Williams on anything he does - as the "fan power" right now is similar to one NFL player before they found dead dogs on his property.
One example - the Sullivan boys from the Southern Shore. Loyola - after just leaving as the Minister of Finance for the province - emerges to become Canada's new "Fish Ambassador" - Karl - Senior Manager of the Barry Group - has managed to steer assets - quite cheaply into the Barry Group's list of holdings with government guarantees - and just the other day - significant assets of FPI purchased by Ocean Choice - of the Penney Group - with Ches Penney flanked by Martin and Blaine Sullivan President and CFO respectively.
Think about the various potential conflicts or influence here - and within one of our most important resources - fish.
Then let's look at the fibre optic deal - remember that one? Persona - whose chief is Dean MacDonald and his buddy's government pumps a 15 million dollar investment that way - without any Request for Proposals - arguing that anybody that could be in the deal already was - Rogers - Persona - MTS Allstream. That's if first you can get past the potential conflict or influence with Rogers involved - with the Premier's selling of his company Cable Atlantic to them or the Premier's former law and business partner Steve Marshall's brother Ken Marshall remaining in a senior position with Rogers.
Then there was the whole mess of Aurora Energy appointing Dean MacDonald to the Board when the company is involved in uranium potential for energy - even though Dean at the time was the Chair of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro including the responsibility of the Lower Churchill Development. Although MacDonald quit the Aurora Board within a couple of days after Sue's Blog and then media pointed out the potential conflict - we are left to wonder what type of influence Aurora has and more importantly Altius - which as at January 2007 held a 10% interest in Aurora - 30% Rambler gold-copper mine - 37.5% interest in Newfoundland and Labrador refining corporation (you know the refinery proposal) and then there was and is their proposal for financing the Lower Churchill project described this way:
Altius has also made a proposal to the provincial government for financing the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project. Its proposal was put on the three-bid short list; its proposal (involving a royalty foundation for provincial residents) has the benefit of benefiting the local populace, a sensitive issue in a poor province where many projects have been sold to outside interests. Altius’ proposal could also be combined with other financing proposals. Currently, the provincial government is working on the development plan. Once this plan is complete, after three or four months perhaps, then it will turn again to the financing proposals. If successful, Altius would likely end up with a free-carried interest generating cashflow, for very little initial cost.
So there we have the fisheries - minerals - oil and gas - hydro - and communications all wrapped up in a little corporate gang.
For more specifics refer back to the following posts:
Dean MacDonald Please Resign
Why it's okay to question Dean and Dan on the Fibre Optics
The Fibre Optic Deal and Lobbyist Part 1
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 2
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 3
The Fibre Optic Deal Part 4
Political Patronage "Persona"fied
Now we can fight with Ottawa (as we should) but there is no plan to correct the deficiencies in our federation - and it will do wonders to keep our eye off the ball.
Williams is becoming the master of red herrings - to cover for:
rural Newfoundland and Labrador decimation,
FPI fiasco,
Paper Mill in Stephenville,
the Metis,
continued loss of our graduates and job fairs to Alberta,
Danny's friends and colleagues and positions of influence,
no energy plan,
net outmigration,
high unemployment,
giveaway of wind power resources - in part to the Government of Italy,
Persona and fibre optics,
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro hires Summa to lobby Ottawa on the Lower Churchill - including the employment of Timothy Powers - a strategist for the federal Conservatives - while Danny launches an ABC campaign,
Failure to release MOU with Hebron partners.
Keep your on the balls being juggled by Williams while he attempts to divert your attention with nationalistic heroism.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Williams has done what no other Premier could do before him...
...allow the destruction of FPI.
I am upset today as a Newfoundlander and Labradorian - are you?
While equity in non-renewable assets is the order of the day for Williams - valuable renewable assets and associated business get the thumbs down.
A Nova Scotian based company ends up with the lucrative North American marketing arm of FPI - yahoo!
How many Sullivan's does it take to consume FPI?
Give me a penney and I'll tell you.
This is pathetic and deserves as much negative attention as the Hebron MOU deserves positive. The fishery until Danny Williams became the Premier - was referred to as the backbone of our economy. Nowadays - I think the government MHA's are careful or told not to say that.
As most of us should have observed by now Dean and Danny have a fetish for oil and gas and that is where the focus has been. It is nice to have the diversity of natural resources we have - but with Williams it will be oil oil oil and soon gas gas gas. The Premier just does not have the same protective passion for renewable - generational resources like the fishery - hydro-power - and wind.
Today I will focus on the fishery. Regardless of how the Premier or his top-spinner Ross Reid might plan and roll out announcements during polling period or just before an election - they are just inadequate when it comes to that resource of the sea.
Danny is the man to fight Ottawa over equalization (oil revenues primarily) and fallow field legislation - but when it comes to the fishery - he is impotent. The grand fisheries conference a year or so ago - has produced nothing new.
Do you see Williams pulling an ABC because there is no early retirement package - or inadequate federal money dedicated to science - the failure of the ground-fish stocks to recover well past the originally predicted time-frame? You have not heard a peep from him on proposed changes to the federal fisheries Act or the NAFO shenanigans brought to light by former DFO official Applebaum. Oil is sexy to St. John's, the business and construction labour communities - whereas fish is just this nuisance that the rural crowd keep pestering him about.
There is no doubt about it - Williams just does not have the guts - knowledge - interest - or some combination of them to take on the feds over the fishery - and further - the display of bravado to big oil companies - is just not present with the fish merchants. For some reason the Barry's - Penney's - and Risley's of the world are just too tough.
Here's a portion of the News Release put out by Highliner Foods International on the purchase of a portion of FPI assets:
High Liner Foods Incorporated today announced it has signed an agreement with FPI Limited and its subsidiary, Fisheries Products International Limited, to purchase its
marketing and manufacturing business.
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million.
So if they become the leading - where are we?
Just to put that in perspective:
Highliner
The company began in 1899 with the founding of W.C Smith & Company, a salt fish operation located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia -- the current home of our head office and one of the most modern and diversified food processing plants in the world.
FPI
Fishery Products International is an industry leader in harvesting, processing, global sourcing, and marketing a wide selection of high quality seafood products. From its corporate headquarters in St. John’s, FPI manages primary and value-added seafood processing plants and a fleet of modern harvesting vessels.
From the few words which I have highlighted - can you see the problem already?
Please remember when the legislated restrictions are finally gone - the guarantees have a very short time-frame. The rural communities affected by this deal today - no longer have the protection of socio/economic policy attached to the harvesting of the resources adjacent to them.
First problem:
The Provincial Government has achieved a five-year agreement for the sustained operation of existing FPI facilities.
What happens then???
Second problem:
...we have made it a condition of sale that FPI and OCI proceed expeditiously with the transfer of the Fortune facility to Cooke Aquaculture. Is Cooke still interested? I thought not. (That's if you buy into Aquaculture being a panacea to replace the wild fishery) More on that in the next post.
So what happens now?
Third problem:
Sold to Highliner -
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million. I wonder who benefits from that now?
What's the provincial portion of tax lost etc...What does Nova Scotia gain - and what does Newfoundland and Labrador lose?
NO EQUITY IN OR FOR THE FISHERY!
That's the real problem - so tilt your glasses and toast the man of the hour Danny Williams who has done what no other Premier could do before him - allow the destruction of FPI.
I will conclude by saying: In my opinion it's much tougher to make your million on a crab boat or prosecuting ground-fish than it is to make it off - let's say a bunch of poles and wires capable of bringing sports - pornography - and news into your house!
I am upset today as a Newfoundlander and Labradorian - are you?
While equity in non-renewable assets is the order of the day for Williams - valuable renewable assets and associated business get the thumbs down.
A Nova Scotian based company ends up with the lucrative North American marketing arm of FPI - yahoo!
How many Sullivan's does it take to consume FPI?
Give me a penney and I'll tell you.
This is pathetic and deserves as much negative attention as the Hebron MOU deserves positive. The fishery until Danny Williams became the Premier - was referred to as the backbone of our economy. Nowadays - I think the government MHA's are careful or told not to say that.
As most of us should have observed by now Dean and Danny have a fetish for oil and gas and that is where the focus has been. It is nice to have the diversity of natural resources we have - but with Williams it will be oil oil oil and soon gas gas gas. The Premier just does not have the same protective passion for renewable - generational resources like the fishery - hydro-power - and wind.
Today I will focus on the fishery. Regardless of how the Premier or his top-spinner Ross Reid might plan and roll out announcements during polling period or just before an election - they are just inadequate when it comes to that resource of the sea.
Danny is the man to fight Ottawa over equalization (oil revenues primarily) and fallow field legislation - but when it comes to the fishery - he is impotent. The grand fisheries conference a year or so ago - has produced nothing new.
Do you see Williams pulling an ABC because there is no early retirement package - or inadequate federal money dedicated to science - the failure of the ground-fish stocks to recover well past the originally predicted time-frame? You have not heard a peep from him on proposed changes to the federal fisheries Act or the NAFO shenanigans brought to light by former DFO official Applebaum. Oil is sexy to St. John's, the business and construction labour communities - whereas fish is just this nuisance that the rural crowd keep pestering him about.
There is no doubt about it - Williams just does not have the guts - knowledge - interest - or some combination of them to take on the feds over the fishery - and further - the display of bravado to big oil companies - is just not present with the fish merchants. For some reason the Barry's - Penney's - and Risley's of the world are just too tough.
Here's a portion of the News Release put out by Highliner Foods International on the purchase of a portion of FPI assets:
High Liner Foods Incorporated today announced it has signed an agreement with FPI Limited and its subsidiary, Fisheries Products International Limited, to purchase its
marketing and manufacturing business.
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million.
"This acquisition will be an important milestone in pursuit of our vision to become the leading value-added frozen seafood company in North America..."
So if they become the leading - where are we?
Just to put that in perspective:
Highliner
The company began in 1899 with the founding of W.C Smith & Company, a salt fish operation located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia -- the current home of our head office and one of the most modern and diversified food processing plants in the world.
FPI
Fishery Products International is an industry leader in harvesting, processing, global sourcing, and marketing a wide selection of high quality seafood products. From its corporate headquarters in St. John’s, FPI manages primary and value-added seafood processing plants and a fleet of modern harvesting vessels.
From the few words which I have highlighted - can you see the problem already?
Please remember when the legislated restrictions are finally gone - the guarantees have a very short time-frame. The rural communities affected by this deal today - no longer have the protection of socio/economic policy attached to the harvesting of the resources adjacent to them.
First problem:
The Provincial Government has achieved a five-year agreement for the sustained operation of existing FPI facilities.
What happens then???
Second problem:
...we have made it a condition of sale that FPI and OCI proceed expeditiously with the transfer of the Fortune facility to Cooke Aquaculture. Is Cooke still interested? I thought not. (That's if you buy into Aquaculture being a panacea to replace the wild fishery) More on that in the next post.
So what happens now?
Third problem:
Sold to Highliner -
FPI's marketing and manufacturing business consists of its North American
value-added food service and retail frozen seafood businesses. In 2006, the
business had sales of $452.9 million and gross profit of $43.5 million. I wonder who benefits from that now?
What's the provincial portion of tax lost etc...What does Nova Scotia gain - and what does Newfoundland and Labrador lose?
NO EQUITY IN OR FOR THE FISHERY!
That's the real problem - so tilt your glasses and toast the man of the hour Danny Williams who has done what no other Premier could do before him - allow the destruction of FPI.
I will conclude by saying: In my opinion it's much tougher to make your million on a crab boat or prosecuting ground-fish than it is to make it off - let's say a bunch of poles and wires capable of bringing sports - pornography - and news into your house!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Williams has Strengths but his Weaknesses...
...will destroy us.
Danny Williams comes to the table as a multi-millionaire. Regardless of what you think of him this financial success is part of what draws voters to him. In some respects people think some of that business acumen will rub off on them - or that he will bring the province financial success as he did with his personal projects.
Personal is the key word. Williams is used to being the boss - the only boss - Cable Atlantic was not publicly traded and his law firm was headed and essentially run by him - same with golf courses etc. He sees his success as a result of primarily his leadership. The Premier does acknowledge people like Dean MacDonald - Steve Marshall - and Ken Marshall - but only in the sense that he picked them - mentored them - and they worked out.
There is no doubt the people attracted to Williams want in on the action and they are willing to be lead. They are also willing to trade the openness of their opinion for approval from Danny.
Let me give you an example - Danny Williams has not been shy in condemning previous Liberal governments particularly the final 12 years of them. This included in large part the administration of Brian Tobin. The condemnation is aimed at fiscal mismanagement - the HOA scandal - and bad deals. He of course must include Brian Tobin in this. Tobin and Williams lieutenant Dean MacDonald have historically been very close. So MacDonald has to take the dump on his buddy to stay loyal to Williams - and so he does.
Back to the point - Williams weakness is profit versus society. Government is not a corporation it is leadership of the people for the people. Governments make choices that in the corporate world would not be made. That is because the government has a different mandate. The Corporate world does not have to focus on healthcare - transportation - unemployment - diversifying communities - social welfare - and education. They are the beneficiaries of these services that primarily are paid for by the people - not companies.
When Williams looks at developing a project he only sees profit - he does not factor in his societal obligations - or simply put - look at the big picture.
I will use 2 examples.
Fish
FPI has been the flagship company in our fishery and as taxpayers we were investors in that corporate experiment. The fishery is a common renewable resource of the people - not companies - we give them licence to harvest it. Sue's Blog just posted the latest financial results of FPI - and they are good - but they come at a high price - families and communities.
If we took the bottom line of FPI and said 2 million dollar profits a quarter are enough and the balance will come from working families and sustained or growing communities. This is good policy for society. There are corporations and business people who can survive and be happy with 2 million instead of 6 million a quarter - but they are not publicly traded and they are not headed up by owners who maximise profit despite the cost to people.
This is where government should have stepped in - used it's legislative ability and either found a buyer willing to live with reduced "profit" or until then buy it out for the people. The cost to this province of FPI being chopped and bartered will be far greater than the investment we could have and should have made. The lost population - destroyed communities - reduced transfers - reduced equalization - lost small business enterprises - will be extremely costly to all of us. It will however be great for former and present FPI shareholders.
The second example is that of the Lower Churchill development. Williams is on a path where maximum "dollars" not benefits will rule the project. This is where our Premier is weak and Ontario and Quebec Premiers are strong. They see the big picture - they know that using clean renewable cost effective hydro for industrial development is better than maximising dollars. They know that employment - retention of young graduates - community and population growth brings with it far greater benefits than a wholesale ridding of significant natural resources. They know that - on balance - choosing to use superior energy like hydro versus dumping it to other jurisdictions will guarantee the survival of their provinces.
Let's say we get maximum price for the wholesale of our power - we get money - where will that money go? We will lose thousands of jobs to Ontario or the Maritimes where the power will be used. We will continue to lose people following those jobs west. After the project is built - then what? What employment will have been created for the long-term? We will be left with an aging population - net outmigration - loss of educated youth - and basically a large retirement home. The money we make from the wholesale of our power won't keep up with the increase in healthcare requirements - or the aging infrastructure.
The policy of exporting wholesale hydro power - in a day of environmental changes - soaring fossil fuel prices - and industrial growth - is to say it mildly - stupid. It would be intelligent only if the the seller was a publicly traded corporation or entrepreneur who had minimal to no responsibility for society. If the bottom line was profits simply returned to shareholders without any responsibility to provide public healthcare - transportation - and education.
Williams can't see the big picture - and in that regard - you will not benefit from his strengths unless you are already a multi-millionaire with money to invest in wholesale power projects.
When you run a government not a corporation - personalities should not be the issue -societal vision should be. The way Williams tries to marginalize and shut-up critics is a hangover from being the boss - unfortunately this does not make a statesmen or a good Premier and it will not serve our people well.
If we export this power - we are condemning ourselves to stagnation - loss - and eventually death. The headline in 40 years - Newfoundland and Labrador dies as a result of self-inflicted wounds.
We are running out of time - Williams will win the next government - and that in large part will be because the NDP is proving itself irrelevant and the Liberals in their silence and lack of an original idea or vision are essentially saying vote for Danny. Walter Noel - John Efford - Roger Grimes - Norm Whelan - Danny Dumeresque - Judy Foote - Gerry Reid and others must let go and let the party rebuild - else the party gives Williams a pass to make the biggest mistake in our history.
Danny Williams comes to the table as a multi-millionaire. Regardless of what you think of him this financial success is part of what draws voters to him. In some respects people think some of that business acumen will rub off on them - or that he will bring the province financial success as he did with his personal projects.
Personal is the key word. Williams is used to being the boss - the only boss - Cable Atlantic was not publicly traded and his law firm was headed and essentially run by him - same with golf courses etc. He sees his success as a result of primarily his leadership. The Premier does acknowledge people like Dean MacDonald - Steve Marshall - and Ken Marshall - but only in the sense that he picked them - mentored them - and they worked out.
There is no doubt the people attracted to Williams want in on the action and they are willing to be lead. They are also willing to trade the openness of their opinion for approval from Danny.
Let me give you an example - Danny Williams has not been shy in condemning previous Liberal governments particularly the final 12 years of them. This included in large part the administration of Brian Tobin. The condemnation is aimed at fiscal mismanagement - the HOA scandal - and bad deals. He of course must include Brian Tobin in this. Tobin and Williams lieutenant Dean MacDonald have historically been very close. So MacDonald has to take the dump on his buddy to stay loyal to Williams - and so he does.
Back to the point - Williams weakness is profit versus society. Government is not a corporation it is leadership of the people for the people. Governments make choices that in the corporate world would not be made. That is because the government has a different mandate. The Corporate world does not have to focus on healthcare - transportation - unemployment - diversifying communities - social welfare - and education. They are the beneficiaries of these services that primarily are paid for by the people - not companies.
When Williams looks at developing a project he only sees profit - he does not factor in his societal obligations - or simply put - look at the big picture.
I will use 2 examples.
Fish
FPI has been the flagship company in our fishery and as taxpayers we were investors in that corporate experiment. The fishery is a common renewable resource of the people - not companies - we give them licence to harvest it. Sue's Blog just posted the latest financial results of FPI - and they are good - but they come at a high price - families and communities.
If we took the bottom line of FPI and said 2 million dollar profits a quarter are enough and the balance will come from working families and sustained or growing communities. This is good policy for society. There are corporations and business people who can survive and be happy with 2 million instead of 6 million a quarter - but they are not publicly traded and they are not headed up by owners who maximise profit despite the cost to people.
This is where government should have stepped in - used it's legislative ability and either found a buyer willing to live with reduced "profit" or until then buy it out for the people. The cost to this province of FPI being chopped and bartered will be far greater than the investment we could have and should have made. The lost population - destroyed communities - reduced transfers - reduced equalization - lost small business enterprises - will be extremely costly to all of us. It will however be great for former and present FPI shareholders.
The second example is that of the Lower Churchill development. Williams is on a path where maximum "dollars" not benefits will rule the project. This is where our Premier is weak and Ontario and Quebec Premiers are strong. They see the big picture - they know that using clean renewable cost effective hydro for industrial development is better than maximising dollars. They know that employment - retention of young graduates - community and population growth brings with it far greater benefits than a wholesale ridding of significant natural resources. They know that - on balance - choosing to use superior energy like hydro versus dumping it to other jurisdictions will guarantee the survival of their provinces.
Let's say we get maximum price for the wholesale of our power - we get money - where will that money go? We will lose thousands of jobs to Ontario or the Maritimes where the power will be used. We will continue to lose people following those jobs west. After the project is built - then what? What employment will have been created for the long-term? We will be left with an aging population - net outmigration - loss of educated youth - and basically a large retirement home. The money we make from the wholesale of our power won't keep up with the increase in healthcare requirements - or the aging infrastructure.
The policy of exporting wholesale hydro power - in a day of environmental changes - soaring fossil fuel prices - and industrial growth - is to say it mildly - stupid. It would be intelligent only if the the seller was a publicly traded corporation or entrepreneur who had minimal to no responsibility for society. If the bottom line was profits simply returned to shareholders without any responsibility to provide public healthcare - transportation - and education.
Williams can't see the big picture - and in that regard - you will not benefit from his strengths unless you are already a multi-millionaire with money to invest in wholesale power projects.
When you run a government not a corporation - personalities should not be the issue -societal vision should be. The way Williams tries to marginalize and shut-up critics is a hangover from being the boss - unfortunately this does not make a statesmen or a good Premier and it will not serve our people well.
If we export this power - we are condemning ourselves to stagnation - loss - and eventually death. The headline in 40 years - Newfoundland and Labrador dies as a result of self-inflicted wounds.
We are running out of time - Williams will win the next government - and that in large part will be because the NDP is proving itself irrelevant and the Liberals in their silence and lack of an original idea or vision are essentially saying vote for Danny. Walter Noel - John Efford - Roger Grimes - Norm Whelan - Danny Dumeresque - Judy Foote - Gerry Reid and others must let go and let the party rebuild - else the party gives Williams a pass to make the biggest mistake in our history.
Eliminate Low-Margin Products
I'm left to wonder - how I should take a message from an FPI News Release this week. If I'm a shareholder - and I'm not - I would be delighted. But if I'm involved in the fishery - the words would spell gloom and doom. I would be angry.
Beverly Evans - Chief Financial Officer - of FPI said this of the company's over 6 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTERLY PROFIT:
FPI's profits are up 3 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS from the same quarter last year.
Understand - that this news - while great for shareholders - is a reflection of human suffering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Communities in peril - fighting for their existence - people packing up and moving away before they lose everything.
When Beverly talks about eliminating low margin products - to you and me those products - in reality are people and communities. And all that to ensure that when Ches Penney - Nova Scotia and Iceland Corporates take over the company - they will not be the villains.
How do they all sleep at night? It's takes a special breed to fill your own arse pockets while you watch families and communities suffer. That is the mark of a "successful" business person - not necessarily a "good" one.
This is where the government of Newfoundland and Labrador had some control - had the ability to operate with a 2 million dollar profit instead of a 6 million dollar one. The shareholders should have been and should be the people of the Province - until some corporate entity would have accepted a couple of million a quarter - and communities and people (society) could have carried on.
You see this is not a swipe at the corporate elite - it is their swipe at us. The government neither has the vision nor the guts to do what's right. This will be another Williams' legacy.
Beverly Evans - Chief Financial Officer - of FPI said this of the company's over 6 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTERLY PROFIT:
"Profitability has improved through the execution of our strategy to eliminate low-margin products from our portfolio"
FPI's profits are up 3 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS from the same quarter last year.
Understand - that this news - while great for shareholders - is a reflection of human suffering in Newfoundland and Labrador. Communities in peril - fighting for their existence - people packing up and moving away before they lose everything.
When Beverly talks about eliminating low margin products - to you and me those products - in reality are people and communities. And all that to ensure that when Ches Penney - Nova Scotia and Iceland Corporates take over the company - they will not be the villains.
How do they all sleep at night? It's takes a special breed to fill your own arse pockets while you watch families and communities suffer. That is the mark of a "successful" business person - not necessarily a "good" one.
This is where the government of Newfoundland and Labrador had some control - had the ability to operate with a 2 million dollar profit instead of a 6 million dollar one. The shareholders should have been and should be the people of the Province - until some corporate entity would have accepted a couple of million a quarter - and communities and people (society) could have carried on.
You see this is not a swipe at the corporate elite - it is their swipe at us. The government neither has the vision nor the guts to do what's right. This will be another Williams' legacy.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Newfoundland and Labrador is one big Flea Market
As Danny babysits the oil and gas sector - he gives away our wind - and the lucrative FPI fisheries marketing arm.
It should be unacceptable to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to have the Italian government have partial ownership of a wind farm while we ask for no equity involvement. This is the beginning of a very bad policy. You see we have to be in on the front end - as Norsk Hydro has done with oil and gas. We are backpedaling now trying to get in on the offshore action - while we stupidly go forward with new wind development with no equity and no energy plan.
It seems to me that SNC Lavelin - currently holding training programs in Labrador related to the Lower Churchill development - knows more about what the Premier plans for that project that we do.
While we are at it - what happened to the draft royalty regime on gas - distributed to the oil companies but not the people of the Province. The media has yet to deal with that issue.
The there is the NAFO fiasco - where major changes are being proposed which if adopted could further harm our control of the fishery. We had to be informed of those changes by a retired civil servant from Ontario - while our millions of dollars of expertise didn't make a peep. As for the Fisheries Minister or Leader of the Opposition - not a speck of concern - nothing. They are - after all - on a 5 month campaign trail to get YOUR VOTE.
What of FPI? Well the historically successful marketing arm of the company is about to be sold to a Nova Scotian company with the Icelanders coming in on the rest. Nothing - no leadership here either. Newfoundland and Labrador is like a giant flea market - with everybody coming around to take a look and buy bits and pieces of us. Did you ever hear one of those stories where somebody buys something from a flea market for a buck - only to find out later from an appraiser that the item is valued in the thousands of dollars. This is an indication that the original owner of the goods had no clue of the value of some items. Well Danny you are turning out to be the vendor of our giant flea market while Lorraine Michael and Gerry Reid are like nosy neighbours - watching what you do - but doing nothing themselves.
When Danny Williams is the best of our lot - and he supports the export of reliable - cost competitive - renewable hydro - from Labrador - we are in a sorry state. When he continues to present himself as the defender of Newfoundland and Labrador - but can offer no more of a solution than to prevent the election of Conservatives in a federal election - we are in a sorry state - When our Premier therefore assists career politicians Judy Foote and Oliver Langdon to bail from the provincial fisheries fiasco and head on up to Ottawa for a second pension - we are in a sorry state.
Then we have the backroom of Ross Reid - Doug House - and Dean MacDonald influencing policy privately - while our role is simply to follow Danny with pom-poms. The Premier is roaming around Newfoundland and Labrador in his hamper-pamper-camper with his flunkies in Cabinet and Caucus following him in the US BUS - enjoying his ability to trounce on Opposition by distributing our own money like Santa Claus. Should we have pity - no - the Liberals have done the same when in office - I think Tobin used helicopters. What we should demand is better candidates - we should be rejecting this lot outright.
What we should realize is that our excitement over getting any provincial money is just a reflection of how poor the policies of these politicians have left us. In other words - keep the people desperate and they will be joyful over crumbs.
Meanwhile not one of these lot have been able to stop our young educated people and their families from leaving. Not one of them is able to deal with the collapse of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Not one of them is showing any vision - when there is a fire sale on hydro-electric power. Not one of them has any guts as Danny let's Stephen away with broken promises costing us billions - when Danny lets Stephen walk away from fallow field legislation - while the Liberals idea is reduced to say nothing about FPI and capitulate to the oil companies. And where is the NDP? Good question.
It should be unacceptable to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to have the Italian government have partial ownership of a wind farm while we ask for no equity involvement. This is the beginning of a very bad policy. You see we have to be in on the front end - as Norsk Hydro has done with oil and gas. We are backpedaling now trying to get in on the offshore action - while we stupidly go forward with new wind development with no equity and no energy plan.
It seems to me that SNC Lavelin - currently holding training programs in Labrador related to the Lower Churchill development - knows more about what the Premier plans for that project that we do.
While we are at it - what happened to the draft royalty regime on gas - distributed to the oil companies but not the people of the Province. The media has yet to deal with that issue.
The there is the NAFO fiasco - where major changes are being proposed which if adopted could further harm our control of the fishery. We had to be informed of those changes by a retired civil servant from Ontario - while our millions of dollars of expertise didn't make a peep. As for the Fisheries Minister or Leader of the Opposition - not a speck of concern - nothing. They are - after all - on a 5 month campaign trail to get YOUR VOTE.
What of FPI? Well the historically successful marketing arm of the company is about to be sold to a Nova Scotian company with the Icelanders coming in on the rest. Nothing - no leadership here either. Newfoundland and Labrador is like a giant flea market - with everybody coming around to take a look and buy bits and pieces of us. Did you ever hear one of those stories where somebody buys something from a flea market for a buck - only to find out later from an appraiser that the item is valued in the thousands of dollars. This is an indication that the original owner of the goods had no clue of the value of some items. Well Danny you are turning out to be the vendor of our giant flea market while Lorraine Michael and Gerry Reid are like nosy neighbours - watching what you do - but doing nothing themselves.
When Danny Williams is the best of our lot - and he supports the export of reliable - cost competitive - renewable hydro - from Labrador - we are in a sorry state. When he continues to present himself as the defender of Newfoundland and Labrador - but can offer no more of a solution than to prevent the election of Conservatives in a federal election - we are in a sorry state - When our Premier therefore assists career politicians Judy Foote and Oliver Langdon to bail from the provincial fisheries fiasco and head on up to Ottawa for a second pension - we are in a sorry state.
Then we have the backroom of Ross Reid - Doug House - and Dean MacDonald influencing policy privately - while our role is simply to follow Danny with pom-poms. The Premier is roaming around Newfoundland and Labrador in his hamper-pamper-camper with his flunkies in Cabinet and Caucus following him in the US BUS - enjoying his ability to trounce on Opposition by distributing our own money like Santa Claus. Should we have pity - no - the Liberals have done the same when in office - I think Tobin used helicopters. What we should demand is better candidates - we should be rejecting this lot outright.
What we should realize is that our excitement over getting any provincial money is just a reflection of how poor the policies of these politicians have left us. In other words - keep the people desperate and they will be joyful over crumbs.
Meanwhile not one of these lot have been able to stop our young educated people and their families from leaving. Not one of them is able to deal with the collapse of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Not one of them is showing any vision - when there is a fire sale on hydro-electric power. Not one of them has any guts as Danny let's Stephen away with broken promises costing us billions - when Danny lets Stephen walk away from fallow field legislation - while the Liberals idea is reduced to say nothing about FPI and capitulate to the oil companies. And where is the NDP? Good question.
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