We'll do it ourselves with big grants from Ottawa

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its iron ore mines.

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its nickel mines.

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its fisheries.

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its sports fishing camps.

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its forestry.

Provincial government policy keeps Labrador from receiving the full benefit of its hydro-electric potential.

And Ed Byrne will be ratbuggered before he'll let Labrador receive full benefit of its wind, either. From a CP wire story today:

A private company and the business wing of the Labrador Inuit-Metis people have proposed an ambitious $2.5-billion plan to build the largest wind-driven power generation project in Canada.

Ventus Energy Ltd.of Toronto and Metis Energy Corp., a subsidiary of Metis Development Corp., announced yesterday they have formed Labrador Ventus Limited Partnership for the project, planned for the Labrador interior near Churchill Falls.

[...]

The Metis corporation, formed in 2004 by the Labrador Metis Nation to develop business opportunities, says it will provide up to $500,000 over the next year to develop the proposal.

[...]

However, Ed Byrne, the province's minister of natural resources, said it's premature to suggest the government or the Crown-owned utility will support the project.

Mr. Byrne said the Tory government is still contemplating whether it will have the Crown-owned power utility operate its own wind farms in Labrador.

"This is not a project we're supporting," he said. "Hydro met with them as a matter of courtesy and I met with them as matter of courtesy.

"We haven't ruled out doing projects like this ourselves."

Heaven forbid a Labrador resource should benefit Labrador first, instead of Ed Byrne's own district, but dang it, if Kilbride doesn't get a cut, why should Labrador?

If Ed Byrne can't have Labrador's wind power industry, nobody can?

Is there a wind shortage in Labrador? Is it nearly mined out?

This is starting to sound suspiciously like the provincial government's Labrador agriculture policy: if it hasn't gotten off the ground, don't let it; if it has, shut it down.