Money for nothing

In September 2003, the Liberal provincial government provided poor, deprive Lewisporte with $150,000 in election-year compensation money for losing the Sir Robert Bond Labrador ferry service.

Lewisporte didn't want no stinkin' HappyMoney™. Lewisporte wanted the Bond back. And in April 2004, the new Tory transport minister, who happens to have Lewisporte as his district, was glad to oblige, despite the conclusions of a $150,000 consultant's study to the contrary. ($150,000 is a popular figure.

Lewisporte not only had butter, it had the money to buy the butter with. Everyone was happy!

Except the south coast of Labrador, and a few forward-looking souls on the Northern Peninsula. Which is why, in June 2004, the MHA for southern Labrador cried fowl. If Lewisporte got HappyMoney™ for losing the Bond, so should Cartwright. But no HappyMoney™ was forthcoming, and no HappyMoney™ ever forthcame.

Flick ahead to 2004. The Placentia area gets "compensation" for the "expectations" which were dashed when Voisey's Bay Nickel chose to relocate its planned smelter from Argentia to Long Harbour, a whopping 38km drive away.

About the same distance as from North West River to Goose Bay, in fact.

And now, returning to Lewisporte, SuperMinister Tom Rideout is again stepping in, ensuring that the area's hurt is well-assuaged — "compensated", maybe? — for the loss of 74 private sector jobs.

Government to Work With Lewisporte: Rideout
February 28, 2007

Deputy Premier Tom Rideout says government will be working with the Lewisporte town council and others to identify new business opportunities. The region is still reeling from the announcement that the operations of Lewisporte Wholesalers are moving to St. John's, throwing dozens of people out of work. Rideout says one of the items on the agenda is to find out what Loblaws intends to do with its facility in Lewisporte. He wants to know whether the company plans to abandon the facility, sell it, or turn it over to another operator if one could be found. Rideout says the news is painful, but he believes the region will survive.

Compensation doesn't usually exist in a vacuum. Compensation is generally given for something, and, furthermore, generally by the someone who was responsible for the withholding or the withdrawal of the thing that is being compensated for.

There are many, many, many other communities in the province which would like to have it as rough as Argentia or Lewisporte have it these days.