Partisan posturing

On Friday, the Combined Councils of Labrador issued a press release critical of the substance and the process of Our Dear Energy Plan.

For the record, here is the release in its entirety (source):

Labrador Leaders Request further Consultation on Provincial Energy Plan

Saturday, 22 Sep 2007 8:47 pm ADT (-0300 GMT)
September 21, 2007

The Combined Councils of Labrador along with HVGB Mayor Leo Abbass, and Labrador City Mayor Graham Letto met in Happy Valley – Goose Bay today to discuss issues and concerns with the Provinces Energy Plan. In a unanimous voice all agreed that further consultation with the Combined Councils of Labrador, the Business Community and Labrador's Aboriginal Groups is required. There are many unanswered questions and concerns that must be addressed before support for the Energy Plan can be given.

Deputy Mayor Stanley Oliver, Combined Councils of Labrador President stated: "As President of the Combined Councils of Labrador I would like to extend to government the opportunity to sit, meet, and discuss the concerns of the Labrador Communities regarding the Energy Plan as it currently exists."

Mayor Jim Farrell, VP Labrador West – "I can see how residents of Coastal Labrador are concerned with the Energy Plan. Premier Williams in his speech while in Labrador City on September 18th, 2007 recognized that the Energy plan is short on detail and he understands the concerns of residents of Labrador and will be looking further into it."

Councillor Alton Rumbolt, VP Labrador Southeast – "As VP for Labrador Southeast I cannot support a plan that will see a transmission line bypass the Southeast Coast of Labrador and go directly to the Island. I would definitely like too see further consultation with the Combined Councils of Labrador."

Deputy Mayor Ernie McLean, VP Labrador Central – "The plan in its current form is unacceptable, and does not address the needs of Labrador Communities. This has always been and always will be my view. The need to get to the table is necessary."

Mayor Nath Moores, VP Labrador Straits – "As CCL VP for the Labrador Straits I cannot support the Energy Plan until such time that it addresses the energy needs of the north and south coast of Labrador either through the extension of power lines or the development of alternate energy sources at the same time or prior to the development of the Lower Churchill Project."

AngajukKâk Sarah Erickson, VP Labrador North – "The Energy Plan does not seem to have any long term benefits to the residents of the North Coast or Labrador as a whole, it has excluded any concerns or recommendations from the community consultations that were held prior to the development of the Plan. And until it is shown that there is anything in the Plan that will progressively improve electrical services and offer alternative sources within Labrador, as was discussed at the consultations, it is unacceptable."

Mayor Leo Abbass, Town of Happy Valley – Goose Bay – "The Energy Plan in its current form is unacceptable and can only be improved with further consultations with the people in Labrador."

Mayor Graham Letto, Town of Labrador City – "Labrador West has always maintained the view that in order to reach full potential we need extra wheeling capacity on transmission lines for recall power and any future power developments. It has also been our position that the power issue in Labrador can be addressed with 92A of the constitution. These and other issues were put forward by the Town of Labrador City during a consultation session that took place on January 16th, 2006. None of which were addressed in the current energy plan. For these reasons we can not support the energy plan in its current form"

Media Contact: Stanley Oliver, President, Combined Councils of Labrador

The fax machines and email inboxes had barely stopped spinning when Danny Williams started.

He accused the Combined Councils of partisan bias.

Stanley Oliver is a former staff member for former Liberal MHA and cabinet Minister Ernie McLean. Aha!, says Danny. Conspiracy!

Nice theory. Too bad it doesn't fit the facts.

Just take Jim Farrell. Mayor Farrell made no secret of his PC inclinations during last winter's Labrador West by-election. He hit the airwaves to support Jim Baker in the nomination, and, in the days following Randy Collins' resignation from the House, was even floated as a possible PC nomination contestant.

Jim Farrell is sufficiently on the ins with the provincial Tories that he was invited along on a 2006 provincial junket to Ottawa to seek the federal funding that Danny Williams wants to get in order to be able to "go it alone" on the Trans-Labrador Highway.

The other guests on that important mission? Graham Letto and Leo Abbass.

That would be the same Graham Letto who was the PC Danny Williams Team candidate in Labrador West in 2003. And the same Leo Abbass who is described by the Canadian Press as a "supporter of Williams", and by the CBC as a "Tory supporter".

The Combined Councils comes close to being all-partisan. In Dannystan, by Danny's own standards, that makes it non-partisan.

Which means it's not the Liberal supporters Danny Williams has to worry about in Labrador.

It's his own.