Postville positings

Some interesting remarks emerged today from Danny Williams during his campaign whistle-stop in Postville (CBC .ram file), in response to remarks from Mr. Dougie Jacque about the uranium exploration currently in full swing – again – in northern Labrador:

One thing that I’ve stood for since we’ve been in government, first of all, no more giveaways, we’re not going to allow major companies to come in here, and give it all to them, let them take all the money out, and leave nothing for the people. So hopefully if we get development done properly, there’ll be enough infrastructure, you know, buildings like this wonderful school that you got here, and other things, and roads will get done hopefully, you know your power situation will be even improved, so they leave a lot of good things behind them, and they’ll provide, hopefully, an opportunity for people to get employment, and the royalties that we get, we’ll be able to push back in.

Yip, interesting.

“We” aren’t “going to allow major companies” to “take all the money out”.

No, according to Our Dear Energy plan, that’s the exclusive right of the provincial government. Badump-chink!

But seriously, what difference does it make to the resource-producing region in question if the money-taker is a major company, or a major crown corporation, that takes everybody’s money and never give it back?

Interesting, because once again Our Dear Premier makes abundant use of the passive voice. “If we get development done properly… roads will get done… your power situation will be improved.”

Who will do the doing and improving, Danny? Who is the agent of those passive verbs?

And interesting, because O.D.P. says that “the royalties that we get, we’ll be able to push back in”.

It’s a little vague, but let’s assume – a journalist, if any were on the chase plane, should have asked – that he means the uranium royalties, and that they’d be “pushed back in” to northern Labrador.

This would mark a departure for Our Dear Government. In February 2005, Liberal MHA Yvonne Jones mooted doing much the same thing for all of Labrador with respect to hydro revenues:

Jones has written the Premier to impress upon him the importance of reinvesting resource revenues generated in Labrador to facilitate economic growth in this area of the province. “One example of the revenue which is generated from resources in Labrador is that gained from the Upper Churchill. On March 16, 2004, the Premier and Minister Ed Byrne announced an agreement on a new five-year contract for the resale of the 130 MW recall block of power that will realize $230 million to provincial revenues over its term. The approximately $45 million annually generated from this source would provide a good basis for the establishment of a Labrador Development Fund.”
…

“The benefits of the revenues from Churchill Falls and the mining industry have gone to other areas of the province and now, with the signing of the new revenue sharing agreement based on the Atlantic Accord, it is time to consider establishing a development fund which would see these revenues remain in Labrador to help develop the full potential of Labrador.”

The idea was immediately shot down by Our Then-Dear Natural Resources Minister, who told NTV on February 17:

Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne said the government would do no such thing. He said while the province is committed to improving infrastructure in Labrador, it will not set up special funds earmarked for any part of the province, whether it be Labrador, the Burin pensinsula or any other region.

Byrne was also quoted by the CBC, the previous day:

“I don’t want to get into a situation, and I don’t think government wants to get into a situation – and Ms. Jones, when she was a member of a provincial cabinet not so long ago, didn’t want to get herself into a situation – where they earmark funds for particular places in the province,” says Byrne.

Is Danny making things up as he goes along, again?