On timing, appropriate

Following the — insert overdramatic voice-echo effect here — Council of the Federation! meetings in Quebec City this past week, Danny Williams used a meeting of provincial and territorial premier to, yet again, fed-bash. As the nefarious Quebec-based newspapers report:

The premier also raised the issue of increasing ferry rates for Marine Atlantic, and again called on the federal government to take action.

He said the high cost of crossing the Cabot Strait is damaging the province's economic competitiveness.

Never mind, of course, that nautical mile for nautical mile, the Marine Atlantic ferries are among the cheapest in Canada. Given that even Our Dear Energy Plan assumes that the cost of oil will remain high, and grow higher, for decades to come, the cost of crossing the Cabot Strait is not likely to fall back any time soon.

But you know what is a cheap way, at least in absolute terms, of getting to and from Newfoundland?

Crossing the Strait of Belle Isle. That's what.

However, opening up the Straits route as an alternative to the Cabot Strait would mean that Danny would have to do a couple of things that, so far, he seems to be allergic to doing.

It would mean spending real, meaningful, and unconditional provincial dollars on improving highway transportation in Labrador.

And it would mean working with Quebec to extend and improve the highway system linking that province and Labrador.

So here's the thing. Back in 2005, when Williams Government finally, and in total defiance of its then still-fresh promise to release government reports within 30 days, released the pre-feasability study into a Strait of Belle Isle fixed link, Williams Government himself said:

"Nothing happens here [regarding a fixed link] unless the Quebec north shore [highway] gets done... In order to make this economically feasible and viable from any perspective, [highway] 138 has to be completed."

Right on. Indeed, even making the Strait of Belle Isle a viable alternative to the Cabot Strait by sea, let alone a fantabulous fixed link, would require the completion of Route 138. Which made his next remark all the more interesting:

He said he will speak to Quebec Premier Jean Charest "at the appropriate time."

What could possibly have been a more "appropriate time" than a meeting, of provincial premiers, hosted by Jean Charest, in Quebec, in Quebec City, a city that would benefit from the development of the North Shore route to Newfoundland and Labrador?

But, hey, fed-bashing is easy. Marine Atlantic-bashing, easier still. Any idiot can fed-bash. Any Idiot usually does.

Real leadership? That's pretty hard. More than three years after those tepid remarks, nearly five years after assuming power, the Premier has yet to show any real leadership on this front.

Instead, any real move to improve the economic competitiveness of "the province" — since when is Labrador dependent on the Gulf ferry? — is once again brushed aside. There are few things that could more improve the competitive position of the province — all of it — than opening up another surface route to both Labrador and Newfoundland.

We Know What He's Fighting For.

All these years later, though, you have to ask: what is he working for?