Monopoly

Another gem, Live from Crazy, from ODP's Monday scrum/screed against Hydro-Quebec, responding to a reporter's question:

Q: What's the end-game here in terms of Quebec, what's the agenda driving this process, do you think, in terms of their pursuit of New Brunswick's power assets as they relate to Lower Churchill?

WILLIAMS: The agenda is to have a complete monopoly over power —

Woah, dood. The former cable television tycoon — sorry, Judith MacDonald Guy Mulder, mogul — magnate — monopolist — now thinks monopolies are bad?

That alone is teh funneh. But no, the ex-cable monopolist won't let it end there:

— and I mean, y'know, as we move forward in this century in a clean, renewable electrical world and whether it happens to be wind energy, and we have, y'know, significant wind resources in Labrador, probably the best in North America, they're trying to be the gatekeeper.

Ah, yes.

Labrador wind.

The electrical generation technology that, just three years ago, he dismissed — probably with a pfffff — as not "proven". The March of Progress! What a time to be alive! Now, presumably, the technology is finally proven. He probably proved it Himself, such are His talents, such is His magnanimity.

That was either just before, or just after, he showed the door to one of the few private-sector firms that has ever expressed any interest in that significant wind resource, probably the best in North America, as they say.

And that was either just before, or just after, the Big Cheese at NALCO told a Labrador audience, "We" — he meant his crown corporation — "We own the wind."

Say whatever you want about Quebec's public hydro utility and government, but neither of them have the hubris to think they own an atmospheric phenomenon.

Follow-up question, Mr. Premier: is monopolism and gate-keeping bad, in general, in principle — or just when it's someone other than Danny Williams who is allegedly engaged in it?