What they said (III)

Still more CBC comments made around the time of Our Dear Expropriation. CatherineF is particularly good for a laugh:

loudpiper wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 8:04 AM ET
Williams is no dictator however, there may soon come a day where everyone regrets his actions.

East End St. John's wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 8:12 AM ET
While I have no problem with the Government moving to ensure that the province maintains control of the timber and water rights, I think the Premier and company have best step carefully when it comes the to power plants, dams, and other physical assets. The concept of Fair Market Value has been around for ages so the way to avoid a costly and lenghtly legal battle is to have serious negoiations about the value of these assets with the company and pay them. Remember what happened when former Pemier Wells cancelled a lease the province had to rent space in the Muarry Premises? After a lengthly court battle the province have to pay the landlord millions.

KnowingOne wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 8:27 AM ET
Someone will end up eating crow before this is settled - and it won't be Danny Williams or the NL government! This wasn't a snap decision - you can bet your last dollar that this move was fully vetted from a legal perspective long before the government took action.

I agree with a previous poster - viva la revolution! The times they are a'changin!

S.Penney wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 9:14 AM ET
Make sure Abitibi is responsible for all legal bills. When they really think about that, I don't think they'll proceed.

Al in Calgary wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 9:44 AM ET
Danny seems to think the Law does not apply to him.

He is about to get his sorry ass kicked in court.

Tou can't behave like Hugo Chavez in Venezuala and get a way with it in Canada.

Danny is not as smart as he thinks he is

David James wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 10:42 AM ET
Williams and his groupies have reduced NL to a Dark Age village with this lynch mob tactic. Yep, loud and clear, good ol' Danny is saying to companies closing within Canada under financial duress: "if you leave we'll do everything we can to harass you and destroy any vestige of you having been here". With torches ablaze why not ride through town and burn down the mill manager's house for added effect? As productive as ripping up wedding pictures after a divorce isn't it? You're a real genius Danny Boy.

SecoundThought wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 11:09 AM ET
There is a common belief in the business world that if you start a lawsuit there will be a settlement because of a fear of uneccessary costs or unpredicatable court judgments.

The Premier has already won Dave. He has the backing of virtually every person in NL as well as the country. With a mandate like this he will stand his ground.

The days of imperialism are over in Newfoundland. Long live the Republic of Newfoundland and Labrador.

dis place wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 6:18 PM ETOK Danny - well done? on the quick passage of the Expropriation Bill. I think time will tell, however, on exactly what benefit comes to the Province as a result. For example, how much will we have to pay for the Star Lake facilities. Won't be cheap, and pay we will, you can count on it.

Is there a plan for use of the timber rights? How will they be used and what will the province get in return? Is there a plan for any of the assets?

Then there are the lawsuites from Abitibi-Price - they will come - for sure.

I guess these questions will be answered in time .... but ??

CatherineF wrote:Posted 2008/12/18 at 11:36 PM ETTo the posters from away, as you obviously have no understanding of what it means to be born and brought up in a an environment where everyone shares the same culture, language, traditions and music, that is the same today as it was 400 years
We are a very large island separated from the world by the great North Atlantic and the Gulf.

Newfoundlanders delighted in our own surroundings, always welcoming and generous to others. Strangers always welcomed in our homes, to share a meal, spend the night if need be. We were all hard workers, took whatever jobs available. We looked out and cared deeply for each other. Shared what we had.

There's no mystery here why we support Danny Williams in this situation as you could never understand what this province and people have gone through with big corporations over our history.

We have been used, abused, and ripped off, and, we say never again!

Let me make this clear. All natural resources are the property of Newfoundland. The original owners of the paper mill in Grand Falls signed a lease in the early 1900's with the prime minister of our then country which allowed the owners to use our natural resources as long as the mill remained in Grand Falls.

That was 100 years ago. The lease ceases to be in effect as of March 2009, when the present owners close the mill for good, as stated in the original terms of the lease.

The government of Newfoundland did not take possession of the paper mill not it's assets inside the mill or around the grounds of the mill.

The only thing that reverted back to Newfoundland were the natural resources mentioned in the original lease. Water rights, wooded rights, hydroelectric rights. period.