ALDERON, DANNY AND BAD MANNERS

Small
societies suffer from a distinct disadvantage: smallness. Smallness permeates
our politics, our economy and all the institutions that constitute our societal
underpinnings.
Smallness is
not just about the absence of scale, it is about history and geography. Sometimes,
it’s about diminutive politicians and business leaders, too.  The diminutive effect is compounded by a short
history of democracy, compared, for example, with other small societies such as
Iceland, where political maturity has overcome their small scale.

From a
different perspective, smallness affords familiarity, the quaintness of distinguishing
one resident from another, as tall Jim and short Jim.  It also imposes a certain discipline; to be careful
about criticism and the giving of offense; perhaps, it is what prevents us from
publicly telling the Chairman of Alderon Iron Ore Corp. to mind his own
business.  
In small
societies, a few people, often just one or two, can influence, not just the politics,
but public policies, too.  Indeed, some often
achieve a sway over their government that is disproportionate to their wisdom and
ability.   Could one of those have been
Danny Williams?


Canada has
been a very good partner for this Province. 
It has not only removed much of the risk associated with smallness in a
highly competitive and sophisticated world economy, the larger country has been
a shield to our cyclical economic vulnerabilities and, through a variety of wealth
redistribution programs, has supported both the public and individual
welfare.    
Some might
disagree with this thesis and, indisputably, Canada could do some things better.
But any grievance, however legitimate, does not diminish our obligation to
behave as the mature and skilful people we believe ourselves to be.

We would do
well to pause on occasion and think that perhaps the country expects more of us,
too.  Likely, greater political maturity is
at the forefront of that expectation.
Our heft, as
a Province, should not be a reflection merely of the politicians we elect,
their colourfulness, feistiness or bad manners. 
NL should be respected for its public policies and institutions, for its
essential self-reliance, its governance record, its commitment to transparency,
and to financial prudence.

These are
the things that evoke confidence that our historical claims to the values of
decency and self-reliance are well grounded. 
In addition, rather than notions of what we have given up, our new
wealth should inspire a confidence in what we have become.
We need to be smarter about the messages we
send to the rest of Canada.    Some
examples come to mind:

First is the
former premier, Danny Williams’ triumphal return from Ottawa, in 2005, upon having
negotiated an improvement to the 1985 Atlantic Accord.  It should have been a defining moment of
nation building; instead it was akin to a jingoistic drumbeat that the ‘natives’
had outsmarted a weaker prey, in PM Paul Martin.  In place of the rallying cry, “we got It”, a
more prudent rant would have been: ‘we negotiated in good faith and achieved a
fair settlement’.  A later federal budget
substantially nullified ‘what we got’ as a result of changes to the resource
provisions of the equalization formula.
Then,
Premier Dunderdale, just a short while ago, in reply to an Opposition question,
stated that $8 billion would be an acceptable cost number for Muskrat Falls as
opposed to the original estimate of $6.2 billion.  Her almost knee jerk response suggested that $9
billion would have fine, too, which, in fact, is the new number, if you include
interest costs during construction!

These are
not the mature expressions of wisdom characteristic of a province ready to take
its rightful place in Confederation.

Real political
maturity ought to afford us the right of certain rebuke when those, who have no
business interfering in our affairs, take such liberties anyway.
That the Chairman
of Alderon could inject himself into the Muskrat Falls debate, which is
internal to this province, speaks either to his bad manners or bad coaching.  The Company wants the public of this province
to get on with developing Muskrat power. 
Its controlling shareholder is from China.  The Chinese would never countenance such
impudence; likely, they would have him ejected from their country. 

His
involvement might have been welcomed had he shown up with an offer of
assistance, rather than what seemed more like a demand for a free ride.  I might suggest to Alderon a ‘take or pay’
contract just like the one Nalcor intends to imposed on the NL taxpayer, or an
offer to share the risk of this project or even an offer to pay the same electrical
rate as NL ratepayers.  But there was
none of that.  Where was Premier Dunderdale
to provide the justifiable rebuke? 
Likely, she had not even recognized the insult!

I didn’t
hear any proclamation from the former premier either, to his new boss,
demanding that he “process the iron ore in this Province” nor any accompanying
ultimatum, “else, you can leave it in the ground”, as he once admonished Vale
Inco on Voisey’s Bay.  Perhaps he
believes that being on the Board of Directors of Alderon justifies such an
omission; that it is OK, if his new found interest is in conflict with the
public interest of this province; that his status offers protection for his Chairman,
from common courtesy.  It should not!     

Our
government has thrown caution to the winds, using our new found borrowing
capability to take on a foolish and risk laden venture in Muskrat Falls; one
that is disproportionate with the level of risk we should entertain and what is
prudent and responsible for a small population.
Little
wonder that the ghosts of John C. Doyle still come a callin’.