Recently
the Liberal Opposition announced a number of rules which, they believe, should
govern the structure of the House of Assembly debate on Muskrat Falls.
I had some
difficulty with the logic of a few of the Liberals’ Rules. The idea of examining witnesses in the
morning with debate in the afternoon is questionable (why not get all the
information, then engage in debate). The
Libs also want to help construct the resolution (why would you even want to, unless
you planned to support the resolution).
I have a few other issues but they are minor. None of them diminish the fundamental
importance of a ‘structured’ examination
of witnesses before the debate begins.
must now put forward its own proposal.
Both
Parties also have to decide how far to push the Government to accept their
debate ideas or at least get them to negotiate.
And they will need to push hard.
has already commented that there will be no examination of witnesses; that the Vale
Inco Debate is the “template” for the Muskrat Falls Debate. Some template!
The
Opposition would be silly if they let her set the rules for the Debate in the
House of Assembly as she has for public consideration of the issue.
Indeed, someone
needs to tell the Premier that that the Vale Inco template is a falsity; Muskrat
Falls has no parallels; it is the largest publicly funded construction project
in this Province’s history, no consortium of equity investors is lined up to
take on the risk, as for Hibernia; only the
people of the Province will pay for the project.
fact that MHAs are not ready to debate important project details.
If the
Opposition Parties go into the House of Assembly, without first examining
witnesses, they risk becoming a party, with the Government, to the same
strategy of obfuscation that has been carried on from the get go.
they push the Government to understand that they mean business? Can they refuse to participate in the Muskrat
Debate?
Muskrat is not like having
an opinion on Bill 29; it is not a matter of democratic principle, it is about
an inherently risky construction project of questionable need; it is about simple
issues like the cost being disproportionate to our size and financial ability
and very complex issues including the 1200 pages of legal agreements with Emera
(so far), Nalcor’s poor ‘demand’ models
and a Water Management Agreement in which Hydro Quebec is absent as a signatory;
it about less risky alternatives and a host of other issues.
Falls has the potential to destroy this Government; likely, it will be the
issue that ‘makes’ one of the Opposition Parties.
Certainly,
it will determine which Opposition Party has used its energy and creativity best
to get the Government to shift from its present course. If either Party wimps out and defers to the
Government’s agenda, that Party will also suffer, when the costs of Muskrat
Falls are tallied up.
Opposition parties, the NDP has the second strongest support in the St. John’s area;
the populous region closet to the Legislature.
Can they impress their followers and indeed the whole Province with a
series of demonstrations, as the House opens, to show the depth of their
support and to confirm the wariness of a concerned public?
Do the
Liberals have anyone better to trot out than Dean MacDonald, the guy who,
ostensibly, has been assigned the job of revitalizing the Liberal Party? Will
Dwight Ball show the public who is boss and take charge? Does he have what it takes to stare down
Kathy Dunderdale and win an ‘intelligent and informed’ debate?
Liberals and the NDP should be keeping the lights on late at Confederation
Building as they plan a strategy to deal with the Tories. Just because Dunderdale is about to ruin the
P.C. Party for an entire generation doesn’t mean the spoils will be evenly
shared by the other two parties.
The next
few weeks will show what the two Opposition parties are made of.
busses off loading throngs of anti-Muskrat supporters just as the House opens? Which Party has organized them? I wonder.