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Des Sullivan

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Uncle Gnarley is hosted by Des Sullivan, of St. John's. He is a businessman engaged over three decades in real estate management and development companies and in retail. He is currently a Director of Dorset Investments Limited and Donovan Holdings Limited. During his early career he served as Executive Assistant to Premier's Frank D. Moores (1975-1979) and Brian Peckford (1979-1985). He also served as a Part-Time Board Member on the Canada-Newfoundland Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Uncle Gnarley appears on the masthead representing serious and unambiguous positions on NL politics and public policy. Uncle Gnarley is a fiscal conservative possessing distinctly liberal values and a non-partisan persusasion. Those values and opinions underlie this writer's views on NL's politics, economy and society. Uncle Gnarley publishes Monday mornings and more often when events warrant.
NL Wind Power

WIND AND THE ODOUR OF SCANDAL

Des Sullivan -
Government’s handling of World Energy GH2’s wind power project on the Port au Port Peninsula contains the elements of scandal. This is a public policy catastrophe, one to which critical and costly issues remain either poorly understood or unexplained.
NL politics

DID PADDICK LIKE THE PUBLIC LESS OR WORLD ENERGY MORE?

Des Sullivan -
The cavalier Premier Furey - “life is full of conflicts…” he told VOCM – did not push Paddick to resign. Instead, Paddick chose to resign - not from World Energy GH2, but from the Churchill River Committee.
NL politics

THE WIND/HYDROGEN PROJECT: WILL WE BE SUCKERS AGAIN?

Des Sullivan -
Nevertheless, Mr. Paddick, a friend and confident of the Premier, is now in an official capacity with the Government of NL and, therefore, is in a position of influence with both politicians and officials at the highest level.
NL politics

HYDRO CEO DEALING IN HALF-TRUTHS, LIKE NALCOR

Des Sullivan -
Rightfully, the public should worry that Ms. Williams lacks the experience to tackle issues that plague the Crown Corporation at a high level. Her Minister having failed to do so, she could also warn the Premier that his appointment of Brendan Paddock to the Churchill River Energy Analysis Team may cause the public to perceive a conflict of interest, considering Mr. Paddick's business interests are in alignment with a part of Hydro's mandate.
NL Life

RECOGNIZING ONE OF THE PROVINCE’S FINEST JUDGES

Des Sullivan -
The Courts are not a place that we casually think about until, having suffered loss or mistreatment, we go in search of justice. Perhaps, it is the hope that we may never need to, but others might, that sustains our regard of this institution’s high standards and want to recognize those who have made it stronger.
NL Public Policy

NL HYDRO THINKS ITS READY TO BUILD AGAIN

Des Sullivan -
Williams’ public policy and private sector experience is limited; her former employer, Newfoundland Power, is a “regulated” entity. As such, it is not exposed to competition. When profit is effectively “awarded” by the PUB, “risk” is not a word that gets much exercise. Construction outcomes especially suffer within the paradigm of OPM (other people’s money).  
NL politics

LITTLE KNOWN CHURCHILL FALLS DEAL GIVES QUEBEC HUGE POWERS AFTER 2041

Des Sullivan -
Premier Furey’s recent formation of an “Expert Panel" on Churchill Falls 2041 leads people to think that there are no impediments after the Contract expires. He didn't tell you what happened in 1999 to alter the future.
NL offshore oil

HOW FEDS PLAN TO KILL NL OFFSHORE OIL INDUSTRY

Des Sullivan -
NL can now see for themselves the strategy that the Feds plan to employ to kill the offshore oil industry in the province.
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Recent Posts

REMEMBERING BILL MARSHALL

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Bill left public life shortly after the signing of the Atlantic Accord and became a member of the Court of Appeal until his retirement in 2003. During his time on the court he was involved in a number of successful appeals which overturned wrongful convictions, for which he was recognized by Innocence Canada. Bill had a special place in his heart for the underdog.

Churchill Falls Explainer (Coles Notes version)

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If CFLCo is required to maximize its profit, then CFLCo should sell its electricity to the highest bidder(s) on the most advantageous terms available.

END OF THE UPPER CHURCHILL POWER CONTRACT: IMPROVING OUR BARGAINING POWER

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This is the most important set of negotiations we have engaged in since the Atlantic Accord and Hibernia. Despite being a small jurisdiction we proved to be smart and nimble enough to negotiate good deals on both. They have stood the test of time and have resulted in billions of dollars in royalties and created an industry which represents over a quarter of our economy. Will we prove to be smart and nimble enough to do the same with the Upper Churchill?

AN ETHICAL WALL FOR AND A TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH PREMIER FUREY

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I've been wondering if the whole "ethical wall" business has prevented the Premier of our province from acting where he might and should act?

TEN YEARS AFTER MUSKRAT FALLS SANCTION – We will have to think abandonment of the Labrador Island Link

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Put simply, whether Muskrat Falls come online or not, it cannot be relied upon. Without admitting their gross negligence at the start, Hydro is essentially saying that that we should try to salvage Muskrat Falls at an undefined cost and for for however short the duration it might operate.

THE PROOF MUSKRAT FALLS IS NOVA SCOTIA’S PROJECT

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The substance of Hydro’s mission is to satisfy the contracts with Emera to get large amounts of power flowing into Nova Scotia for the betterment of that province and its ratepayers.  The Island could easily live without the Muskrat Fals project and in fact, other than for the onerous Emera contracts, NL ratepayers would be best off if it was abandoned and left to rust.

FIRST YEAR OF OFFICIAL ENERGY DELIVERY NOT QUITE WHAT EMERA BARGAINED FOR

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PlanetNL52: Happy Anniversary Emera on 1 Year of Official Energy Delivery Not Quite What Emera Bargained For Despite all the bad news related to Labrador Island...

GROUP SEEKS PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR CABOT MARTIN RESEARCH AWARD

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Cabot Martin’s sudden passing, in September, has stirred his friends, colleagues, and others familiar with his work, to honor him and encourage continued work in applied research and public policy development.

GILBERT BENNETT AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF CRONYISM

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$1 million is not bad farewell for a fellow whose work performance represents one of the principal reasons for a twenty million dollar Public Inquiry, and who failed so badly in his job so badly that NL Hydro is still trying to define the mess that he (and others) has left behind.
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