In Quebec, Jacques Parizeau has turned on the Parti Quebecois’ values charter. It made national news. In Newfoundland and Labrador last week, former Conservative finance minister John Collins took another swipe at Muskrat Falls in a letter to the editor of the Telegram. Not many likely read it and no
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The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Debt, Demand, and Delusions #nlpoli
The Conservatives running the province got together with their staff and key supporters this weekend to reaffirm their conviction that they alone ought to be running the province. Some people seem to think it’s remarkable that they stand together behind Kathy Dunderdale and her supposed wonderful charm, despite what the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: JM’s assessment of the UARB Decision #nlpoli
According to the commentator JM, the implementation of the Utility and Review Board conditional approval will mean that “Nova Scotia will receive 60% of the power, for what amounts to about 30% of the cost” of the Muskrat Falls project. Using information provided by Nalcor to the Public Utilities Board,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Another job and a business case #nlpoli
One Conservative Kathy gave Ross Reid a new job recently. Last January, your humble e-scribbler had another job in mind for Reid. Kathy came really close. Right floor. Wrong office. And then there’s the other Cathy who told us a few months ago that there were multiple, interlocking business cases
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Time to re-think dam costs #nlpoli #nspoli
They call it Site C. No, it isn’t a sequel to Jurassic Park or The Lost World. Site C is a 900 megawatt hydroelectric dam project in British Columbia that BC Hydro originally estimated would cost $6.0 billion. The provincial government shielded the project from scrutiny by the provincial utilities
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Nalcor’s Complaints to the Regie #nlpoli
Last week, the Quebec Superior Court dismissed a motion to hear an appeal from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro over decisions taken by the Quebec’s energy regulator in 2010. As NTV reported on Friday, “Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro asked for transmission access from Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie in January 2006. But Nalcor says
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Don’t tell the Newfoundlanders – Uncle Gnarley version #nlpoli
If you want some really sharp insight into the latest developments in the Muskrat Falls saga, check out the Thursday post at Uncle Gnarley titled “Don’t tell the Newfoundlanders”. Don’t stop when you get to the end. Read the comments. There are 10 more from different people who add even
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Relative Costs #nlpoli
Leave entirely to one side the spectacle of the guy who gets paid as the consumer advocate sitting there on the CBC flailing his arms around explaining Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro’s latest rate request. Tom Johnson sounded like a Hydro spokesperson as he went on about things called “puts” and
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Cabana Cases #nlpoli
For those who want to read them, here are two decisions related to Brad Cabana’s recent Muskrat Falls case. The first is the decision on his application to have the judge remove herself from the case: Cabana v. Newfoundland and Labrador, 2013 NLTD(G)36 [61] Accommodating the shortcomings of a self-represented
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Voids and Spatter #nlpoli
Watch too many crime shows and after a while a few of the ideas start to sing into your skull. Take blood spatter for example. In some kinds of violent death, lots of blood will fly around. The drops leave a distinctive spray pattern that can tell you lots about
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Yakabuski nails it… again. #nlpoli
Konrad Yakabuski warned in 2006 that Newfoundland and Labrador would probably get a huge financial shock trying to develop the Lower Churchill on its own. Now, the knowledgeable Globe and Mail correspondent is back again with the observation that revenge motive behind Muskrat Falls is not a very successful business
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: More Gil Bennett nuttiness #nlpoli
Gill Bennett is a smart guy. That’s why he is in charge of a project as large as Muskrat Falls. So when Gil Bennett says something that obviously is not true, it looks a lot more suspicious than when he dodges the important question and answers the question no one
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Look to Quebec courts, not prov gov for disclosure: Marshall #nlpoli
The people of Newfoundland and Labrador won;t get information on Muskrat falls water management from the provincial government or its energy corporation. They should wait to hear about things in Quebec courts, according to Tom Marshall, the Newfoundland and Labrador energy minister. Marshall was responding to a call by former
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Dunder-Dex offside with Emera #nlpoli #nspoli #cdnpoli
Premiers Kathy Dunderdale and Darrell Dexter may be telling everyone that the Maritime Link can;t be stopped but the private sector company involved in the project said in June there is no plan on what to do if the Nova Scotia utilities regulatory ultimate turns thumbs down on the Link
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The price of a dam #nlpoli
If crap was electricity, Nalcor would have the market cornered. Da byes running the Muskrat falls project are very good at spewing words but very bad at saying things that have meaning. Case in point; last fall in the controversy over the water management agreement, chief Muskrat Falls guy Bennett
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Like water for muskrats #nlpoli
Wednesday it was Kathy Dunderdale. Thursday, they sent Tom Marshall to chat with Bill Rowe on Open Line to do damage control in the wake of two huge setbacks for the Muskrat Falls project. Some people thing Tom is a good spokesperson because he talks in soft tones. But truth
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Bubbles and the Politics of Neener-Neener-Neener #nlpoli
Kathy Dunderdale called Bill Rowe on Wednesday to have one of her periodic core dumps on what is going on in the universe. When the talk turns to Muskrat Falls, there’s this truly bizarre moment. She told Rowe about having a chat at some provincial premiers’ gather with Dalton McGuinty
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Hydro-Quebec Statement of Claim #nlpoli
Via labradore, the statement of claim filed on behalf of Hydro-Quebec earlier this week. You can search it and read it in English. Those of you using Chrome will find the translation very simple. If the text here is too small, then click on the title – Hydro-Quebec Statement of
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: There’s desperate and then there’s Dunderdale #nlpoli
Take away the bluster: “The agenda won’t be set by Quebec in terms of how we do our work, how we develop our resources, and how we access markets.” Take away the old fairy tales : “I would characterize this as a desperate move by a company that’s been trying
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: UARB: “substantial uncertainty” about Nalcor supply of market-priced energy #nlpoli
You can read the full decision by the UARB (pdf) but here are some points to note. Right off the bat, you will see in the full report that Nova Scotia consumers had the benefit of reviews by several consultants all of which are included in the UARB report. This
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