Why not come clean on the Churchill Falls deal?

It’s hot. It’s muggy. It’s humid. Not the best time to write about something deathly boring. Vital perhaps, but boring. Boring and depressing.
I am referring to the deal the Liberal government is making with Hydro Quebec regarding the Churchill River. As the deal goes forward, I have been reading more and more about what is proposed. It’s not good.
All joking aside, I am not going to list all the things wrong with this deal. Lots of clever folks have done that. Bill Wells, former president of NL Hydro, for example, who was on the board of CFLCo for many years, has been very outspoken. He is no slouch; he knows what he’s talking about. He is not happy with what’s being proposed.
What he is saying about the “deal” is so boring most folks nod off quickly. But for a few of us, what he is saying is keeping us up at night.
The upshot is government is giving away the farm – again. (Details? Go read Des Sullivan’s Uncle Gnarly blog. Bill Wells and others can drown you in details.)
I leave the deets to the experts. I have a fundamental question. Why won’t the Liberal government just come clean? Why the hype? Why the ads? Why all the communications puffery?
The president of NL Hydro says repeatedly the MOU is the “best deal possible for Newfoundland and Labrador.” That doesn’t mean anything. What I think she means is Hydro Quebec is saying take it or leave it and we are taking it.
My question for government? Why not be square with the people you supposedly work for? Why not just tell the truth: We need the money.
Contrary to popular belief, we haven’t lost a copper on Churchill Falls. It’s just that we haven’t made the billions Quebec has. Muskrat Falls, on the other hand, has sunk us into spectacular debt. It was by all accounts a total and utter failure. Of our own doing. Now we find ourselves, a tiny province, owing a ridiculous amount of money, and our wealthy and populous next-door neighbour, who wants our power, is making us an offer we cannot refuse. We are squarely behind the eight ball.
We can’t refuse it because we need the money. Beggars, as my Mom would have said, can’t be choosers. Even a lousy deal like this is better than what we have now.
Hydro Quebec is going to loan us our own money now so we don’t go bankrupt. They will make it up on the back end of this sweet deal for them. What choice do we have? Fight, resist and cut off our noses to spite our faces? Again? Haven’t we had enough of that?
The lopsided contract ends in 2041. Why not wait until then? We can’t afford to.
There doesn’t seem to be any fight left in us. People seem… indifferent. Resigned.
The government has launched another slick cheery upbeat communications campaign to let us know what a great deal it is, how wonderful they are, how lucky we are to have them in charge, and how good everything is going to be. Are there still people out there who believe this?
There is some truth there. Things will be better, but mainly because (and I don’t want to tempt fate) things couldn’t get worse. It’s our resource, we own it, and we should be able to reap the maximum benefit from it. We never have and it now looks like we never will. Why? We are broke and we need the money offered, pittance it might be.
In politics these days we lack leadership. It has been replaced by communications – carefully crafted words and images created by faceless professionals who broadcast it to us on all media. Everyone has a script and are told to stick to it. And we pay for it.
How I would love to hear someone in power, either in government or in opposition, just come out and say it. It’s a crappy deal but we need the money.

Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com