In a recent interview for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, Northern Miner Editor Vivian Danielson expressed an opinion concerning development of the Voisey’s Bay property by Inco.
I have no argument with most of her comments, but I do with her reference to interprovincial trade. Inco stated that this deposit is large enough to stand on its own and that it can support its own refinery. The people of Newfoundland have the right to enjoy the benefits of their resources. The greater the employment, the greater the benefits, and this will only be realized if all the processing is done in the province. Is this an unreasonable condition for government to impose? I think not, considering what has happened to our fisheries and our inability to develop the Lower Churchill because Ottawa has not enacted the necessary legislation.
Now we come to Voisey’s Bay, and we are expected to trust Inco to develop this resource in the best interests of Newfoundland. Give Inco that freedom and it will develop Voisey’s Bay in its own best interests (but such is the nature of business, and I do not blame Inco). To support your position on interprovincial free-trade is to ensure that all processing employment, wages, taxes and spinoff businesses will go to Ontario. Is this in the best interest of Newfoundland?
Your comment about the federal government’s share of tax revenue from any development at Voisey’s Bay is correct. Add this to clawbacks of federal transfer payments and we get hit from all sides: we lose employment, personal income tax paid by these employees and spinoff businesses, and have our transfer payments reduced by whatever royalties we receive. Is this how Newfoundland gets off the welfare roll? I don’t think so.
I hope this is a sign that the giveaway of Newfoundland and Labrador’s resources for a few short-term construction jobs is finally over. If so, it won’t be long before we’re contributing to the rest of Canada.
It might not be in the best interests of Newfoundland, Canada or Canadians to have Inco control the nickel resources of Canada. The people of Newfoundland are the shareholders of the resource, and our interest must come before shareholders of Inco. We have voted for development in Newfoundland, not elsewhere.
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