The chickens are, at long last, coming home to roost! The Campbell Government’s Energy Policy, now Christy Clark’s, is being seen for what it is – an egregiously ideological giveaway to large corporations. Even that Liberal suck, the Vancouver Province calls the policy “folly”. Yes, after 8 years of silence, of indifference, the Province in one word describes a policy it has, by its silence condoned for nearly a decade – a policy they and the rest of the media could have likely stopped had they chosen to deal with it. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Sun, having a Fellow of the Fraser Institute, Fazil Milhar as editor of the Editorial Page, has indeed by its silence kept the spotlight off this massive giveaway of our province.
The evil consequences of BC’s current energy policy, drafted in large part by Alcan in its move way from smelting aluminum into a big-time energy producer, are many.
As official spokesman for The Common Sense Canadian, I’ve spoken throughout the province and found one constant obstacle: people find it difficult to believe that any sane government could come up with such a policy. They’re starting to realize that they’re right – no sane government would:
- Forbid BC Hydro from developing any new public power projects (Site C, exempted, is not a “new” project – it’s been on the books for decades)
- Give all development to private companies with secret sweetheart deals
- All but give them licenses to use our rivers (the original price for a private power water license was around $170)
- Force BC Hydro to buy this private power at almost 3 times what they pay for it or some 9-12 more than they can make it themselves, thus placing BC Hydro in a position that if they were in the private sector, they would be headed for bankruptcy.
That’s right folks – these private power projects can’t store much energy, meaning it must be used when it’s created. Because they can’t generate much power when their rivers are low, which they generally are except during the annual spring run-off – when we need their power the least – BC Hydro gets stuck with power it must use or sell at a huge loss.
One cannot blame people for not believing this. It is indeed incomprehensible. But it’s true.
It’s so hard to believe that the NDP in the ’09 election didn’t make this into the big issue of the campaign.
The worm has turned – not implying that the NDP are worms! – and the leading candidates for their leadership have clearly stated that there will be no more of this sweetheart cronyism and that the secret contracts must be opened up to the public’s scrutiny.
You will recall that during the Liberal Party’s leadership process this environment/energy issue wasn’t debated at all. It was if it simply didn’t exist! Assuming that the NDP select either Mr. Farnworth or Mr. Horgan, this issue is automatically in the forefront of the debate and must be dealt with – as long as the NDP keeps its nerve.
On a related matter, John Cummins, leader of the Conservative Party, has long been an ardent foe of the Liberals’ Energy Policy and even if, which I don’t believe, the NDP were to lose their nerve, the Conservatives won’t. With no seats going into the race, and with Mr. Cummins’ reputation for fighting for what he believes in, the Liberals will finally be forced to face the music.
Finally, what will Mr. Campbell do now?
On the Liberal leader election night, Mr. Campbell was said to be in Washington, DC. This is not the time of year he normally takes a vacation there and it would be interesting to know what his itinerary was.
My guess is that some plumy directorships will be coming his way from grateful titans of industry.
http://ipolitics.ca/2011/02/25/softwood-key-to-b-c-premiers-last-u-s-trip/
Softwood key to B.C. premier’s last U.S. trip
Posted on Fri, Feb 25, 2011, 11:04 am by Canadian Press
Here is the reason he was in Washington, DC, along with Pat Bell – softwood lumber.
‘ … Campbell and Forests Minister Pat Bell are troubleshooting the latest softwood lumber dispute with the United States. …’
HOW WONDERFUL! “This is the best” What great news. I have forwarded many of your interesting & imformative posts to my friends. This news on the IPP’s is exciting and when forwarded will bring tears of joy to them, some of whom (as I did) worked for the Fortis BC Power Co. Mr. Mair my hat is off to YOU ALL for the possibility of bringing what could be the end to the dishonourable Campbell’s (NOT SO) Green Energy Plan. Where everything sits at this moment is all due to you folks there at the Common Sense Can. Group. If this G.E.P. goes under your pain staking/relentless drive using actual video footage and town hall meetings is what did it. Like you mentioned several times the main Media were so content to remain silent til just recently. NDP under C. James showed little opposition in my opinion I Emailed Ms.C. James a few time Re: the IPP’s but received no reply. To me there appeared to be so little opposition to the G.E.P. from the NDP I thought if they happened to get elected they may not change a thing. Looks like now and only after all you and your colleagues hard work are they willing to jump aboard. The citizens of BC have you people to thank.
Vancouver Real Estate = Drug Money
Enron and Author Anderson just changed names and moved north, Ledcor and Accenture.
I was told to Google: Harper delivers plan of, Global Governance for Canada. I totally believe, J. Ouderkirk, the 1% wants to govern the entire globe. Campbell and Harper have worked hand in hand, to accomplish Harper’s revolting agenda.
Campbell and Harper, have worked on: Expansion of Prosperity Mine. Dirty oil tankers from China, and the Enbridge pipeline. Which Campbell signed in favor of, before he left office. Drilling for gas and oil, off BC’s coast. Campbell’s theft and sale of our rivers, is an abomination, on the face of BC. Every creature depending on a certain river, will be disrupted. Wildlife are creatures of habit. When their world is turned upside down. They don’t know, there is a river 20 miles away, that is, if that river has escaped the same damage. What Campbell has done to this province, is damned near treason. He willfully destroyed BC, for his own greed and also, his friends greed as well.
The media, are a disgrace to their professions. We will remember that, when the BC Liberals are run out of office. Shame the hell, on them.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that people are not aware of the size and scope of these. This must include the media, surely they can’t dispute this….they can’t know or they have been duped just like us. These are true hydroelectric projects. The term “Run of River” is completely misleading and its use has to be curtailed. Large tunnels are bored into the bottom of alpine lakes so they can be drained by levels of 60 feet. Very long sections of rivers run dry between the dam and the powerhouses. Waterfalls are diverted. The Tyson Lake and Ramona Falls projects on the Sunshine Coast are prime expamples. In spite of serious environmental issues Tyson is allowed to run and the other projects have an Agreement to Purchase. These are not close to existing powerlines…clearcuts are made for new ones. See some good photos on “Northern Insights” blog. This is happening in pristine local inlets. Just as the approvals are issued the companies are sold to foreign investment firms. It is a game fixed for stockbrokers and carbon credit traders with inside Liberal connections. The NDP blew it, now they can fix it with someone like Horgan who won’t lose nerve.
Rafe,
What about wind power? It generates the bulk of its electricity over the winter, the same time that hydro generation is low. Or is it hte IPP aspect that you are against? As for IPPs generating electricity at 9-12 times the cost that BC Hydro can do it for…where do you get those numbers? I’d be interested to see them. Thanks.
I’ve been skeptical about run-of-the-river power projects for some time — and more than skeptical about the crony “capitalism” of the Campbell government. So, I’m ready to listen to these arguments. However, I have to ask you, when I read the following point:
“Forbid BC Hydro from developing any new public power projects…”
Wasn’t this is fact the policy of the 1991-2001 NDP government? I ask this seriously, not as some kind of a troll.
If Mr. Horgan is elected leader of the BC NDP, this issue will definitely become forefront. He as energy critic was the most vocal against this absurd Liberal “Run of River” IPP giveaway in the Legislature. He is also the Leadership candidate that would be best suited to win against a Christy Clarke BC Liberal party in the next election. He’s our best hope of stopping this awful environmentally destructive policy, as well as many others the BC Liberals have put in place over the last decade.
The entire “Liberal” legacy and the Harper
“Conservatives” (bed-fellows as they are) is
that both parties are third copies of the
American Neo Cons.
Disgusting.
There are a pile of corporate-friendly legislation,insider deals,as well as serious investigations into Gordo’s and his 300lb Gorilla’s actions, esp Forest Giveaways to multi- nats that should be on the agenda.
Corporate tax cuts are gospel to older folks with stocks or pensions even though total “dividend earnings” are
chump change compared to upper level bonuses.
Our Pols/ Corps. make Romanian, Kosovar and Moldovan
gangsters look Bush league. Pun or no.
Rafe, I have listened to you talk about this for years and as you said, people just couldn’t believe any Government would be that insidiously evil. It similar to what is happening in the States with the Republicans trying to use Emergency Measures to take over municipalities at their discretion, when ever they want, fire all the elected officials and appoint Corporations to run them. Who could believe these kinds of evil agendas could happen in the so called modern Western World!! I wonder if there was a secret meeting of the top 1% who came up with this idea and have directed this to be the new Conservative goal? And shame on the Province & other media for not covering this issue. They knew what was going on and tried to shame anyone who talked about it. Thank you Rafe for all your hard work on this subject. Maybe now some of those people I tried to talk to about this will change their minds about my sanity! They really didn’t believe me!!