Irvings LNG, Port, Nuclear Power, NB Power, Feds: Political Business as Usual, Buy "Canadian"!

A little background: Nuclear Power - New Brunswick Power -- "Proposed Irving power plant will affect N.B. decision about nuclear station by Chris Morris" CP, October 26/2004

Fredericton: A decision on whether to dump or fix up New Brunswick's aging nuclear power plant could be swayed by a private firm's plans to build a giant gas-fired generator, says the province's energy minister.

Irving Oil, one of New Brunswick's largest industries, announced this week that it plans to build a mega power plant in Saint John, N.B., using gas from a liquefied natural gas terminal. [. . . . ]

NEW PLANT REPORT 10/25/04 – 11/07/04 Latest Regulatory/Legislative ...

Irving Oil Makes Bid To Build Major Power Plant To Supply New Brunswick - A company owned by New Brunswick's wealthy Irving family is proposing to build its own major power plant that would help ease the province's looming energy crunch. Irving Oil, based in Saint John, N.B., made the surprise announcement, stating in a news release that the investment fits hand-in-glove with its plans to build a liquefied natural gas, or LNG, terminal near Saint John harbor. [. . . . ]

Irving Oil and Madrid-based petroleum giant Repsol YPF have partnered to build the LNG terminal at the Irving Canaport facility.

The news came from the media, not from NB MP Andy Scott, MP Paul Zed nor the normal federal government channels. Despicable.

There are murmurs that other countries are looking to buy in. US? India? China?

Feds back out of Lepreau -- Province feels misled and betrayed Richard Roik, Telegraph-Journal (an Irving newspaper), July 14, 05

After months of raised hopes and pre-election posturing, the federal government is bailing out of a deal to help New Brunswick with the $1.4-billion refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant.

. . . the potentially costly precedent . . .

. . . an area of provincial jurisdiction."

[. . . . ] encouraging when their minority government was on the ropes this spring.

[. . . . ] But Mr. Scott defended his government's decision. He said the immediate problem was the three nuclear reactors in Ontario and another in Quebec . . . .

[. . . . ] Saint John MP Paul Zed . . . . now up to the province and the private sector to put up the estimated $1.4 billion needed for the project.

[. . . . ] And we quote [. . . . ]

I think what we've got to do is to look at what is the right option and then move with it.
PAUL MARTIN
May 3

We're on full steam ahead. I feel good about it.
Andy Scott
May 17

I have everyconfidence we will come up with some positive signal for solving this file.
PAUL ZED
April 19

The feds needed votes then. The Irvings got what they wanted . . . with a little help from politicians being blackmailed over loss of jobs, IMHO. There are rumours of an NB Power sale--of exactly what, I am not sure--to some company from abroad. Political business as usual in the hinterland.

None of this would apply to Bombardier. . . nor CSL's need for taxpayer dollars, of course.



Think of foreign aid to China, Canadians' tax dollars; The Librano$ gave $50-M to China in Aid Now the Chinese have more money left to buy Canadian assets and to bid on US ones like Unocal.

Lately, at the G-8, Canada promised Palestinian terrorists, terrorist financiers, jihadis and assorted enablers and dissemblers $3-BILLION Canadian taxpayers' dollars -- BUT THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CANNOT HELP REFURBISH POINT LEPREAU IN NB.

When Lepreau was proposed and built, the federal government was eager to promote it because it might help AECL sell more Candus abroad. Chinese scientists and others were brought in to learn. They learned.

Perhaps it is time to help our own? Needless to say, the Irving's Daily Gleaner published an editorial that supported the federal Liberal government's decision not to help in the refurbishment.

The fact that the main beneficiary of this will be the Irvings had nothing to do with this stance.

The taxpayers of NB paid for LNG port facilities to be developed for the import of orimulsion from Venezuela, the $200-MILLION contract that wasn't signed . . . and no heads rolled over that! As a consequence of the lack of a "signed" contract, the port facilities are of no use for NB Power, but the port would just happen to be useful to the Irvings for their LNG terminal.

No connection there. Nothing for the MSM to investigate. Move on.

The Irvings hold every government to ransom with its "we'll take the jobs and leave if we don't get what we want" approach, so governments give . . . . whatever the Irvings want. What help was the Irving son-in-law and Liberal MP Paul Zed in getting federal refurbishment money and support? No conflict of interest there when Irving money is involved. The Irving interests support the federal Liberals because, one can assume, they do not want Lepreau refurbished. The Irvings will make money from LNG.

St. John city council, with too little public input--at least that it paid attention to--issued a lightning fast grant of taxpayer money to the Irvings in the form of a tax break for their LNG terminal -- a $100-million tax gift. This tax gift to one rich family means that small and other businesses, along with the rest of the great unwashed poor must pick up the tax $$$ slack. Does that seem right or fair?

Why should those who already have money be able to sway the St. John city council for tax breaks that other businesses would have no hope of achieving? It sounds as though there might be a case for a lawsuit against the city fathers to me. Is it a breach of fiduciary duty to the taxpayers who elected the council that they are favouring one wealthy family and its vast business interests over others?



Protecting the Queen Charlotte Basin from Irreversible and Catastrophic Spills -- Maintaining the B.C. Offshore Oil and Crude Oil Tanker Moratorium




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China, Falun Gong, Business

China's vast Canadian and Australian espionage revealed by defectors -- Trackback


Falun Gong member in Canada

Related:

An uproar in Canada over the latest revelations led to a law being passed allowing the government to block China from buying stakes in national security-critical industries.

If this is the case, it has not been highly publicized. But then, any business or "investor" immigrants from China who want to buy Canadian security-critical industries have already been allowed to come into Canada--even those with suspect ties to criminal gangs or triads--and have Canadian citizenship by now. Case closed. No problems; they're Canadian!!!

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