From Thursday’s editorial in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, the newspaper’s editorial crew noted the blow-up at Randy Simms and then penned this:
What’s more, the tentative deal with the consortium of oil companies represents yet another vindication for Mr. Williams’ brand of hardball.
…
By comparison, the Hibernia South expansion is the mother of all sweet deals. Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Petro-Canada have ceded a 10 per cent stake to the province for $30 million. The tentative deal also gives the province a 30 per cent royalty rate, as well as a "super royalty" rate that could climb to 50 per cent on some aspects of the project.
Hmmm.
Guess the confusing government news release served to confuse even the Chronicle-Herald into believing that the bulk of the Hibernia South royalty regime wasn’t actually negotiated in 1990 without that magical “brand of hardball.”
Odd.
Given that the editorialist did note that the Hibernia project hit payout – and hence the royalty regime was running at 30% - they could have actually checked the royalty regime online and discovered something really interesting.
Oh well.
It’s not like anyone writing anything for the Herald would ever get a phone call from a certain Premier a little miffed over something he saw in that newspaper.
-srbp-