News – by definition – is supposed to be new.
New, as in not the same as something before.
The CBC news from yesterday on the latest jihad from Newfoundland was that the guy driving the jihad was in Calgary. But once you get beyond that, there is not a single thing which is new.
Not even the words, as CBC showed in its coverage online.
The reason is pretty simple. The CBC story filed on Calgary has only a single quote from what was said out west:
"We have the best green project in North America right now on the sidelines. It could mean a lot of work for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians , Nova Scotians, New Brunswickers, Prince Edward Island, Quebecers, and Ontarians," said Williams. "This is a mega project, of several billion dollars, that is very, very important — not only to us as a province but also to the region. So that's another reason here, to give people the details of exactly why that project is being stalled by Quebec."
That’s hardly news. The favourite refrain for the provincial government is that the Lower Churchill is “the best green project in North America”. It’s a hollow, meaningless piece of marketer bullshit, but it is a sold as the hills.
And after you get beyond the first four paragraphs the rest is recycled filler:
December 4 story:
“We are in a situation where Ontario, which is probably at its most vulnerable moment in its history, will be on its knees on a go-forward basis. That's not a good situation for the country. ”
October 29 story:
“We are in a situation where Ontario, which is probably at its most vulnerable moment in its history, will be on its knees on a go-forward basis. That's not a good situation for the country. ”
December 4:
"Quebec is a province that receives roughly $16 billion a year in transfers from Canada as a have-not province. So, the irony here is a have-not province that receives significant largesse from the rest of the country … is now going around and buying up energy assets."
October 29:
"Quebec is a province that receives roughly $16 billion a year in transfers from Canada as a have-not province. So, the irony here is a have-not province that receives significant largesse from the rest of the country … is now going around and buying up energy assets."
December 4:
"If [Quebec also] acquires P.E.I. and Nova Scotia [power], we will find ourselves in a situation where one province will have energy control of the entire Maritime provinces," said Williams. "It will be attempting to strand Newfoundland and Labrador. So good, cheap, competitively priced energy can't be offered to that whole region.”
October 29:
"If [Quebec also] acquires P.E.I. and Nova Scotia [power], we will find ourselves in a situation where one province will have energy control of the entire Maritime provinces," said Williams. "It will be attempting to strand Newfoundland and Labrador. So good, cheap, competitively priced energy, can't be offered to that whole region.”
December 4:
"[The Lower Churchill project ] will be developed, and it will be developed on our terms, and as I've said before, over my dead body am I going to hand this over to [Quebec Premier] Jean Charest and Quebec."
October 29:
"[The Lower Churchill project ] will be developed, and it will be developed on our terms, and as I've said before, over my dead body am I going to hand this over to Jean Charest and Quebec." [Note the minor editorial change]
December 4:
"If [Quebec also] acquires P.E.I. and Nova Scotia [power], we will find ourselves in a situation where one province will have energy control of the entire Maritime provinces," said Williams. "It will be attempting to strand Newfoundland and Labrador. So good, cheap, competitively priced energy can't be offered to that whole region.”
October 29:
"If [Quebec also] acquires P.E.I. and Nova Scotia [power], we will find ourselves in a situation where one province will have energy control of the entire Maritime provinces," said Williams. "It will be attempting to strand Newfoundland and Labrador. So good, cheap, competitively priced energy, can't be offered to that whole region.”
December 4:
"Quebec is a province that receives roughly $16 billion a year in transfers from Canada as a have-not province. So, the irony here is a have-not province that receives significant largesse from the rest of the country … is now going around and buying up energy assets."
etc etc
You get the idea.
Now if you look at some other stories from other news outlets, you have to wonder yet again what all the fuss is really about. Natural resources minister Kathy Dunderdale repeats that the provincial energy corporation will pay for transmission through other provinces now and in the future.
Okay.
So since that is already happening with NALCOR through Quebec in a sale to Emera, what’s the fuss?
That’s a good question.
And the lovely people who keep writing stories at CBC and other news outlets in New Brunswick and across the country about this latest jihad based on recycled stuff from before might find some real news if they actually asked that “very, very” good question.
After all, as Danny Williams said himself :
It's unfair to "play one region of the country off against the other"…
If you look for a story, you can see it.
But you gotta look first.
-srbp-