May 2001
by Barry Stagg
Perhaps Tobin's vigorous defence of what is rapidly becoming the indefensible, that is to say Jean Chretien's conflict of interest, has something to do with the sag in popularity of the former premier and would-be successor to the Chretien throne. It seems only sensible to point out to Tobin that valets seldom succeed to the master's seat. The way Chretien has been squirming and edging away from the Shawinigate scandal, it may well be sooner rather than later that the little rich guy from Shawinigan steps down from his potentate's platform somewhere overlooking the House of Commons.
The valet part of this column has been addressed but what really is a more important subject for Newfoundland is the question of water exports. This is where the issue of neighbours, good and bad, comes in. It is fair to say that Newfoundland has plenty of fresh water and that any of it that goes unused will flow into the sea. Hence, some enterprising capitalists have proposed that they dip a few million gallons out of a lake and sell it to the parched territories abroad. This is a very good free market idea: Buy water cheap and sell water high. That seems the way a lot of fortunes in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa were made both yesterday and beyond. Oil, wheat, Churchill Falls electricity, you name it and our big time neighbours from Central Canada have made a living off buying low and selling high.
Newfoundland water is regarded as a special case by some. This is particularly so among the penthouse nationalists who like to prowl the board rooms and drawing rooms of Ottawa and Toronto and, of course, the bilingual salons of Montreal. Water from Newfoundland should not be sold to foreigners because this may lead to some enterprising Torontonian selling Lake Ontario to Texas. If the sons and daughters of the old houses of Upper and Lower Canada cannot make a dollar out of it, then nobody, least of all Newfoundlanders, should turn a penny either. The logic is faultlessly Canadian, as usual.
It seems that former premier Tobin, in the exercise of his own impeccable political correctness, bought into that argument while he was premier. Tobin joined in the national movement to ban all bulk water exports from this country. Never let it be said that the Industry Minister has ever lost his sea legs when it comes to embracing the most touchy and feely issues of Canadian political correctness. Some would call it exclusionary etiquette but, of course, that would be politically incorrect.
Newfoundland Premier Grimes realizes he is in the fight of his life politically as Newfoundland corporate maven Danny Williams has become leader of the provincial Conservative Party. Separating himself from the Tobin era and its undistinguished record is vital to Grimes' political survival. At least Grimes does not have to answer for Tobin's inexplicably repeated references to the embattled Prime Minister holding on to his underwear and socks in the face of the gale blowing hot and sticky from the Shawinigate scandal. These are matters best left to Minister Jeeves.