Quebec Said What?!
Well, today’s day … something of the campaign for the May election. All I know is that there’s a painful month to go before we can all stop pretending we care so much about politics and the government can go back to whatever it does when it’s not election time (I know there’s something they do, but it didn’t seem to happen much the last few years).
So, today’s big announcement is from the Conservatives. If they win, they’re pledging to underwrite (co-sign?) the loan for the Lower Churchill Hydro project in Labrador. Now, when it comes to renewable electricity, hydro is the only one reliable enough to act as a baseload plant, so hydro is always a good thing.
Well, except if you’re Quebec. See, Quebec is mad. Ok, I need to qualify that statement because it seems like Quebec is always mad about something. They’re mad because the project intends to build a power line directly to Nova Scotia and on to the US, bypassing anything possibly owned by one Hydro Quebec. The Quebec government is made that it’ll cut into their profits from exports into the States.
Why is Hydro Quebec so profitable? It probably has a bit to do with the Upper Churchill hydro project, which has a capacity of 5,428 MW and is one of the largest power plants in Canada. Hydro Quebec exclusively gets to buy the electricity. Or better put, they effectually get to steal it for a quarter cent per kWh ($0.0025/kWh) and sell it into the New England market for 15 to 19 cents per kWh. At 15 cents, they’re making 14.75 cents per kWh, which is a mind-blowing profit markup of 5,900%. That’s not highway robbery, that’s the sort of markup you would expect from the mob. But, I digress.
Gilles Duceppe is angry (although when is he not?), and (I kid you not, this is right from the CBC) said it’s “a ”slap in the face” for Quebec and said it was using federal tax dollars to unfairly advantage one region”. Yep. The guy from Quebec, who exists for the sole reason of trying to get as much money for Quebec from Ottawa as humanly possibly by threatening to separate every 10 minutes, is complaining about money going to another province. April Fool? Nope, apparently Quebec feels it’s just more privileged than the rest of us.
I think I speak for most of western Canada when I say “it’s about time someone stood up to Quebec”. Quebec receives $5.6 billion in equalization payments. Students in Quebec pay the lowest tuition, but only if you’re a Quebecer. Engineering Students in Quebec pay $2067.90 for a full year (non-Quebecers pay ~2.5x as much). I paid $3106.08 for 1 term last semester, so over a full year I pay 3 times as much as someone in Quebec.
Seriously, the whole separatist thing is getting old. If you want to go, then go. But we know they don’t actually want to, because they loose out on all the money they’d get. I think it’s high time someone calls their bluff.
Now I don’t have anything against Quebec or the people live there. Quebec (as New France) was the foundation of Canada. Canada grew out of Quebec. But after a while, the whining just gets old. Quebec is like a spoiled kid who’s learned that if he screams loudly enough his parents will just give him whatever he wants. Except Quebec is around 400 years old now. Quebec is the quintessential poster boy for why parents should discipline their children (but that’s a completely different topic).
Remember Canada, only 31 days to go.
Tags: election 11
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