Dear editor,
My wife and I watched a news report about a project, by Canadian engineering students, to redesign the snowmobile to make it quieter, more fuel efficient and less polluting.
It is promising that many of our youth embrace a vision of environmental protection, and back it with real effort.
Now, consider a visit of Liberal leadership hopeful, George Abbott, who used the contentious Raven coal mine issue as a springboard for local support — even before the environmental assessment is complete.
This repeated mantra of modern mining technologies’ supposed ability to provide clean mining, runs counter to good science. Something is really wrong with this picture! The mining industry does not have a record that inspires confidence.
Given the heavy rains over the Christmas season, containment would have been breached with damaging consequences done to the local shellfish industry.
Mr. Abbott’s reference to “underground” mining as distinct from open pit mining, infers a safer situation. Can he not know that coal mining, whether open pit or underground, still requires a washing process, using enormous quantities of water, resulting in toxic acid levels that would end up in Baynes Sound?
I don’t wish to be uncivil, but it begs the question: does he care? I am astounded and saddened that a potential premier of such a beautiful province is so clearly a Campbell lookalike.
As for Mr. Abbott’s celebration of all the jobs the mine would allegedly bring, the new Costco, Slegg and Home Depot provide more and cleaner employment — and it’s long term.
Our own MLA, Don McRae, who confesses, “Our own party has lost its way and I think he (Mr. Abbott) can help us find our way back”, is beyond belief.
At last Mr. McRae has removed his invisibility cloak and set aside his vow of silence on the coal mining issue, revealing where he hopes to have his bread buttered.
Mr. Abbott also addresses the HST issue. To his credit, he is clear that he supports the HST, and confesses a flawed process around introduction and explanation of the HST.
Fair enough! But, where was this concern about process last year and why now, during a leadership race, does he suddenly have a last-minute conversion? If Mr. Abbott is sincere, why does he now inject political influence on so contentious an issue as the coal mine?
Yes, Mr. Campbell will soon be gone, but it is evident that too many of the candidates bring the same-old, same-old. Many of us would like to vote for a real change in direction and style within the Liberal party.
Personally, I was hoping for a more enlightened leadership.
Lance Woods,
Ships Point