2003-08-26

re. Hydro Blackout 2003

Some people have an interesting way of putting a positive spin on anything. In addition, if a province could run on spin, that may be OK. The difficulty is, the province exists in the real world and in the real world problems have to be dealt with. The real world problem we have just faced is that there is a shortage of electrical generating power in this province.

This situation came about because the Tories have neither built new plants nor run conservation programs to reduce demand. The blackout was going to come eventually. That it was triggered by a failure in the U.S. is just an accident of history. It could just have easily have started in Ontario. Even the Tories knew there was a shortage. That's why Eves has been spending $2.5 billion to restart two aging nuclear plants and why he spent hundreds of millions more to bring auxiliary generators into the cities.

These efforts were clearly too little, too late.

Having been one of the chief architects of the crisis, should Eves be given credit for going on the media to tell people not to panic? Should he not be held accountable for allowing the crisis in the first place? Should he not have to answer for why it took more than a week to get our power plants back online?

These things were his responsibility as Premier. Where does the buck stop if not with him?

By contrast NDP leader Howard Hampton had predicted the blackout and prepared a detailed plan for how to avoid it in the future. He made it a central plank in his party's election platform. He did the type of research and planning that is completely missing from the Eves government. If you want a leader whose only talent is to appear calm and reassuring as we blunder from one crisis to another, then Eves is your man. I believe however that a real leader should plan ahead to avoid the sorts of problems that have plagued this province since Eves took over.

I believe a real leader should be ready with practical solutions before a crisis erupts, and that leader is Howard Hampton.

Gary Dale, Provincial NDP Candidate
Scarborough East