Chugging right along

Though the clouds of recession forecasted a difficult year at the beginning of 2009, Premier Danny Williams said another event marred the year and superseded most everything else. In March, a Cougar Helicopter crashed on its way to deliver workers to the province's offshore operations, killing 17 people.

"I think that shocked everybody at the time, I think we're all still feeling it," said the premier in a year-end interview with The Telegram.

Williams said he's hoping the ongoing Wells inquiry will conclude in the coming year with some answers for the families of the people who died, and will lead to safety improvements.

He said the accident also raised the issue of improved search and rescue services for the offshore.

Every year the province has some sort of marine disaster, said Williams, and the loss of life either in the fishery or the offshore is always something which affects the population as a whole.

"The loss of lives (at sea), I think, hits everybody in the heart," he said.

Economic downturn

While the hearts of people were heavy with emotion in 2009, government coffers were somewhat lighter.

But overall, Williams said the province was able to weather the economic storm as well, or better, than other provinces.

"Even though our mining, and our newsprint, and our fishing and our oil production were all down, our economy still chugged along very, very well," he said.

The premier said Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest consumer optimism in the country and most local business are doing well.

The government also stepped up with an $800-million economic stimulus package to build and upgrade roads, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure, while creating jobs.

Williams said other governments did the same, but this province was somewhat more prepared because of the direction his government has been taking over the last few years.

"We were in good shape, and I'm really very proud of the way we, as a government and as a people, came through this past year and were considered leaders in the country," he said.

While Newfoundland and Labrador is still projecting a $443-million deficit this year, it's 40 per cent less than budget projections.

"Hopefully ... before the end of the (fiscal) year, we might be able to whittle that deficit down a little more," Williams said.

Positive indicators

Williams said there was lots of good news for the province this past year, as well.

The government's poverty reduction strategy is nationally recognized, it launched its youth retention strategy, and in-migration numbers continued to increase.

The province renegotiated its agreement with Vale Inco, negotiated the Hibernia South expansion' helped with severance for AbitibiBowater workers, and began to wheel power through Quebec and down to New York State, which Williams called a huge milestone.

"Our tourism numbers are up in a bad economic year, which is unbelievable, but it says we are doing something right there," Williams said. "I couldn't ask for much more, aside from the Lower Churchill," he said with a laugh.

Lower Churchill

The proposed Lower Churchill hydroelectric development did hit a number of snags this year, but Williams said he always knew it would be a challenging project to pull off.

He said there are still environmental issues, aboriginal rights and financing hurdles.

"(The province is) doing so well on the financial side that we're going to be actually in a financial position for the first time ever in our history to be able to fund the Lower Churchill ... ourselves," said the premier.

But he also said it would be nice for Ottawa to help fund the project, and other transmission partners will likely have to come on side, too.

Williams said the biggest challenge the project faces is dealing with Quebec, which shouldn't be the case.

"Hydro-Quebec have skinned us big time on the Upper Churchill. The least they could do as a neighbour, as fellow Canadians, would be allow us to just go on with our project," he said.

But, Williams contends, the utility has "blocked us at every step."

The latest roadblock is the proposed deal which will see Hydro-Quebec buy NB Power assets from New Brunswick.

Besides that, Williams said the province has been waiting for four years for hearings before the RÉgie de l'energie - Quebec's equivalent to this province's Public Utilities Board (PUB).

Those hearings are now scheduled for January.

The PUB hearings on water sharing rights on the Churchill River will also happen early in the new year.

Williams vows to keep working on the Lower Churchill project through 2010.

"We've just finally said enough is enough, we've had it, so now it's going to be a full court press," he said. "If it doesn't happen, it won't be for a lack of trying."

The premier also said he's been bringing the message of clean, green Churchill power to people from Calgary to New York City.

Legislation

While the opposition parties continue to ask for whistleblower legislation, Williams said that complex piece of law is still being studied.

He said government officials are looking at existing legislation from across North America and around the world.

Williams said the legislation is important, but has to accomplish what it's supposed to, while preventing abuse.

"We do not want to allow it to be used by people who just happen to have a gripe or a beef, who are malicious or vindictive or vengeful," he said.

The NDP has also been calling for anti-replacement worker laws this session.

Williams said discussions on updating labour standards are ongoing between labour, business and government, but anti-replacement worker legislation may or may not come out of that.

Changes to cabinet

There were four cabinet shuffles in 2009.

Williams said change can be both good and bad. While fresh faces bring new ideas, when veteran ministers leave, they take their experience with them.

Former transportation minister Trevor Taylor resigned in September, and former health minister Paul Oram quit politics a month later.

Williams said he was surprised when Taylor announced he was leaving politics, but he said people's lives evolve.

"I respect that," he said.

Williams also noted that public life is rewarding, but often not easy.

"It's an emotional roller-coaster, quite frankly."

Oram's replacement in health, Jerome Kennedy, was put in the portfolio just before the second wave of the H1N1 pandemic hit the province.

Rebalancing health care

Williams credits Kennedy for doing an exceptional job managing the pandemic, which even earned him kudos from both opposition parties in the House this fall.

But Williams said calls by the opposition parties for a full review of the health-care system are unnecessary.

"I'm firmly of the opinion that you can't turn health care upside down," he said.

Williams said the Department of Health is not like other departments, because of its complexity, the numerous different groups of professionals, and its costly assets.

"Our approach has been more of a targeted approach," he said.

The premier said the government will continue to identify problems and tackle those one by one.

He said Kennedy brings passion, a solid work ethic and a financial background as former finance minister to the portfolio and will be responsible for the "rebalancing" of health care.

Williams also said there are lots of good stories in health care in the province which often aren't told.

"It's only when people are aggrieved do they usually go public," he said.

The premier also commended all the province's health-care professionals for they way the H1N1 was handled.

Fishery

Another change in cabinet saw Clyde Jackman take over the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Williams said Jackman grew up around the fishery.

He said managing the fishery is always a challenge, especially with the current high Canadian dollar.

Williams said a provincial marketing strategy is a goal and said it was unfortunate the province wasn't able to buy Fishery Products International's marketing division a few years ago.

But he said the biggest factor in the fishery is getting all the stakeholders to agree.

"The biggest problem in the fishing industry is they (all) need to get it together," he said.

He said the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, harvesters, processors and government all have to reach a consensus.

"(They) need to seek a common goal and realize there needs to be give and take on the way forward," said Williams.

One thing he would like to do for the fishery is establish a provincial research vessel.

When it comes to fish licence buybacks and retirement packages, Williams iterated that the province is prepared to pay its share, but Ottawa still has to come onside with that and many other fisheries issues.

"I've got to say, (federal Fisheries Minister) Gail Shea has been a huge disappointment from my perspective," he said.

Relationship with Ottawa

But Williams contends his relationship with Prime Minister Stephen Harper has improved somewhat.

The leaders met in Cupids during the royal visit in November. Williams said that meeting was "cordial and warm."

But he said he's waiting to see what Ottawa's attitude is going to be in future.

"The proof of the pudding will be in the eating," he said. "I'm prepared to give (Harper) the benefit of the doubt."

Neville suspension

The last thing the House of Assembly did before adjourning for the year was to dismiss former child and youth advocate Darlene Neville.

While Williams called the move unfortunate, he said it was necessary.

"I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that the evidence against Ms. Neville was overwhelming; I firmly believe that," he said.

Williams said Neville may feel she wasn't heard, but "that doesn't mean she can come into the House of Assembly and have a gong show."

He said Neville can always go to court if she feels she was wronged, but the House was not the place for a hearing.

Williams said the Opposition seemed to forget what Neville's job was: the protection of children.

"If her office is completely dysfunctional and is in complete, total, utter disarray, then the children suffer," he said.

Williams also said Neville's allegation after she was fired that the government tried to block her investigations is "absurd."

"What she's trying to do now is taint this with a conspiracy theory. That smells of Bern Coffey," said Williams.

Coffey is Neville's lawyer.

"This province and this government are not guilty of any conspiracies here."

2010

When it comes to the year ahead, Williams said he's looking forward to a busy legislative agenda in the spring.

"Generally, my goal is to keep us moving along and keep the momentum going," he said.

Williams said the global economy is starting to turn around, but another slump could happen and he wants to make sure the province can weather any storm on the horizon.

He's glad most public employees have new collective agreements and hopes the outstanding negotiations with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, which represents the province's doctors, will conclude early in the new year.

dbartlett@thetelegram.com