Is the Deal Done?

Quebec Premier Jean Charest is in Fredericton to announce something about NB Power tomorrow morning with Premier Shawn Graham.

Maybe a rent-to-own deal, maybe outright purchase, maybe something else. Nobody outside of the anointed few that crawl through the Centennial Building's second floor knows for sure.

We can be sure, however, that the track record of politicians running NB Power has been second-to-all. Selling NB Power could be a great idea or a bad idea, depends on who is doing the negotiating and who is doing the buying. We know another bloated, inefficient government department is the buyer, so no upside there.

Fighting for the home team we have Shawn Graham, former gym teacher and bartender; Jack Keir, the most conservative member of the Leg, former business GM; Paul Zed, former MP, current lawyer, and Irving in-law; David Hay, President & CEO of NB Power, Lord appointee; Francis Maguire, NB Power Chairman, Shawn Graham supporter, drilling company CEO, man-about-town, schmoozer; some other people, we do not know who.

In that last group of people we do not know, I hope to god there was at least one person who has done a major deal successfully. Not sold his used gym shoes to a kid at school or bilked Business New Brunswick out of taxpayer dollars. A real deal. And hopefully that one person that has done a major deal successfully was the one in charge of our side.

But I doubt it.

If anyone can secure defeat from the jaws of victory, it is Shawn Graham.