Comedy

The latest comedic output from Newfoundland...

"This House has 33 sittings"

Danny Williams' swollen member(s)

Proud. Strong. Determined.

Repeat that mantra over and over again during an election campaign and your head might swell. So might the rest of you. And with a massive election victory behind you and a caucus of 40-plus, well, that's pretty swell. And today, pretty swollen.

So, today, Danny Williams unveils his new cabinet. It's prouder, stronger, and more determined than ever before. Its members have swollen, so to speak.

"We are proud, strong and determined. And we will work tirelessly to deliver for the people what they deserve and expect, as their duly elected leaders."

- Premier Williams, today (emphasis added)

Of course, that tireless work doesn't start until sometime in late March (half a year after the "fixed election" date) when the House might be bothered to resume sitting. After all - what people would dare suggest that they deserve and expect their duly elected leaders to actually legislate, debate, discuss or be held accountable for anything? Ashamed. Weak. Vacillating. That's who.

The farce continues:

"In addition to a strong Cabinet, we also have very capable parliamentary secretaries who will contribute their voice and experience."

- Premier Williams

Capable indeed. But where, pray tell, will these "parliamentary" secretaries contribute their voice? Open line radio, one supposes, as it's the only "democratic" institution in the province where they currently have a clearly defined job to perform, seeing as they won't be anywhere near any "parliamentary" setting until well into 2008.

Which begs the question... if, as The Telegram so aptly put it yesterday, "apparently there's still no reason to open the House of Assembly, because everything's fine in the strong, proud and determined province..." or as the Deputy Premier himself suggested, "there is no urgent public business" going on right now, then what in God's name is the rationale for making the cabinet bigger?

On top of that, among the paltry reasons Rideout provided in covering for his boss's disdain for democracy and legislative accountability, was the fact that all those new ministers would need to learn their new jobs. Oddly enough, hardly anyone changed jobs today.

Finally, as the CBC notes, Williams now has two ministers from Labrador. Some will suggest this is a classic Williams over-reaction to criticism. But you won't hear any criticism from this corner about the extra cost involved with such a move. After all, taxpayers were paying twice what they were supposed to when there was only one Minister from Labrador, so it's not like there'll be any drain on the public treasury by having two.

Speaking of which, didn't this premier promise to shrink the size of cabinet when running in 2003?

My last baseball post 'til Spring.

Not every Red Sox fan was a big winner. Remember this furniture guy, from the story I posted in March?

"Consumers purchasing a mattress, dining table, sofa, or bed at a Jordan’s store location between March 7, 2007 and April 16, 2007 will receive a rebate of the purchase price paid for the Deal Merchandise if (but only if) the Boston Red Sox win the 2007 Major League Baseball World Series."

Ouch. That's a lot of free furniture...

And now, we devote our full time to Football, and just in time. I hear there's a biggie on TV next week!

Go Sox!

Just one game to go.

I'm betting they end it tonight, although seeing it happen at Fenway would be sweet. But why wait?

On a related note, none of my classmates seem to remember who Bill Buckner is, which makes me feel old, but should make everyone in Red Sox Nation feel better...

As I type, it's already 1-0.

I love it.

From bad to worse

How's this for a stunning example of unmitigated incompetence?

"Didn't know of candidate's bribe claims: Liberal president" - CBC

Just when you thought things couldn't get much worse for the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, they do. And the shocker is that they don't even see what's wrong here!

With opposition like this, Williams' Tories have nothing to fear for a long, long time

h/t to Ed.

Independent of facts or reality

I've never edited a newspaper. In fact, as frequent readers may have noticed, I rarely spell check my blog. Maybe it's 'cuz I'm lazy, but primarily I chalk it up to simply being a very bad typist.

If I did edit a newspaper, though, I'd probably consider it at least part of my job to look out for embarrassing inconsistencies between what I was writing as an editor, or what I was editing from my news writers.

Here's a great example.

In her news piece on the possible consequences of CBC switching from an analog to digital transmission system, Independent reporter Mandy Cook writes...

"...television transmitting infrastructure went up across the country in the 1970s. At the time, the Government of Canada provided a one-time payment to ensure all communities of 500 people or more had access to over-the-air television transmission. Free CBC, in other words."

What nonsense. There's no possible way the government gave us television. Not the federal government. No way.

Because as the editor himself states today in another of his tiresome and predictable rants...

"...we don't have much to show for 58 years of Confederation."

Television. Public broadcasting. One (small) thing (among many) that we have to show for 58 years of Confederation".

On principle, I won't link to the editorial, but you can get it here.

Manning the fort...

Spotted on a bulletin board in the lobby at school today, the Manning Centre invites students to a seminar on student activism and political engagement with the following juicy disclaimer:

"This seminar is not designed to mobilize persons toward support of particular political positions, or parties."

Uh-huh. Right.

And to prove it, check out this incredibly diverse set of presenters they've lined up.

A hat trick of sorts

Twice in one day, Wally nails it.

Three if you count yesterday.

Nice work if you can get it...

In his last term of office, Premier Williams allowed the legislature the fewest sittings for a full four-year term of any Premier in history.

Anxious to get back to work after a large electoral victory, he's called the House back...

...for sometime in the Spring of 2008.

Newfoundland conservatism

Newfoundland conservatism explained:

Conservative Premier Danny Williams wants more young people in Newfoundland.

Conservative Minister Loyola Hearn wants to lock them up.

Thrown Speech

Loyola Hearn, in another time, from another era, in response to the 2004 Throne Speech

"...It is great to see the child care program mentioned, but it has been mentioned now for 11 years and I hope this time, with the minority government situation, that pressure can be put on government to deliver."

"...I hope we live up to...agreements that we signed with the provinces"

"...no reference to the arts"

And the kicker:

"...very little reference was made to education. We must ensure that every child in this country has the opportunity to receive a full education regardless of geography and regardless of his or her socio-economic status. We have to make sure we have a contributing population so that in turn the country can be developed by them. I recommend that the government immediately appoint if not a minister at least a secretary of state responsible for the coordination of education..."

Any chance we'll see anything like that in today's version?

Not bloody likely.

Throne Speech Day!

Anyone who thinks Canadians are on edge today wondering "Throne Speech... my oh my, what ever is going to happen?" is either over-medicated, or writing too many notebook columns for the Globe.

So let's all take this with a grain of salt, so to speak.

Some notes:

1. When did the NDP voting against a Throne Speech become a news story? Think about it. The NDP voting against a Throne Speech is about as predictable and newsworthy as the autumnal equinox.

2. What'll be in the Throne Speech? Beats me, but George Bush is out this morning calling Kyoto "bad policy", and John Howard is rolling out a promise for broad based tax relief. My guess is Harper will aim to please, so to speak...

3. Will there be an election? Nope. Not today. And not this week. But if I were Jim Flaherty, I wouldn't be trying on any new budget day shoes just yet, if you catch my drift.

On Air

In advance of tomorrow's Speech From the Throne, and whatever shenanigans might ensue, you can catch me (early...) on CBC Radio Information Morning.

If you aren't lucky enough to reside in this balmy sea-side metropolis, you can tune in online, here.

on "nemesization"

The National Post offers this pearl of wisdom today, in a speculative piece about the possibility of a fall federal election:

"The sweeping victory of Mr. Harper's nemesis in Newfoundland and Labrador, Conservative Premier Danny Williams, was equally disturbing for the prime minister."

That may be true, but what possible outcome would have been less-equally disturbing for Mr. Harper? Gerry Reid, the Liberal Leader who ran on the most lefty liberal campaign in a generation, or Lorraine Michael's socially activist NDP? Nobody could possibly argue that either of Williams' competitors had any admiration for the current Prime Minister, unlike the Premier himself who was gullible or deluded enough to support Mr. Harper on at least three occasions.

Hmmm revisited

I wouldn't have thought of this if not for Jason's post from yesterday, which generated some discussion about the probable impact of the Ontario election on any upcoming federal vote.

With a Speech from the Throne now days away, and with it the possibility of a consequential fall election, time to reflect on a piece which appeared here in January of this year:

If Premiers Charest and McGuinty are successfully re-elected in their respective provinces this year, Stephane Dion's task at hand will not only be to defeat Stephen Harper, but to overcome 140 years of electoral history in the process.

Charest and McGuinty are now re-elected, albeit with differing levels of success. If history teaches us anything, it's that Stephane Dion might be in a better position to make electoral gains if he waits for Charest's provincial liberals to falter in the months ahead. Read more...

Paraphrasing Bill Rowe

You could waste 3 minutes of your day and read Bill Rowe's column in the Telegram, but those three minutes are better spent elsewhere. For your convenience, here's the "Cole's Notes" version:

- Politics exists for our personal entertainment.
- Former provincial party leaders should be given patronage positions in Ottawa.
- Newfoundland's political parties should be funded with resources from the rest of the country.
- Newfoundlanders are “weak and wounded”.

Dinosaurs not only walk among us, they write weekly columns.


PS - this pissing match between Rowe and Telegram blogger Geoff Meeker has spilled over to the print edition - hopefully it'll provide some sparks in the weeks ahead, and maybe a further peek into where Bill Rowe gets his weekly scripts.

Federalism and Liberalism in Quebec

A very timely piece in today's Globe and Mail. Hopefully, one which marks a meeting of the minds among progressive federalist voices in Quebec.

It's here, and can also found en francais, ici.

...if you don't have anything nice to say

Wow. The National Post takes a nasty swing at our favourite Premier today:

"...toxic to his province in the long run."
"Like all demagogues, Mr. Williams is fond of the pronoun "I"
"...the Hebron field will now go ahead only because Mr. Williams swallowed his pride and made major concessions."
"...barely acknowledged that he had a caucus and party around him."

It's a bit over the top, perhaps, but compared to the gushing daily worshiping pieces in the local papers you could cheekily call this balanced.

Read the whole article, entitled "Re-Electing a Clown", right here.

On a side note, if the National Post had a genuine interest in Newfoundland and Labrador politics, they could have covered the election, instead of simply writing a snippy editorial three days after the fact. They didn't.

Waitin' for the train

"Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the government is giving $691.9 million to Via Rail over five years to provide faster, cleaner and more reliable service across Canada." - CBC.ca

Across Canada?

Surely you mean from Windsor to Gaspe.

Noticed...

... the "health of the oceans" is now a Transport Canada issue?

If I were a certain minister, I'd be pissed.

"I told you so"

One of the unwritten stories surrounding this latest offshore agreement is that it pretty much proves what a number of us were saying from the very outset of this nonsense several years ago.

What Stephen Harper offered (and what John Hamm clamoured for) in 2004 and 2006 was never, ever of any significant benefit to Nova Scotia.

When this discussion turned away from the uniqueness of Nova Scotia's offshore gas (and Newfoundland's oil) and instead became an issue about removing all non-renewable resource revenues from the calculation of provinces' fiscal capacity, it was no longer of any real benefit to Nova Scotia. That's what makes it so easy (and sensible) for Premier MacDonald to happily accept the latest offer from the federal government which allows them to choose between the pre-existing and new Equalization regimes on a yearly basis.

Nova Scotia's economic reliance on the non-renewable resource sector as a whole is only slightly greater than the national average. So it gains precious little from an Equalization regime that discounts those resources. In years where gas production is high, there's a slight benefit to Nova Scotia, in other years there's a significant loss.

In other words, John Hamm picked the wrong side of the wrong battle. And Stephen Harper made the wrong promise (and a stupid promise at that)in response. Yesterday's acceptance of a counter offer from the federal government allows the province to choose between the Equalization formulas on a yearly basis. This is reminiscent to the way the old regime worked. (Funny... I think I heard someone suggest that after the budget - ed.)

As for Premier Williams, who is now accusing his Nova Scotia counterpart of selling out for less, he's only half right. There was never anything in Harper's dumb promise for Nova Scotia anyway. So yes, he may be selling out, but he isn't selling out for much less.

But while Williams huffs and puffs about the treacherous workings of the federal government and the "weak" Nova Scotia premier, reporters ought to be asking why it is that Newfoundland and Labrador has yet to even mention the possibility of filing as an intervenor in the court case that Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert has launched over the whole affair.

Williams' shrieking and howling in response to Premier MacDonald's actions may be loud, but his silence in response to Premier Calvert is deafening.

election results...

... will be here - in 15 minutes. Sorry for the extended silence on the topic of late. More tomorrow.


If lawn signs mean anything, this'll be a pretty short night in my neck of the woods.