- between Stephane Dion and Stephane (Steven) Harper.
One says he will do it and does not. The other just admits - upfront - that he won't.
Change the campaign Danny not ABC - but ABCD
Anything but Conservative & Dion!
The next federal election will be a banner one for Newfoundland and Labrador separatists. The two leading parties are trying to hang on to a minority by pleasing Ontario and Quebec. Unlike the Martin and Harper (term 1) elections - the focus and the promises will be aimed at Central Canada.
The truth is - it's our turn - Saskatchewan - Nova Scotia - and Newfoundland and Labrador to have the equalization formula geared to us. Since the inception of the equation - Quebec - has been the needy province and the formula demonstrates that.
Ontarians should close their eyes - take a gulp - and whisper - Quebec is a welfare province. They are getting more than us - and they still want more - that's not fair.
Ontarians keep looking further east and west to find the subjects for their pompous ridicule.
Listen guys and gals - at least Newfoundland and Labrador keeps saying we want to be a net contributor to the equalization formula. (We already are net contributors in every other way) When was the last time you heard Jean Charest say "we want to be a have province?" When was the last time you heard Quebec say in just two or three years we will be on the "have" side?
Yet Quebecers have no trouble in believing that they can separate and go it alone. Geez on that basis alone - Newfoundland and Labrador should do it without a hitch.
Quebec always gets the lions share of equalization - and that increased even more after the Harper equalization fiasco.
It is time the formula changed to reflect other economic factors and it is time that non-renewable resource revenues were removed. If that happened both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador could be net contributors to the equation for the foreseeable future and perhaps even Nova Scotia. Not doing this jeopardizes the long-term economic health of our "sharing" system and eliminates the possibility for provinces such as ours.
Then again if we left the Central Canadian federation - we'd be laughing all the way to the bank.
21 comments:
Quebeckers do have a problem with separating.
That's why they've never done it.
What party are you supporting this time now that you've done Liberial and Harper?
Tell them that - or better yet tell your leader to say it to them.
Go on - see how that goes.
we have always paid our way.We just have always been made to feel that we haven't.
So,go pay again "NEWFIE"
"YIP B'ye"
But Sue,watch thease Liberials "SWEEP" the feds.YUP,I said it first,so laugh your heads of at me.
But,Im going to say as well ,that in six months,we are going to be ranting and roaring over a Lie that Dion said.
We my dear are the "FOOLS" for thinking that thease people ,"CANADAINS" could even think of being fair.What was Meech Lake about.It showed us that Canada and her structure are totally flawed.Yet we as a nation keep our faith in confederation hoping to be able to keep a bite of what already is ours,lol,no wonder they laugh and call us "Newfie."
We are the ones always stuck holding the Bill,"NEWFIE" B'ye
GO PAY AGAIN!!!!
Hi Sue. With all due respect, I would like to know how a Newfoundlander/Labradorian denigrating Quebec by calling it "a welfare province" is different than an Ontarian (oh like for instance Margaret Wente) saying the same thing about Newfoundland & Lab?
Was the problem just that Wente said it or that she said it about NL?
Yet another in a long line of reasons to go. But the Canadian flag still flies proudly over so many homes in our province. Our people are afraid to go as they feel we can't do it. We are not as competent in running our affairs as someone not from here seems to be the overriding sentiment. Over the last little while I have had discussions about this with various people. Most will tell me that they feel if we were on our own the money would be pissed away by our corrupt leaders, regardless of what party they would represent. They also voiced concern as to what would happen to their Canadian pension, medicare, child support etc... Perhaps they have a point. But if Mr.Williams is so confident that we contribute far and above what we take out of the federation why would he want to stay and keep butting heads with a system that can never work. Any and all Newfoundland leaders since confederation have come to logger heads with this system. He has on occasion been known to lament that we are not our own country and things could be different if we were.
I found it very sickening to see all the Liberal wannabes hanging on to Mr. Dion's coattails over the past week. They are trying to ingratiate themselves with a man who would do no more than Harper for this province. Yet they would be the first to call Hearn and company traitors. There is no doubt that they are traitors, but the Liberals from here by the sound of things would be no different.
Geez Liam - read it again - I said Ontario do it - as they do with us.
Too bad we don't get so upset when we hear it about ourselves.
Excellent Article Sue ,
Yes,it seems a bit foolish that we as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who contribute to confederation at the level that we do ,would want to stay in such a deal.
Let us have a look at what Quebec has given to the country as a hole.
I have stated this point before Sue,that provinces such as Ontario ,and Quebec might have large populations and create great revenues but like Mr Mcguinty has shown ,thease provinces also need a far greater sum of money to keep thier machine running.
My point in this debate is simple.We that have given so much must now start to look after our own house.We have to relise that deals such as the one that gave away Voisey's Bay cannot continue to happen.Shipping material out of province has shown us that when this happens we are killing our economy to create jobs for thier economy.
Charity starts at home.And ,Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have to start to relise that everything in life costs money,or something.
If you cannot give money then your going to have to place your family and friends on the alter of confederation.Being apart of canada is costing us as a nation a great deal.Weather canada choses to accept that or not is of no concern to us.It is us that must relise what we are giving to carry a canadain passport.So again to me it comes down to too choices.Who do you trust.Your own crowd in province or the people out of province.(Ottawa)
For me the choice is rather simple.58 years of confederation has shown me that we cannot sustain the belly of canada.Its appetite is far to ravenous for us to think about controling .What is actually happening Sue,is that we are eating our own for the sake of an ideology that even canadains cannot support.So what makes us think that we can.
It is us that has become blind by a vision of greed and want.When others have painted the other side of the field so much greener.
Although it was a little ambiguous what you meant, point taken.
Thanks Liam - I just would not do that. Kind of makes you wonder though why the comments directed to Newfoundland and Labrador out of Ontario are not directed at Quebec.
"why the comments directed to Newfoundland and Labrador out of Ontario are not directed at Quebec."
I would like to answer that Sue ,if its OK.Most in Otario still feel that Newfoundladnders in general still work 10 for 50.That very same mentality still goes around here today.No one in Ontario relises how much we contribute to canada.And if you bring it up ,your highly doubted when you start speaking fact.
Why is it not directed towards Quebeors.Simple.Becuase,Ontario knows that they simply wont take it.And,they threaten the country with dividing it in half.Which in turn scares the Be-J#@$% out of every canadian.They feel that they have to appease Quebec to keep the poor maritimes provinces from starving,bottom line.They believe that if canada broke-up that they would be fine,but Atlatic canada would starve.
Isn't ignorance blissfull
It is time the formula changed to reflect other economic factors and it is time that non-renewable resource revenues were removed. If that happened both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador could be net contributors to the equation for the foreseeable future and perhaps even Nova Scotia.
Huh? Under what math? How would getting more equalization — that's the purpose of excluding NRNRs — result in a province being a net contributor?
Ontarians should close their eyes - take a gulp - and whisper - Quebec is a welfare province. They are getting more than us - and they still want more - that's not fair.
What's "not fair"?
The Quebec gets more than Ontario? (And how much IS that? And "gets more" from whom?)
That any province gets more than Ontario?
That Quebec gets more than another province?
That any province gets more than another province?
Would you care to show us your financial assessment that shows how much better off we'd be
Don't be lazy - care to show us who you are - and the financial assessment to show we would not be?
correct WJM - with the removal of NRR - when we reached the so-called "have" status we would have done so using other "real" economic indicators - thereby allowing us to remain a net contributor - as the monies invested - untouched - from oil would stabilize the economy in a real sense - population growth - employment - improved and expanded infrastructure - especially in Labrador.
Then of course - who gets what. You are not being clever on this WJM - why does Quebec receive equalization. Explain that to us.
While you are at it - provide numbers on equalization - each province and the amount they received.
I'm not doing the work for you and Russell's federal office.
good points Sue and you're right, the next federal election will be a banner one for NL separatists if NL First or anyone else decides to run a bunch of bloc style candidates.
I doubt they'll win a seat the first time out of the gate but I bet they'll wake up the federal intetests (especially those haunting this province and your blog).
Its time they saw that the people of this province are fed up with being the door mat of Canada and the poor cousin who sleeps on the couch.
Sue ,have you gotten a response in regards to why Quebec receive's equalization.Not trying to instigate an arguement.Just intersted in the persons response.
A response yes - but not worth posting. They receive equalization based on the current formula and population. I knew that when I asked - so "clever" answers or sarcasm will not be posted.
The formula is designed around Quebec and the Province based on per-capita debt - unemployment - new jobs created - federal government jobs - crown agencies - blocked with hydro and industry - is not coming off equalization - and a province I might add that feels it can go it alone.
So that's the question - and yes it is time to change the formula. Notwithstanding all of that - they use the formula to maximize benefits (and they should) we don't.
Considering they get the lions share of equalization - why won't Ontario take them on?
"Then again if we left the Central Canadian federation - we'd be laughing all the way to the bank."
Laughing indeed.
I'm laughing now. What tripe.
Mark, could you please clarify exactly what you mean by 'tripe'? Thank you!
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