Russell Wangersky - Tom Marshall - Muskrat Falls

Russell Wangersky hits a home run in this weekend's Telegram. The column titled, "Now things are getting nasty", demonstrates yet again the attitude of our elected representatives.

This piece takes on a letter submitted to the paper by Finance Minister, Tom Marshall. More particularly it challenges one specific point Marshall makes. The quote being discussed is: “I suspect Mr. Jones is not really interested in seeing Newfoundland and Labrador reach its true potential by moving forward with large-scale energy developments that are clearly in the best interests of this province.”

The Mr. Jones referred to is Telegram columnist - Brian Jones. Jones has been appropriately and fairly challenging the proposed deal between Emera and Nalcor - to develop Muskrat Falls.

Wangersky finds the statement "out of character" for Marshall who Russell describes this way: "Tom Marshall is usually one of the province’s more moderate ministers. He doesn’t boil over in House of Assembly debates or question period, and when he’s faced with something that he views to be inaccurate, he will usually find a plain and almost soft-spoken way to correct the record."

If you have had direct dealings with Tom Marshall - you may have experienced the same sort of Jekyll and Hyde. I find the Minister does appear pleasant, polite, understanding, and overall level-headed. If you - however - do not come around to his "thinking" or "position" on an issue - he will become aloof, disinterested, and yes as nasty as the best of em.

From my continued observation of both Brian Jones and Tom Marshall - I "suspect" if either of them has an hidden agenda, it is Marshall. In fact most all the PC MHA's are behaving in the same way. The difference of course is that Jones is not asking to spend 8 billion dollars belonging to you and I - Marshall is. If the Minister feels the expenditure is a good investment - he and his colleagues have failed to prove that to the majority of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

The PC's will berate, intimidate, insult, and sometimes even sue former Cabinet Ministers, former MHA's,  professionals, bloggers, talk show participants, the media, and the public at large - if they question the logic and viability of this proposed energy deal. This despite our history of poor resource deals and the history of corruption globally when billions of dollars are involved.

You see it is not the job of Brian Jones to sell this Emera/Nalcor fiasco - while it is his and all of our jobs to challenge it. The job of "con"vincing belongs to the government - to date they have failed. I "suspect" that the deal is so bad that it cannot be sold on its merits.

I "suspect" that absent the physical warfare - the Dunderdale administration is reducing itself to partisan tribalism. This is Newfoundland and Labrador not Afghanistan and I "suspect" that one senior official of this government has all kinds of experience in countries that deter open and free debate through ridicule and otherwise interference in the lives of those who challenge them.

I "suspect" that from the Railway to Churchill Falls - generations of these merchants continue to call the shots - and they do not want ordinary people to stand in the way of their wealth building.

I further "suspect" that the government, Nalcor, departments, and the PC Party have done numerous public opinion polls on this deal - where are they? Where's MQO when you need them? I "suspect" they might be just around the corner - with I "suspect" a less-than-scientific poll.

Majority Must - Harper says Canada must Adapt to Me!

I presume you have been listening to the frenzied call for a majority by Stephen Harper to Canada and Canadians.

He says things like stability and security - in his efforts to frighten Canadians away from their own democracy.

Twice now we have had a stable and secure parliament as elected by Canadians. Our free democratic choice at the polls. Is Harper suggesting that we were wrong? Is he saying Canadians are stupid and he will keep folding parliament either directly or indirectly until Canadians get it right?

Stephen Harper must understand that he and all other MP's and political parties must work within the numbers Canadians elect. If that is a minority - then the governing party must work with all MP's to find compromise that reflects the ideologies properly and legally elected by people of this Country.

If Harper and company receive a minority - then he must work with all MP's to find a balanced way through for our people. If not - a coalition must be sought within parliament and they must work to find that balance. That has been the will of our people in the past two elections. Stephen Harper does not accept our elected choices. Stephen Harper is saying to Canadians - I am only willing to make parliament work if you give me a majority.

Stephen Harper is like an American fish out of water in Canadian politics and he would like the Country to adapt to him. That is the arrogance of this man - and also the danger he presents to our nation.

Stephen Harper will not accept that you and I will vote NDP, Liberal, Green, or Bloc. He will tell us that we are going to destruct if we continue with minorities, coalitions, or other parliamentry arrangements.

What makes all of this worse is that he lies over and over and will continue to do so - to get and retain power. He will eliminate unacceptable Canadians from his public election events after an "electoral background check" is done on citizens of this country.

He will take one of the cornerstones of a mature democracy - the media - and control them also - with question limits and physical accessability to him. This is what he sends our military to fight against in other countries.

The most disingenuous rendition of lyrics I have ever heard - is this man singing "Imagine". I do not believe John Lennon could have found anyone so polar opposite to himself and no doubt would cringe that Harper would sing this song in yet another lie to gain majority control of Canada.

If Stephen Harper will not accept your choices on election day - do the right thing this time and tell him to move on.

Note on the Lennon performance by Harper. Lenono music has now claimed copyright and has removed the video from youtube. Happy to see that - but the Conservatives and Harper used it to alter image yet again. 

A tribute to the Hockey Player...

A couple of weeks ago - we learned that certain banks were causing further grief to the spouses of our soldiers killed in war - by questionning the validity of mortgage insurance because of how they died - "at war".

It was then I knew I had to celebrate the professional Canadian hockey player - you know the man that gets more attention from our Prime Minister than the families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan. You know the people who make millions a year shooting a rubber disc up and down the ice - shooting at a heavily armoured goalie.

I had to pay tribute to our hockey players because they lay their lives on the centre line every time the whistle blows. Most are there to answer the call the next day. The travel they have to put in travelling between Canada and the USA for months on end - away from their families - and children.

Consider the home-coming of a Stanley Cup winner - where the media may freely shoot their stories - usually not in the dark behind a fence. The thousands of cheering fans at the airport - to quickly return home and get ready for the victory parade.

Then they can retire in dignity - in a BC condo neighbours to ex-politicians that voted our people to combat.

Then I would like to to think of our soldiers - and tell me what you think the problem is. You see if we cannot treat our people we send to battle - some of whom never return - as well as we treat a hockey player - then we should not have the right to enlist them.