And so it Begins

The time has come to open the blog once again and begin the process of picking through the garbage - which is our politics.

The Premier is at it again with energy - the Opposition is doing nothing about it - and generally speaking they are all out looking for the vote.

Since the Blog has been down - the Federal Budget has been presented the Fishery has been crucified and generally our Energy Plan or (Danny's Plan) has been coming out in dribs and drabs as the Premier sees fit.

No More Giveaways???????

Yeah Right...

Premier Williams - you need to chat with Dr. John

Premier downplaying our historic and economic past...

Outside of the usual "homing pigeon" comments - in other words we want to be crapped on - Danny is making us the laughing stock of Canada.

While on his u-haul constituent tour in Alberta the Premier apparently said the following:

"We joined Confederation in 1949 and so are Canada's youngest and coolest province," said Williams. "And when we grow up, we want to be just like Alberta. We just want to wrap our arms around this province and fully embrace it."

We may have joined Confederation in 1949 - but we should have been bloody grown up by then. We are Juniors in Canada but Seniors as a country. Danny we existed before confederation and hopefully we can exist after it. When we grow up we want to be like Alberta???? When our veterans were fighting in the wars - were we grown up then? When we sent salt fish to Alberta to a starving population - were we grown up then? When we built one of the best engineering structures in the world (the Upper Churchill) - were we grown up then? When the miners on Bell Island were hauling ore to supply the war effort - were we grown up then? When we fed Europe with our fish from the treacherous North Atlantic in an open dory or wooden schooner - were we grown up then? When we fed our iron ore to Quebec and Ontario to build their economies - were we grown up then?
Please spend some time with Dr. John Fitzgerald and really listen to him - don't lock him up in a Central Canadian Tower - and you might learn that we grew up along time ago. We do not need a politician that acts like a child looking for a cotton candy. Or one that uses aviary terms to describe our people - or hockey analogies every time we are discussing or debating a serious issue.

Wrap your arms around Alberta all you like - but if you understood the fishery and the size of the losses we have suffered under the federal mismanagement fiasco - if you truly understood the value of hydropower and oil gas - wind - tidal and wave power - if you understood the size of our iron ore deposits and copper and nickel and uranium and gold and ...then you understood the value of our fresh water - you should know that Alberta - if as naturally blessed would have twice the money and people it has now. We don't need a Premier to look at Alberta with worshipful eyes - we need a Premier that has a vision and promotes the Province as the cultural - historic - rich place that it is.

We need to see Alberta as our competitor and you need to be sure that you position us to win - anything else is beneath us Premier. In case you have not noticed they are attracting our people because they are successfully developing their resources. Do you know the amount of industry their oil and gas supports? Have you had a look at their petro-chemical sector? What do you think Danny they would do with 2800 MW's of hydropower.

This is what a reporter said of the Premier:

Where Graham is positioning New Brunswick as Atlantic Canada's energy distributor, Newfoundland aims to be the region's "energy warehouse," said Williams, so the province looks on Alberta with worshipful eyes.

We have always been the warehouse for every resource - we store it up and sell it wholesale - no value added - for somebody else to build an economy on. If you had followed Charest to Davos instead - and then you could have learned a real lesson.

Why are we last in the Council of the Atlantic Premiers?

The Council of the Atlantic Premiers - established in 2000 under Brian Tobin for Newfoundland and Labrador - has a mandate to promote the interests of the Atlantic Region.

I have some grave concerns that this institution like most other Canadian entities puts Newfoundland and Labrador at the back of the line.

Firstly the Council has an office with 14 full-time employees - it is located in Halifax.

There are many associated organizations involved in some way or another with the Council and it is more than passing strange that all of them are located everywhere but Newfoundland and Labrador.

Atlantic Canada Online:

Location -
P.O. Box 204
Halifax, NS
B3J 2M4

Atlantic Lottery Corporation

Head Office Location -
Atlantic Lottery Corporation
PO Box 5500
922 Main
Moncton, N.B. E1C 8W6

Atlantic Police Academy

Location -
Prince Edward Island

Atlantic Veterinary College

Location -
Prince Edward Island

Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission

Location -
Fredricton New Brunswick

The Independent Organizations Listed on the Council of the Atlantic Premiers website are:

ACOA Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Head Office Location -
Moncton New Brunswick

Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce

Location -
Moncton New Brunswick

Atlantic Provinces Economic Council

Location -
Halifax Nova Scotia

Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority

Location - Head Office
Halifax Nova Scotia

Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association

Location -
Dieppe New Brunswick


So Newfoundland and Labrador is where in this equation?