What does a 10 year old think?

Yesterday was budget day in Canada and the Speech from the Throne day in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As usual the media wants to know what the Boards of Trade think, what other politicians think, what unions think, ad what "big" cities think - but not any curiosity as to what a 10 year old would think.

The feds raided the contingency piggy bank and sold the GM shares to fictionalize a balanced budget. The upper middle class to upper class received more incentive to keep their money sheltered and anything whatsoever that could be considered middle class was put off for future governments to budget. Not much there for the 10 year old and many things to worry about as they enter into their post-secondary and career years.

The province provided a similar plan for destitution for the 10 year old - just slightly worse. We will now run deficits for 6 more years and borrow billions more - this is bad news for the 10 year old. We will be laying down chunks of cash year over year for the Williams/Dunderdale/Marshall/Davis legacy - supplying cheap power for Nova Scotia - this is bad news for the 10 year old.

So if I'm 10 - I can look forward to mounting debt - depleted non-renewable resources with no heritage cash, the payment of pensions 3 generations past, an aging population, a dwindling population, escalated health care costs, crumbling infrastructure and disappearing communities.

I can look forward to depleting oil - with no societal wealth, depleting minerals - shipped out unprocessed, a fishery that has been turned over to a few elite - no processing, a declining if not completely wiped out forestry industrial sector, and energy that I have to pay for regardless - so Nova Scotian young adults can rely on energy for growing industry.

Self-serving, underachieving, mentally lazy, and partisan zealots - have made my future real bright.

The 10 year old should start watching this:

The Newfoundland and Labrador debt clock PRESS HERE

The Canadian debt clock PRESS HERE

or for the other option - where politicians put the next generation ahead of personal or partisan interests - the Norwegian wealth clock PRESS HERE

I went to the Throne speech yesterday and watched the classless and clueless behavior of many government members. From the gallery - I could watch them check pictures on Facebook - or just simply click away on their cellphones while the Lieutenant Governor told us about our future and how important the people are.

Disgraceful. How do you sleep at night?

Our children are going to leave - they will have no other choice.

Enough of the Bullshit

This week we heard our former Premier Danny Williams use the word bullshit to describe population projections for Newfoundland and Labrador by the Conference Board of Canada.

We also heard him dismiss Bill Barry completely for a run at the PC leadership.

Top that with a new legacy for his family announced with plenty of "Mile One" like fanfare.

What's bullshit is this:

I need a line here - and I need a line there. I need for you to be proud. I need a development on the lower churchill. You will be Premier - you will run - you will not run? We got it - we are have - we are cool, hip, and PROUD.

Grimes should shut-up - but I don't need to? Harper should shut-up - but I don't need to? The Conference Board of Canada - well that's bullshit - listen to my well researched statistics and projections instead?

Hydro-Quebec is good - Hydro-Quebec is bad - take em on - lace up the skates - go around em - through em.

I will fight with Abitibi - shag it if we lose two papermills? I will fight with Harper - shag it if we lose any number of things?

I will boot Fabian out (he supported his people)? I will remove Tom from Cabinet (for something he did not do)?

I will tell you when to be proud and tell you when it's over. I will tell what resources will be developed and when? I will avail of those resources myself - when I want and how I want?

The throne of God is diminished in his presence?

That's bullshit. It always was bullshit and remains bullshit.

I will tell the media when they can speak to me - what they can ask me - and dismiss them at my will - I will punish and sue and punish and threaten to sue - don't give a shit if it's valid?

Look at me - I'm Danny Williams - Look at me?

Bullshit.

Hey Canada - Here it is!!! Our Scrapbook on Confederation

First things first...

Meet Loyola Hearn - Canada's Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Newfoundland and Labrador's representative in the Federal Cabinet.

This is the fellow who promised custodial management of the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap. He lied. This is also the fellow who voted against Newfoundland and Labrador by supporting a budget and amendments to the equalization formula - that did not deliver another promise to remove non-renewable resource revenues from equalization. He and the Prime Minister lied.




Now let me introduce you to Tom Rideout Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the fellow who just finished overseeing the destruction of Newfoundland and Labrador's greatest fishing company FPI. Rather than use the legislature to ensure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador would get the best of the deal - he allowed the great marketing arm of the company drift away. Further the fish will eventually be controlled by Iceland and Nova Scotia interests.


Then there is this fellow - John Crosbie the infamous Newfoundlander and Labradorian who oversaw the elimination of the railway for pittance and the grand announcer of the moratorium on ground-fish stocks for Canada. He was the federal Minister who said the moratorium would probably go one for a few years before the fish stocks recovered. That was 1992 - they are not back yet - it is now 15 years later. Pour me another Tequila Sheila "John" should pass the stuff around as....



60,000 people left Newfoundland and Labrador since the moratorium.

Term 22 gave the fishery to the feds shortly after confederation.

Also found Term 31

31. At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,

(a) the Newfoundland Railway, including steamship and other marine services;

(b) The Newfoundland Hotel, if requested by the Government of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador within six months from the date of Union:

(c) postal and publicly owned telecommunication services;

(d) civil aviation, including Gander Airport;

(e) customs and excise;

(f) defence;

(g) protection and encouragement of fisheries and operation of bait services;

(h) geological, topographical, geodetic, and hydrographic surveys;

(i) lighthouses, fog alarms, buoys, beacons, and other public works and services in aid of navigation and shipping;

(j) marine hospitals, quarantine, and the care of shipwrecked crews;

(k) the public radio broadcasting system; and

(I) other public services similar in kind to those provided at the date of Union for the people of Canada generally.

and then
32(1)

32. (1) Canada will maintain in accordance with the traffic offering a freight and passenger steamship service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, which, on completion of a motor highway between Corner Brook and Port aux Basques, will include suitable provision for the carriage of motor vehicles:

We will pick that up a little later.


Fsih gone and futures of thousands of children like the boy in the picture gone.

Please Canada notice 31(g)
At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,protection and encouragement of fisheries and operation of bait services

This has not occurred and as a result we have lost over 60,000 people of a population of 500,000 - over 10% - as a result of the federal government's mismanagement of the fishery.

If Ontario or Quebec or Alberta lost 10% of their population as a result of direct mismanagement of a renewable resource what would the people there demand???




Extinct
Then there is Term 31(a)
At the date of Union, or as soon thereafter as practicable, Canada will take over the following services and will as from the date of Union relieve the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of the public costs incurred in respect of each service taken over, namely,the Newfoundland Railway, including steamship and other marine services.

The railway gone for a one time commitment of funds to complete the Trans Canada highway with four lanes. Oh well money gone and no funds for maintenance.

Check out the ruts in our highway as all the freight is on the road and not on the track. Canada off the hook again.

The there is the ferry - you know the one that connects the country - Port aux Basques to North Sydney. Term 32 (1)

Canada will maintain in accordance with the traffic offering a freight and passenger steamship service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, which, on completion of a motor highway between Corner Brook and Port aux Basques, will include suitable provision for the carriage of motor vehicles:



We don't have one of these: The Confederation Bridge connecting Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada. No we have the "ferry". Expensive - often delayed - cancelled - and not pleasing to many consumers. This raises the rates of our consumable goods and detracts from our great tourism potential.

So Canada - we are not prepared to stay down - unable to use our non-renewable resource revenues to try and correct some of the damage the federal government is responsible for. And it's time you paid up - replace the value of the lost fishing renewable - and while you are at it. How about this?



The mighty Churchill River and Falls producing over 5000 mw's of power primarily used in Quebec for their economic development and tremendous hydro profits - significant in making Hydro-Quebec what it is today. You see Canada the feds did not stand up for Newfoundland and Labrador when it wanted the right to wheel power through Quebec to markets. Although PM Trudeau said it was the right of Canada to intervene - they did not.

Today Quebec looks forward to buying the power from us at 1/4 cent per KWH and reselling it at between 6 and 20 cents per KWH. You do the math Canada.

Where's the industry in Newfoundland and Labrador? Following our natural resources including renewable and non-renewable energy west to our neighbouring provinces - unfortunately our people are following.




Picture by the Independent Newspaper

Thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians lined up to leave this province for mainland Canada. What a legacy of deceit and abuse. We have all the reason in the world to leave Canada - and certainly every reason to be asking for a fair share.

Hershey Kiss(off)

Yay for Free Trade - Yay for Free Trade - Yay for Free Trade.

Another 500 jobs lost to Mexico from Ontario - this time it's the Hershey Kiss(off).

Cheaper to do the chocolates in Mexico - I wonder why? Must be the power rates - or maybe its the tax equation - it can't be the labour costs - because free trade was supposed to raise the salaries of Mexicans not lower wages in the United States or Canada - right?

I'm still holding my breath to see what priorities Campbell Soup is going to recommend to the Government of Canada (undermining Canadian values with some warm chicken soup) - or wait the healthcare system might be restructured by Chevron (greasing up private sector delivery) - or wait our education system taking recommendations from Fed-Ex (maybe a speedier delivery)- or wait how about our energy grid getting designed by Wal-Mart (maybe some falling prices or electrical wires).

Let's get a grip here - corporations that have no ability to vote should not be setting our nation's priorities.

They have designed free trade - to move our businesses to Mexico - with our permission - while telling us things are great. What's up with China by the way? Everybody wants to do business there - but they do not have to commit to democracy or human rights - or an open justice system. They can be as insular and undemocratic as they like - but western nations are tripping over each other to get in there.

Free Trade is:

Losing our jobs to Mexico - to enable our corporations to make more money.

Federal Government is:

The mechanism for corporations to change legislation to allow them to move our jobs to Mexico so they can make more money.

Canadian Voter is:

The mechanism for the Liberals and Conservatives to choose which of them can move our jobs to Mexico so Corporations can make more profit.

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.

The best Politicians money can buy...

So you want to talk to your MP or even the Prime Minister or a Federal Cabinet Minister - no problem. What Joyce Hancock and the women that staged a protest in the fed status of women's office - were missing - was an elite membership in the Council of the Americas.

Instead of being escorted out by the police they could have been meeting with Bev Oda - they could have been dining right next to her at the head table.

Sometimes you know - we have to check that our combined intelligence even registers on the scale. How stupid or lazy we are - is measured by our inability to direct those people we elect and pay to represent us.

The Council of the Americas is:

A business organization whose members share a common commitment to free trade and open markets throughout the Americas. Our programming and advocacy aim to inform, encourage, and promote free and integrated markets for the benefit of the companies that comprise our membership, as well as of the United States and all the people of the Americas.

The Council supports these policies in the belief that they provide an effective means of achieving the economic growth and prosperity on which the business interests of its members depend.

If one becomes an elite member the benefits are:
Elite Level
- Exclusive invitations to the majority of small, private programs, events, and conferences with world leaders
- Preferred Head Table seating at select programs, events and conferences
- Complimentary admission to the annual Latin American Conference
- Complimentary admission to the annual Latin American Economic and Financial
Predictions Conference
- Complimentary admission to the annual NABC Plenary (held every other year in Washington, DC)
- Private annual briefing by Council of the Americas/Americas Society (AS/COA) President and Senior Staff to Corporate Member Board of Directors or Senior Management Team
- Opportunity to rent AS/COA HQ facilities at a reduced member rate plus overhead expenses, once per year, based on availability, and thereafter at member rates.
Now Joyce and the women who joined here were only ordinary Canadians and "voters" because you see corporations can't vote - and apparently they don't need to.

So last week we witnessed Peter MacKay tripping over himself and he stood next to Condoleeza again - and Stockwell Day - almost unable to control his excitement being with the Corporate Elite and officials of the US and Mexican governments.

When asked by a reporter when - let's say ordinary Canadians would get to speak to this North American Union concept - Stockwell - shoulders shifting all over the place - squeaked something about "other venues for that". At least Lou Dobbs had the guts to call it as it was - an elite gathering of politicians and corporations scheming in private. He at least called it dispicable. Our news people - appeared to be excited enough just to be included.

Anyway the group was reviewing a report prepared for them by the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC)- now who are they you ask...

Well they are:
The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) provides the framework to ensure that North America is the safest and best place to live and do business. It includes ambitious security and prosperity programs to keep our borders closed to terrorism yet open to trade.

The SPP recognizes that our three great nations are bound by a shared belief in freedom, economic opportunity, and strong democratic institutions. Since June 2005, the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. governments have worked under its auspices to strengthen economic growth and competitiveness and enhance security in North America.

That’s where the NACC came in.

The three governments established the NACC to collect guidance from the private sector. Members were charged with helping the governments focus their efforts by applying a cost-benefit analysis to the ideas on the table in order to “prioritize the priorities.”

So who is determining the priorities of Canadians?

Representing Canada are:

- Dominic D’Alessandro, President and CEO, Manulife Financial
- Paul Desmarais, Jr., Chairman and Co-CEO, Power Corporation of
Canada
- David A. Ganong, President, Ganong Bros. Limited
- Richard L. George, President and CEO, Suncor Energy Inc.
- E. Hunter Harrison, President and CEO, Canadian National Railway Company
- Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar Corporation
- Michael Sabia, President and CEO, Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE)
- James A. Shepherd, President and CEO, Canfor Corporation
- Annette Verschuren, President, The Home Depot Canada
- Richard E. Waugh, President and CEO, The Bank of Nova Scotia

Representing the United States are:

- Campbell Soup Company
- Chevron Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- FedEx Corporation
- General Electric Company
- General Motors Corp.
- Kansas City Southern
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Merck & Co., Inc.
- Mittal Steel USA
- New York Life Insurance Company
- The Procter & Gamble Company (joined in 2007)
- UPS
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Whirlpool Corporation

Then there is a similar list from Mexico...

This is what is setting priorities for our government. And these few lousy numbers are kicking the crap out of democracy and denying our participation in this process. As parents we are supposed to have an innate need to protect our children. Well the typical lazy "lead me to wherever" is trumping the basic parental responsibilities in spades.
So if you got money - you have politicians whenever and wherever you want.

The New Canada - Halifax to represent the Region

We all know that Halifax is seen (at least quietly) as the center of our universe. You might have heard St. John's City Councillor - Shannie Duff - on CBC this morning raising concerns over the latest Conference Board of Canada Report titled "Mission Possible Successful Canadian Cities".

There is no doubt the Conference Board has summarily dismissed St. John's and in fact this Province when it comes to new policy for Canadian Cities. If we take the report as a document the feds will listen to (and they will) - we have to be worried.

We could be looking at policy for transportation infrastructure - federal jobs and crown agencies - municipal infrastructure - educational institutes - and federal funding - being focused even more on Halifax.



Halifax is what the Conference Board calls one of the HUB cities.
Please Read below for a section of the Report

Policy Implications: Defining the Focus

In highlighting the distinctive needs of Canada’s big cities and the unique economic contribution of Canada’s hub cities identified through our convergence research, this volume makes a strong case for prioritizing this combined group of cities—which we identify as major cities (Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa–Gatineau, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver)—for national strategic investment and focus. Smaller cities and towns, and indeed the country as a whole, will thrive fully when their growth is fuelled by that of the country’s major cities. Helping Canada’s major cities reach their potential is therefore a win-win proposition for all citizens. A wider endorsement of this view by citizens and leaders alike will open the way for a more strategic approach to investment in Canada’s major cities.

You will also note that all provinces have a "major city" except the Atlantic Region which has been restricted to Nova Scotia and Halifax...and then there's this little tidbit for Canada's "Major Cities".

Canada’s major cities are critical to our national prosperity, yet they face significant challenges that limit their potential.Our major cities bear the costs of a growing urban population and expanding economy, but lack the fiscal capacity to meet their needs or to maximize their potential. Booming populations and sprawling development create congestion, environmental and health challenges unique to cities.

The challenges of managing growth are exacerbated by the deteriorating state of Canada’s urban infrastructure. Estimates of the national infrastructure gap ranged, in 2003, from $50 billion to $125 billion, with municipalities owning the largest stake in this gap. Canada’s present systems of municipal governance fail to provide cities with the organizational structures and decision-making capacity necessary for strategic planning and regional coordination.

The decisions that cities and provinces make about development patterns,
transportation, utilities standards, building codes and industrial planning will have profound environmental impacts. Canada’s major city-regions are competing for investment and jobs against other major city-regions around the world. Unless
governments and their civic partners support the kind of initiatives that are boosting the international rankings of competitor cities, prospects of improving the
record of Canadian cities are not good.

You know - I am just a little sick of our province being crucified by Canadian Institutions - and now the Conference Board weighs in on this ridiculous concept.

I hope there will be some response to this before Newfoundland and Labrador becomes a virtual appendage to Atlantica under the stewardship of Halifax.

Please see a copy of the Report HERE

It is interesting to note how this report came to be:

The Canada Project had its genesis in 2002 at The Conference Board of Canada’s annual Canadian Conference—a meeting of senior public and private sector leaders at which participants are invited to share their most pressing concerns about
Canada’s present challenges and future prospects.
Many of the leaders at this meeting raised the same underlying issue: that Canada was floundering in a state of public policy drift at a time that called out for national strategic action in the face of rising global competition.
And thus, The Canada Project was born.
Now, almost four years later—thanks to the $2.4 million invested by business and government organizations, the $1.0 million contributed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the effort and expertise invested by some of Canada’s top researchers and professionals—we present this four-volume compendium of the results of our work.
Here are the list of sponsors for the Project:
Note the Lead Investor was CIBC
Academic Research Funding Partner: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Accenture Inc.
Alberta Ministry of Municipal Affairs
ATB Financial
Banque Nationale du Canada
BCE Inc.
Bombardier Transportation
British Columbia Ministry of Community Services
Business Development Bank of Canada
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canam Group Inc.
CGI Group Inc.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
DuPont Canada
EnCana Corporation
Ernst & Young LLP
Forest Products Association of Canada
General Electric Canada Inc.
George Weston Limited
Harris Steel Group Inc.
IBM Canada Ltd.
Imperial Oil Limited
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Manulife Financial Corporation
Mercer Delta Consulting Limited
Microsoft Canada Co.
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Power Corporation of Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
RBC Financial Group
SaskEnergy Incorporated
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Social Sciences and Humanities .
Research Council of Canada
Sun Life Financial Inc.
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
TD Bank Financial Group
TELUS Corporation
The Bank of Nova Scotia
The Co-operators Group Limited
Toronto Hydro Corporation
TransAlta Corporation
UBS Securities Canada Inc.
Unilever Canada Inc.
Xerox Canada Ltd.

It is time to move on this!