Commission of Government 2.0

The economic mess of Newfoundland and Labrador should be compared to the Great Depression - and we should soon realize that a bailout will become necessary.

The bailout required will not be restricted to financial but administrative as well.

The causes of the Great Depression are well established but the Muskrat Depression is something else again. It is representative of governments bereft of ideas, talent, capabilities, sound judgement while possibly being full of malfeasance.

We have now successfully repeated monumental mistakes of the past. By majority we do not know our history -  for reasons of disinterest, ignorance, the lack of educational direction, and ineffective journalism.

Can we ever return to the modern version of "responsible government"? What will our options be to come out of Commission of Government 2.0 - after it occurs?

In 2017 descriptive words such as "Commission of Government" will not be used. More diplomacy will be required as the Canadian Government steps in as the British did in 1934.

In the 1940's the choices were continued and reformed Commission, return to Responsible Government or to become a Canadian province.

In the Commission of Government 2.0 the choices to exit may be a provincially run system within Canada, join in an Atlantic Union, (the Island with Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick and Labrador with Quebec) or if we say so a choice to leave Canada.

This sounds harsh - and no doubt the words I use above will be avoided and top level spin will put the situation in a different light. Ball has already started with the word "mitigate" and we should expect the word cooperate with other provinces - particularly Quebec and Nova Scotia to soon follow.

As with the Great Depression - the Muskrat Depression will question our ability ro govern ourselves and also highlight the massive economic woes that will leave us no other choice but to cooperate. We will be made to feel less than capable, less than who we are, and unable to be left on our own to survive.

Our Terms of Union with Canada were and are weak - they are reflective of a population that was coerced into giving up our sovereignty for pennies on the dollar (for our resources) in return for things such as the baby bonus. We will be made to feel inept and question our own selves and our abilities.

There's no doubt the fish merchants of the 40's and the Muskrat merchants of 2017 are very much alike and for their own direct gain they will sell out their fellow citizens in a heartbeat.

By placing Tom Osborne in the finance portfolio - we have basically committed to a bureaucracy run government. Maintaining Siobhan Coady in the resources portfolio we have committed to the Muskrat elite continuing the unstoppable but yet destructive Muskrat fiasco. Aboriginal issues that Lisa Dempster looks forward to dealing with comes with the caveat that the Premier has always found her "whiny". Perhaps the Premier feels the actions of the Land Protectors are "whiny" and therefore whiners should stick together,   

Perhaps Gerry Byrne has shown interest in the inevitable leadership race and therefore placed in the guaranteed to lose Fisheries portfolio.

Being a little more wily - Canada will not transparently step on our turf - it will do so in the nicest possible way - saving us from ourselves - while sticking it to our independence.

Wherever the 3 amigos exist (Williams, MacDonald, and Tobin) Williams overtly PC - Tobin overtly Liberal - MacDonald swinging as is necessary) we are getting the shaft.

As in the original Commission of Government there are untouchable issues. For the original it was denominational education  - the Commission felt it should change - become efficient and economically sustainable - however the churches (the all powerful in NL at the time) would not have it. In the modern Commission of Government 2.0 - where it's obvious Muskrat should be halted - it will be the one thing that will keep going as the Muskrat elite hold a power similar to the churches in the 1940's.

When I tweeted the other day that the only potential NL had left was that the "undecided" voters hold a lead in the polls at 33% - I meant it. If it was sustained and a new party emerged supporting the fundamental belief in responsible government - we could remove ourselves from the clutches of the Canadian wolf. That does not mean separation necessarily but does mean we will right our track and allow NL to survive for generations to come.

The bouncing back and forth between PC and Liberal will destroy us and the NDP that is disinterested in truly expanding and having ideas outside the historical position of Tommy Douglas - has left us in a place where taking a completely different chance on a new entity is not only palpable but desirable.

We do have people among us who are capable and truly understand the meaning of public service. People who are intelligent, creative, caring and dependable.

I can see right now that we are for all intents and purposes in the Commission of Government 2.0 - and if you watch the Federal government and the local Liberals closely you can see that too.

The only question that remains is how will we come out of it and what choices will we have?

We must act quickly or the Muskrat elite will remove all but one choice from our future.

Ball is the perfect candidate to move us through to Commission of Government 2.0 as he is the text book case of a "leader" needing somebody - anybody - to tell him what to do. Right now he is vulnerable to the worst of political scoundrels unless he himself is one also.

There is NO doubt Muskrat should be stopped now and we should use our place in Canada to recoup monies wasted via the failure of successive Canadian governments to pay us for the loss of our fishery.

There is no doubt a forensic audit should be done immediately on Muskrat Falls - to determine if there are people to be fired, investigated, and possibly charged. This cannot wait until the "completion" that is lunacy.

There is no doubt that Muskrat must be stopped to allow further investigation into the engineering of the project and potentially life threatening circumstances at the spur.

Our government is weak, the Opposition parties are weak, the Cabinet is weak, and we now must be strong.




 

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.

Muskrat: Example of Dunderdale's "new" Communication

Beneficiaries of the Muskrat deal:
Emera shareholders
Industry Nova Scotia
People of Nova Scotia
Company owners - engineering, construction, project management
Hydro-Quebec
Losers of the Muskrat deal:
The people and next 4 generations of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians


So the Premier was on a tear yesterday, Muskrat Love - here and there - Muskrat Love everywhere. Kathy Dunderdale has officially done us in. This deal is the worst deal we could have made on such a resource. It not only is a giveaway - it is also a concrete block tied to the feet of our childrens' future.

The polls - the by-election loss - the loss of Jerome Kennedy - and of Tom Osborne - will not stop this Premier from burying us with this fiasco. Kathy Dunderdale said that her government needs to communicate better - so she has started.

So here we go:

Quotes by the Premier yesterday - thanks to the Telegram story

1. “This is a project with tremendous vision. Our province will be practically 100 per cent renewable, powered by clean, emissions free energy, and our electricity customers can bank on stable electricity rates,”

2. “We are shouldering our unshrinkable responsibility to leave no stone unturned, no resource untapped and to ground Newfoundland and Labrador’s future firmly and securely in the solid bedrock of sustainable and renewable prosperity.”

3. “When the greatest moments of our history are recollected long generations from now, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will remember the choice that Prime Minister Harper made  — the choice to stand beside our people in advancing Muskrat Falls.”

So the deal is - it's great - it's perfect - best it could be -  and you all are gonna like it. The new communication strategy has begun. Sounds exactly like the last communication strategy - tell everybody is good and therefore it will be.

So the first quote tells us that we can bank on stable electricity rates. Okay stable - but how high?

The second - the no resource untapped beauty - sure we will tap all our resources but not for our benefit - that's the problem and she certainly has placed our future in bedrock - buried, stuck, sinking.

And as for the third one - the "long generations from now" yeah that is going to be a long ways out alright - and by the time we remember Harper for "stand beside our people" our grandchildren will condemn both the Premier and the Prime Minister for this mess. Our Premier took us to the edge of the cliff and the Prime Minister pushed us. Down we went hand in hand. But wait - the Prime Minister had a safety line connected.

Meanwhile Dunderdale sits up on the hill she so abruptly shut down - while still under a cloak - and bellows to the people beneath her, "this is really good for you, it is really really good for you, it's good really, look at the really really good work we are doing."

New Communication? No - just the drive to ram this project through at whatever cost.

As for the Opposition parties - they have been left to watch our people suffer - without a dime to do anything about it. Gee it sure will be great to become the government a decade from now. Dunderdale, Williams, and Martin long gone - and our revenues with them.

It turns my stomach to even watch the news - the discussion of this project makes me physically ill. The lengths to which the hidden masters will go to own everything and when not owning control the development of everything - is really unmatched in mature democracies.

As for the Federal Government - sure it's a great deal they gave us right? Just like the rest of the things they have done for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Polygraph in order? Kent and Osborne

Which one would agree to a polygraph - Osborne or Kent?

This is an important test and both should be asked if they would agree. Kent is lobbying hard to sit in the Dunderdale Cabinet and is prepared to throw himself under Kathy's big blue bus if necessary. Osborne says he cannot take Dunderdale's leadership and no longer recognizes his own party.

Osborne says Kent spoke to him about concerns regarding the Premier's ability to lead and Kent says he did not.

Dunderdale for her part explained the road to Cabinet is through developing a relationship with her. That would leave Kent in a "deadwood" zone if he privately questioned the queen of the Tories ability to do her job.

It's bad enough that Dunderdale's most stated objective is that sucking up to her is the road to success - but when one of those kissing #*# might actually be doing so for the cameras while taking a swipe in the shadows - the plot thickens.

So this is an important truth. We don't want the convenient truth - we want the whole truth.

Is is disgruntled Tom or desperate Steve?

Let's see which one is willing to swear to it or be tested by a machine that could ultimately build or break political careers.

St

Good morning Democracy

The polympics Sue's Blog talked about not to long ago is in full swing.

Make no mistake the loss of Tom Osborne is probably one of the most significant hits the Dunderdale administration could have taken. Tom was raised PC and should be considered as the real grassroots of the party. Tom is also adored by his constituents and is one of the very few Tory MHA's that was elected on his own merit. He did not win because Danny or Kathy were at the helm and would have won if the Tory's faced a wipeout last October.

The comments he made about the leadership of the PC's should be taken seriously and reflect many others who complain quietly to each other in the kitchen. I "suspect" it's going to become significantly more boisterous over the next few weeks.

Mr. Osborne has children and he knows this administration is promoting policies that may be very harmful for generations to come. Good for him that he took a stand for them not just himself and his immediate ambitions. It does take much more for someone like Tom to cross the floor than others who have done so in the past for political and personal expedience.

Tom however is not alone with many former Tory Cabinet Ministers sounding alarm bells over the Muskrat Falls fiasco. He is as they say in good company.

In conclusion - if Tom left his party it must be pretty rough inside and those splinters rubbing up against the Premier are going to deliver real political pain...and yes he can deliver extremely good organization for either opposition party and can deliver the St. John's Metro area too.

The Covered Building Holds all the Secrets

Have you driven by the people's building yet? You know the (Con)federation building.

Have you noticed all the sheets draped over it?

Outside of changing the bricks to Tory blue - the sheets are holding another meaning.

Since (con)federation in 1949 and the initial Joey's ownership years that followed - the WillDun administration must be the most secretive and unaccountable government.

So enter stage right - Danny Williams - and boom - all truths will be revealed. Let's bring the Auditor General in and let him see what everybody else was trying to hide. While former MHA's were being carted of to jail - Williams was busy.

Yes we seen an untendered pile of money go to Dean MacDonald's company, Persona for "good" public policy reasons. I call this "Flip that Utility" - which you can read HERE.

Then we seen Williams - after demonstrating shock and disappointment - over the findings of the Auditor General - promptly call in Chief Justice Greene to study what went wrong and present a report on how to fix it.

Chief Justice Greene in his usual style - expertly reviewed the material - and presented a superior report with recommendations. (He should be a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada) If that were to happen I could actually say that the federal government had for once made a good decision. In either case, Chief Justice Greene's report spoke specifically about the need for accountability in public accounts.

So Danny - King of the Truth and Accountability - after the worst mess since Sir Richard Squires - proceeded in presiding over government MHA's that did not hold a public meeting in 6 years. Nobody noticed! Excuse me - we had 4 MHA's locked up and nobody noticed that the PUBLIC Accounts Committee was not holding PUBLIC meetings?

Roland Butler the Chair of the Committee and a Liberal - said nothing. Just the other day - the retired Butler said he tried but the Tories would not let him. He's RETIRED and now he's talking.

What of Lorraine? Well the NDP did not have a seat on the Committee - however - the Leader wanted one right? Where are all the News Releases over the past 6 years complaining about the fact that the Committee was not holding public meetings? Is the deal here that if I don't have a seat on the Committee it does not matter? Well no sooner had I wrote this last night than Ms. Michael says in the Telegram today that "When our caucus is represented, I can assure you we will speak very strongly in favour of regular public meetings". I'm sorry Ms. Michael but that is very weak. Why would we have you on it - if you will not speak of it until you are there?

So after the King of Truth exposed the corrupt and criminal behavior of MHA's including his choice for Deputy Premier - Ed Byrne - he proceeded in running a secretive government.

Anybody remember poor Tom Osborne? He was booted from Cabinet by Williams - why? Well as we all recall a bureaucrat did not advise Osborne about error rates in the hormone receptor tests; Osborne has not been in Cabinet since the removal.

Kathy Dunderdale for her part - just experienced a scathing review on accountability by our current Auditor General. Anyway you slice it - it's keeping the public away from how decisions were made on billions of dollars. Open and accountable? Not a chance. What did she say about the negligent behavior of her own MHA's regarding the Public Accounts Committee? Well - apparently she didn't notice either - but now that the CBC has advised her on the operations of a House Committee - she will be drilling down on that.

Let's have a serious discussion here people. We the people are not in control of our own government or the MHA's that we elect. After the most disgusting exposure of corruption and criminal behavior by some of our elected representatives and the not-criminal but very questionable expenditures and behavior of many more - we are allowing them to set up another system that is ripe for abuse.

The PC, Liberal, and NDP had at least one of their MHA's locked in a prison cell - and therefore every party should be super sensitive to anything that may look odd to the people they serve. For 6 years these politicians sat on their hands and said nothing about this very disturbing situation.

How arrogant are they? Well they take the recommendations of a Chief Justice and essentially flush them down a toilet. What do we do? Is it time to meet on the steps of the Colonial Building?

You see what better way to set up a secretive government than by claiming to be the King of Truth and Accountability on the front end?

Waiting for change from these politicians? Boot them out first or make them change the rules first? Which comes first the chicken or the egg? I am going to have to trek from here to the chicken farm by Cochrane Pond to think about it - oh wait that's private property now - right?