If you are a Newfoundland politics junkie who hasn’t been reading Uncle Gnarley, then you’ve been missing out. You can fix that by reading the latest offering from Gnarley – a.k.a. Des Sullivan – about Nalcor and the idea of having bureaucrats play at being entrepreneurs. While you’re at it,
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The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Horse farts #nlpoli
If you do nothing else in the next few days, take the time to read the decision issued Friday (see below) by a Quebec superior court judge in a case brought by the provincial government against Hydro-Quebec. Judge Joel Silcoff does one thing supremely well: he summarises about 40 years
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: 2019 should be interesting #nlpoli
The cheque’s been cash. There’s no more cash flowing. But the deal is not quite done, yet. (Read more…)
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Crime Severity Indices, St. John’s #nlpoli
This week, Statistics Canada released their latest compilation of crime statistics based on reports by police. The figures in the release were year to year but if you hunt around a bit, you can find the original tables of data. from there, you can pluck out specific information. In this
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Slates #nlpoli
In any delegated political convention, you need to elect delegates in each of the districts who will vote for your candidate at the leadership convention. CBC’s On Point featured three individuals last weekend who were touted as being key players in each of the camps. David Brazil was from the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Uncommon Stupidity #nlpoli
There are times when a politician’s comments are so stunned they just take your breath away. The first few days of the Damn-fool Fishery this weekend were marred by a tragic and entirely preventable death off Bell Island. A man drowned after being tossed from the boat in which he
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Traitors Everywhere #nlpoli
Tony Collins loves Muskrat Falls. He loves it so much that every now and again he takes the valuable space from his column in the weekend Telegram and lets loose with a verbal assault on the people who don’t love the project as much as he does. The last time
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Blackbird Song
it’s summer. We don;t need to talk politics all the time. here’s a song from the past that some people will remember. It only did well in this part of North America likely because we are the only ones who didn’t think these people had an accent. -srbp-
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: La Romaine: on or off? #nlpoli
On Monday, Quebec premier Philippe Couillard left the impression that the third and fourth dams on the La Romaine river were in doubt. Couillard told reporters as he headed to the meeting of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers that Hydro-Quebec would finish the first two dams, currently under
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Shapes and sizes #nlpoli
The Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada and uncle of King George, visited St. John’s in the middle of July, 1914. During his visit, he officially opened a new park in St. John’s and inspected the paramilitary groups that formed the basis of Newfoundland’s defence plan in the event
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Conservative race picks up speed #nlpoli
One of the great things about political campaigns is that the players have a chance to surprise observers. We saw that in the Liberal leadership as Cathy Bennett went from being a complete political novice to coming in third against two experienced competitors. In the Conservative leadership race, we have
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Gone, baby, gone #nlpoli
In September 2008, four cabinet ministers went to Harbour Grace to announce that the provincial government was giving the company $8.0 million in public money, interest free. The provincial government communications people circulated a picture of the four at the time – from left, Jerome Kennedy, Danny Williams, Paul Oram,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Issues and Answers – on line #nlpoli
After a couple of false starts over the past year, it looks like NTV has started posting episodes of Issues and Answers online. That’s good news for political junkies. The half hour public affairs show airs Sundays at noon with a couple of rebroadcasts. Unfortunately, if you missed it or
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Desolation of Smog #nlpoli
The Telegram’s Peter Jackson used the most recent JM paper on consumer electricity prices and Muskrat Falls as part of his Wednesday column. Peter made some worthwhile observations, so head over and read the column if you haven’t already. That includes pointing out that current forecasts have electricity prices in
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Convergence #nlpoli
A couple of years ago, Liberal leader Dwight Ball said the Liberals would use earnings from Muskrat Falls to lower electricity prices for consumers in this province. The Conservatives dismissed the idea at the time. Then a couple of weeks ago, with news the cost of Muskrat Falls continues to
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Electricity prices when Muskrat comes on line #nlpoli
Cost over-runs on Muskrat Falls as well as other costs not included in previous calculations by Nalcor will likely increase current electricity prices by almost double their rate in 2011, according to a recent assessment. JM, a professional engineer who has worked extensively in the construction of large engineering projects,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The World According to Kent #nlpoli
If you are one of the political savants who thinks that dominating Twitter makes for a modern, inspired, and successful political leadership campaign, then say hello to Premier Steve Kent, right. The guy and his Twitter army, some of them undoubtedly utter fakes, managed to spam the living hell out
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Friday Bits #nlpoli
To understand the real Steve Kent and not the manufactured front he presents to the world these days, take a look at this 2007 post by Simon Lono back when he wrote Offal News. There’s a great quote in it from Kent when he was thinking about a run at
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Political Fashionistas #nlpoli
Before the year is out, we will have yet another strategy from the provincial government. We were supposed to have this one on July 1, however like pretty well everything associated with the current crowd running the place, it is a day late. The minister responsible for the strategy –
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Avoiding a cabinet shuffle #nlpoli
By the end of the week, Premier Tom Marshall will be short at least two cabinet ministers. Paul Davis quit as health minister on Wednesday and Steve Kent is expected to follow on Thursday as both vie for the party leadership. On top of that he’s missing Joan Shea who
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