David Cochrane called it right the other day in the scrum with Kathy Dunderdale. He asked if she was laying the groundwork for a failure at the trade talks, a failure of her personal position. Dunderdale denied it in the scrum, but her latest claim – full of the same
Continue readingTag: Kathy Dunderdale
The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Dunderdale and Dalley tell different trade talk stories #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale (via NTV): We’re looking for a ‘carve-out’ on the minimum processing regulations … so they’ll be exempted, and we want access to the European market on a number of our fish lines… Carve out. Hideous jargon for “not going to trade away” minimum processing regulations. Period. Fisheries
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Kathy Dunderdale’s Give-Aways #nlpoli
There is something about Kathy Dunderdale’s speech to the Board of Trade that leaves you decidedly uncomfortable. Part of it is the mention of her grandson – yet again – at the front end end of the speech. Kathy told a story about the advice the little fellow he gave
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Do we have it? #nlpoli
Kathy Dunderdale had a pretty easy audience on Monday for her relaxed, ambling speech about a whole bunch of stuff. It was the St. John’s Board of Trade. As a rule, the townie business community have the guts of political guppies. They’ll run along with whatever the government says and
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: It just doesn’t stop. #nlpoli
There’s a new anti-Conservative picture around town. This one is via Twitter (@openionated ). -srbp-
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Stagnation and Decay #nlpoli
The House of Assembly finished its spring session on Thursday after what appears to be one of the shortest sessions in the past 30 years. The government presented only seven bills for debate, only a quarter of the normal load for the major sitting for the House. That seems to
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Fruits of A Very Poisonous Tree #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale said on Tuesday that the province will have problems now that it doesn’t have a federal cabinet minister from this province. As CBC quoted her from a scrum outside the House of Assembly, Kathy said: “It always makes it more difficult when you don’t have somebody inside
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Don’t feed the Crazies #nlpoli
First, slander is something defamatory that someone says. Libel is what you call a defamatory comment that is printed. So a poster would be a libel since it is printed. Second, the story on the VO website about a bunch of posters contains an editorial opinion, not a fact, when
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Some free advice #nlpoli
The Premier’s daughter tweeted this comment last Wednesday night. Few people consider the impact that political life has on the families of politicians and political staffers. Steve Paikin’s book The Dark Side deals with it, as SRBP noted in 2006. That tweet is a reminder of that. Here’s some advice
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Keystone Kops and their Kangaroo Kourt #nlpoli
The Conservatives in Newfoundland and Labrador are politically deaf. They only hear themselves. Former fisheries minister Trevor Taylor used his Telegram column on Monday to issue a few hypocritical tut tuts about the state of public discussion in the province. Too negative he whined, sounding for all the world like
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Keystone Kops and their Kangaroo Kourt #nlpoli
The Conservatives in Newfoundland and Labrador are politically deaf. They only hear themselves. Former fisheries minister Trevor Taylor used his Telegram column on Monday to issue a few hypocritical tut tuts about the state of public discussion in the province. Too negative he whined, sounding for all the world like
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Oblivious Neutron Bomb #nlpoli
Even at the worst of their leadership feuding Jean Chretien and Paul Martin never frigged each other over the way Kathy Dunderdale and Jerome Kennedy did last week. While Kennedy was trying to tell everyone that the justice reversal wasn’t going to happen to all the cuts, Dunderdale (right, poppy
Continue readingCalgary Grit: Provincial Unrest
Alison Redford’s approval ratings have fallen to “Stelmachian” levels Angus Reid has released their quarterly Premier approval ratings. As per usual, Brad Wall is more popular than God, and everyone else is a little more human: Wall (SK): 64% approve, 28% disapprove Alward (NB): 41% approve, 50% disapprove Selinger (MB):
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Copper-fastened #nlpoli
According to the Telegram editorialist argued last week, this fuss over renovations was nothing at all. At any rate, renovations planned long in advance — to keep the legislature from falling apart — are hardly a fair target for criticism. It’s fair to say if the Opposition’s roof was leaking,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: She’s Got Marty Feldman Eyes #nlpoli
If you want to see a politician under significant stress, take a look at Kathy Dunderdale talking to reporters about her party’s heavily organized effort to goose unscientific, online polls. Her voice is high pitched. She’s moving around. And she’s got Marty Feldman Eyes.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: So why did they lie? #nlpoli
CBC’s David Cochrane contacted the Premier’s Office and asked about rumours he’d heard of renovations to the Premier’s Office. As Cochrane reported on Twitter, the Premier’s Office told him that there were no renovations currently happening. Not exactly true, as it turned out.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Annual Mixed-Message Season #nlpoli
Right after Ross Reid’s new job, Jerome Kennedy’s trip back to the finance ministry was the second most overblown story of the past week or so. Most seem to think Kennedy is headed back to finance in order to tackle the public sector unions as part of the upcoming budget.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Putting selective “facts” on the splitting table #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale wants to have a “conversation” about the provincial government’s financial mess and the ways we might fix it. That’s what she told CBC’s David Cochrane in her year-end interview. One of the things Kathy wants to talk about is taxes, specifically the number of people not paying
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: $#*! da Premier says: Freudian slip edition #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale, quoted in the Globe and Mail in a story on sanctioning of the Hebron project: Our goal has been to ensure that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are the main benefactors with respect to our natural resources, Benefactor. A benefactor is someone who delivers a benefit to someone else.
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Perpetual Talking Point Disaster #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale’s year-end talking points for 2012 were pretty grim. As she told CBC’s David Cochrane, the provincial government is facing an enormous deficit. The deficit is the result not of government spending but of the up-and-down nature of the commodities on which government revenues depend. The result is
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