Banning plastic bags and public policy in Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli
Effective public policy must be based on a clear understanding of the problem and its relation to other issues, as well as public needs and behaviour. “…almost 50% of all…
Ed Hollett
Unformation #nlpoli
“Deep Dive” is the name that Saltwire gives to its new series that is supposed to give readers supposed to give readers more information on specific topics that are of…
Seven Days of Books in One #nlpoli
The seven books from my part of the book challenge, with each described by the respective publisher’s blurb: 1. The myth of the strong leader by Archie Brown. Archie Brown…
The Politics of Beige #nlpoli
The trend is impossible to miss. Utterly undeniable. Since early 2016, through poll after poll, voters in Newfoundland and Labrador have chosen “None of the Above” when asked what party…
Napalm sticks… #nlpoli
The latest poll from MQO is being reported as a statistical tie by NTV , while CBC says it shows a “neck and neck” race between the PCs and Liberals.…
The Turmoil and Topsy Turvy #nlpoli
With so much changing in any office, what has “always” been done really only goes back to the time of the last person who came in the door. In Newfoundland…
Turmoil, unusual #nlpoli
A petro-state with political instability is a pretty weird idea but then again we *are* talking Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government in Newfoundland and Labrador brings in money revenue per…
The Spring Election – when and why #nlpoli
There’s likely going to be an election before Victoria Day. If – by some miracle – the Liberals manage to win the Topsail-Paradise by-election next week you could be at…
Mitigating Muskrat Falls: Ron, Harry, and Hermione are still baffled #nlpoli
Mitigating the impacts Muskrat Falls will have on taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador remains the single biggest unanswered question in the province nine years after the project started and the…
The ins and outs of Equalization #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Each year, Canadian media conduct year-end interviews with politicians and every year the interviews are nothing but space fillers. This year’s version with Premier Dwight Ball – for NTV (broadcast…
A spring election now seems more likely #nlpoli
Here’s the local poll tracker, now that the final party choice poll of the year is in. It’s every party choice poll by any firm (less a couple of outliers)…
The MQO poll and Party Choice #nlpoli
MQO’s quarterly omnibus poll shows some curious changes in public opinion about provincial political parties. The province-wide numbers are not curious: the changes in a couple of the regions are.…
The Windsor Lake By-Election and polling #nlpoli
Market research firm MQO released a poll on September 10 about the Windsor Lake by-election. They’d surveyed 300 people about how they would likely vote and about who they thought…
The PUB, Exemptions, and Muskrat Falls #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Here’s some background on the issue of Muskrat Falls and Public Utilities Board exemptions. At the end you should know what an exemption is all about, how the exemptions –…
Bay du Nord and Equity #nlpoli
In a staged political event Thursday that was woefully short of basic details, the provincial government and Equinor announced they will proceed with development of the Bay du Nord field…
Electricity prices, risk, and what the editors didn’t say #nlpoli
Okay. What Muskrat Falls will do to electricity prices is not funny. Never was. But what *is* extremely funny are columns like Russell Wangersky’s latest hand-wringer about the most recent…
Rumpole and the Bleak House #nlpoli #cdnpoli
A scan of the docket for the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, General Division reveals that the Provincial Court Judges are having another whack at the Government of Newfoundland…
Rumpole and the Ticking Clock #nlpoli #cdnpoli
There are rules about how long a judge may take to issue a decision. Now, now. The lawyers among you are already spitting their morning coffee across the breakfast table…
Nalcor contractor secrets still safe under revised law #nlpoli
Anyone who cracked out the champagne over the bill that would purportedly shed light on Nalcor’s embedded contractors might want to spit some back in the bottle for another day.…
A cabinet, a caucus, and a legislature walk into a bar… #nlpoli
Don’t feel bad. Most people in Newfoundland and Labrador have no idea how our political system works. Self-described experts. Reporters. Pundits. Very often hopelessly lost when discussing even the most…