If Kelvin’s departure was no biggie… #nlpoli
According to Premier Dwight Ball, Kelvin Parsons was never going to stick around for long as the Premier's chief of staff.Okay. Let's think about that for a second.If that's true,…
Ed Hollett
labradore’s Labrador #nlpoli
For your summer reading enjoyment, here are five books on Labrador, courtesy of the always helpful Wallace McLean at labradore:Elizabeth Goudie, Woman of LabradorOriginally published in 1973, Woman of Labrador…
More Newfoundland books you should read #nlpoli
Yesterday you got Jerry Bannister's five books on Newfoundland.Today you get an eclectic list from your humble e-scribbler:1. Jeff Webb, The Voice of Newfoundland: A Social History of the Broadcasting…
Emails, government business, and ATIPPA #nlpoli
During the Ed Martin fiasco, an email turned up from Ken Marshall - then chair of the Nalcor board - to Premier Dwight Ball and natural resources minister Siobhan Coady…
Two Solitudes #nlpoli
"Newfoundland and Canada, separate countries for so long, exist as two solitudes within the bosom of a single country more than 65 years after Confederation. They do not understand each…
The ":new" Newfoundland #nlpoli
Every once in a while, SRBP has featured a list of suggested books either for summer enjoyment or as in April 2006, for anyone interested in reading about Newfoundland and…
On came the Newfoundlanders…
"On came the Newfoundlanders, a great body of men, but the fire intensified and they were wiped out in front of my eyes."Private F.H. Cameron, 1st battalion, the King's Own…
Interprovincial migration for morons #nlpoli
Some people got really excited on Wednesday by a report from the Fraser Institute that claimed this province had seen its first population loss due to outmigration in a decade.There…
The little savory details #nlpoli
Nalcor chief executive Stan Marshall said so much last Friday about Muskrat Falls, it's probably true that most people couldn't possibly take it all in.One of the folks having a…
Friends and enemies #nlpoli
Craig Westcott tells a story from his short stint as communications director for the Liberals in opposition in the last days of Danny Williams and the early days of his…
A foundation of lies and deceit #nlpoli
You could feel the shock among the local media on Friday as Stan Marshall carefully dissected the insanity that is Muskrat Falls.Didn't matter if you heard the voices on the…
11 minutes and 11 seconds #nlpoli
Dwight Ball was at Memorial University on Thursday morning to represent the provincial government in a joint announcement with Judy Foote on some capital funding to finish the new science…
The truth behind the key message #nlpoli
Paul Lane, left (not exactly as illustrated), says both the Liberals and Conservatives trained him to deliver scripted messages. People are tired of that, Lane says. "I believe people want…
Foundations #nlpoli
Natural resources minister Siobhan Coady was the latest in a long line of energy ministers from this province who have done the annual pilgrimage to the offshore technology show in…
Public interest served by contract disclosure #nlpoli
There's no small irony that NAPE is fighting to increase public disclosure of government spending while other public sector unions are busily trying to drag the public back into the…
Developing a sustainable, diverse economy #nlpoli
When it comes to developing a successful economic development strategy, Edsel Bonnell has advice worth heeding.He co-chaired the team that developed "Change and Challenge," the 1992 Strategic Economic Plan. The…
Core Public Service Numbers #nlpoli
Somebody requested the number of public servants through Access to Information and the folks in the department answered only half the question.But that's okay because the figures for the core…
The Budget and the Economy #nlpoli
The Conference Board of Canada says the recent budget has tipped the provincial economy into a recession next year.Finance minister Cathy Bennett says that's bollocks.Let's see which is right.Before we…
Making the best of a bad deal #nlpoli
Here's the short version of the implications flowing from Nalcor's announcement on Wednesday:1. Continuing Muskrat Falls is a political decision already made by Dwight Ball despite the evidence. It's like…
Cash Debt and GDP #nlpoli
For those who find this stuff interesting, here are some numbers to mull over.You may have heard of comparing the net debt to the gross domestic product. Somebody gave Tracy…