A legacy of secrecy and bad deals #nlpoli
In response to questioning in the House of Assembly last Tuesday and Wednesday, natural resources Minister Derrick Dalley confirmed that the provincial government is in secret talks with Norwegian oil…
Ed Hollett
Budget ignorance abounds #nlpoli
The provincial government’s own economics and statistics agency conducted a telephone survey for the budget consultations this year. They released the results along with the questions and some details about…
The Next Question #nlpoli
Scott Andrews’ political career ended last fall. He may not have realised it at the time. His bizarre news conference on Thursday made plain he may still not understand that…
British VC Memorial Dishonours Former British Dominion #nlpoli
As part of its commemoration of the Great War, the British government unveiled a memorial to Victoria Cross winners who were born in other countries. That includes Commonwealth countries and,…
The Endless Supply of Sacred Cows 2015 #nlpoli
On the first day of the session in the House of Assembly, the finance minister tabled an interim supply bill for slightly more than $2.7 billion. Supply is the word…
Oil and polls #nlpoli
Two things for Tuesday after a monster snow storm. Oil: Brent crude hit a low of $52.50 before rebounding to finish Monday at just below US$55 a barrel. Newfoundland light,…
Felix the Half A-G #nlpoli
If politicians are good at one thing, they are usually good at telling a story that serves their purpose even if it isn’t, strictly speaking, actually what happened. Last week’s…
Constable Contempt #nlpoli
Paul Davis fired Judy Manning from cabinet on Wednesday. He didn’t meet with her in person. Davis called her on the phone. Short of sending her an e-mail or a…
The Salvation of Bell Island and Other Fairy Stories #nlpoli
The Conservatives rode to power in 2003 by accusing the Liberals of not being able to manage anything. Ferries played a big part of their narrative of supposed incompetence. Just…
The Other Other March Madness #nlpoli
Premier Paul Davis mentioned the prospect of privatizing some public services last week. This week, the Liberals started running ads declaring they were opposed to privatising any part of health.…
Gimme that Old-Time Religion #nlpoli
Kim Keating is the president of the St. John’s Board of Trade this year. In her Telegram column on Saturday, Keating offered some advice to the provincial government about the…
Gimme that Old-Time Reaction #nlpoli
The only news to come out of the New Democratic Party convention this past weekend is that the party now has not one but two leaders. Earle won’t be looking…
Federal Presents, the 2015 edition #nlpoli
November 2005. The Harris Centre at Memorial University issued a report on the number of federal public servants working in Newfoundland and Labrador. With a Liberal administration in Ottawa and…
The Offshore Ownership Fight Examined #nlpoli
Last year was the 30th anniversary of one of the most significant events not only in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador but of Canada as a whole. The agreement…
The Abacus Insight #nlpoli
By lunch time today, you’ll have Corporate Research Associate’s latest quarterly omnibus poll. Odds are the overall numbers on party choice for provincial politics will be in line with all…
Class Conflict #nlpoli
The former Premier. The premier wannabe. -srbp-
Obesity in Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli
A study published in 2014 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal projected that 71 percent of people in Newfoundland and Labrador would be overweight or obese by 2019. Think about…
The Elephant in the Room, the Astigmatic Seer, and other horrifying budget tales #nlpoli
Has anyone noticed a small problem in all the discussions about next year’s budget? On Point’s David Cochrane had both NAPE’s Carol Furlong and the Conservative’s pet economist Wade Locke…
Language Problems #nlpoli
“Increasing taxes is not about solving the deficit, it’s about maintaining our programs and services that we have.” That’s what Labrador and aboriginal affairs minister Keith Russell told the handful…
Nova Scotia won’t get Muskrat Falls electricity #nlpoli
As part of its deal with Nalcor, Emera will get its electricity from Bay d’Espoir, not Muskrat Falls. The Business Post’s March 2015 edition reported that confirmation of the arrangement…