Friday Foursome #nlpoli
1. Nova Scotian customers protected; this province not. (Telegram, December 11, 2013) by Ron Penney and David Vardy The UARB has been empowered to protect the interests of consumers against…
Edward Hollett
Muskrat Falls costs jump by $1.0 billion #nlpoli
Cost estimates for the Muskrat Falls project have apparently jumped by 16% - $1.0 billion – in the past year. That’s based on information released by the provincial government on…
Moments #nlpoli
There’s something perverse about the way politicians these days use a memorial to the dead of two world wars in the last century as a backdrop for their own political…
Converting principles to other people’s money #nlpoli
When Premier Kathy Dunderdale spoke to a St. John’s Board of Trade last May, she claimed the federal government had tried to tie the federal loan guarantee on Muskrat Falls…
The Conservatives and federal-provincial relations #nlpoli
Two news stories last week reminded us once again of the nature of federal-provincial relations for Newfoundland and Labrador over the past decade. A story in the Chronicle Herald reported…
University Enrolment #nlpoli
Just for the sake of looking at some numbers, here are some statistics on university enrolment in Newfoundland and Labrador over the past decade. The figures are from Statistics Canada.…
Grits gain from Cons and Dippers #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale doesn’t govern by polls. That’s what she told reporters – yet again – as they asked her about yet another poll that showed the provincial Conservatives aren’t…
Making them answer for their actions #nlpoli
Anyone who wants to understand the value of the House of Assembly need only look at Question Period on Tuesday. Liberal Andrew Parsons threw question after question at child, and…
Could be right. Could be wrong. #nlpoli
If you accept the provincial government’s version of things, spending a half a billion dollars more than you are collecting is a responsible decision. That’s the headline the government’s communications…
Political Mummers’ Parade on Monday #nlpoli
Finance minister Tom Marshall will present his mid-year financial update on Monday. It is supposed to be a way of bringing everyone up to date on how the annual budget…
Feehan dissects Muskrat Falls #nlpoli
According to a new commentary on the Muskrat Falls project by Memorial University economist James Feehan, legislation passed in December 2012 shields Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro from competition, thereby “reducing…
Ministers confused about public money in stalled $100 million mine project #nlpoli
In addition to the $17 million in public cash announced in 2011, the provincial government has given an additional undisclosed amount of public money from several departments to a company…
The 2013 Harbour Grace Affray #nlpoli
Kathy Dunderdale told reporters on Tuesday, while the polls were still open mind you, that the by-election results would be no big thing. Life would go on. The world would…
O brother… #nlpoli
There are times when the talk in the province sounds a bit like the soundtrack to a movie, a comedy to be precise. On Monday, finance minister Tom Marshall sounded…
Serial Fraud Artists #nlpoli
Some old fellow by the name of Williams once said that there was no greater fraud than an unkept promise. He said that around the time he promised to bring…
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker … #nlpoli
The Telegram noticed: By the end of question period on Tuesday, only an hour or so in, the words “Mr. Speaker” had been uttered 142 times. One of the worst…
Christmas Book List: Last Witness #nlpoli
Glen Carter’s second novel has had an honoured place on the coffee table chez e-scribbler for the past few couple of weeks. Dog-eared pages and bits of paper marked the…
There is only do #nlpoli
Truly effective communication is often more about what you do than what you say. That’s a notion that screws up lots of people. They get fixated on the mechanics of…
More gas offshore #nlpoli
In early October, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board issued two new significant discovery licenses to Suncor and Statoil, partners in Ballicaters. On November 18, CNLOPB updated its offshore…