Critical Thought in a Technological Age #nlpoli
Some thoughts from Simon Lono on civil discourse. -srbp-
Edward Hollett
Women in elected politics: is it a choice? #nlpoli
The number of women in elected office in Newfoundland and Labrador remains below the numbers one would expect based on changes in society over the past 40 years. Why is…
The New SRBP
After a couple of years of irregular posting, SRBP has been back since the start of the year with at least one new post every Monday. Some of you have…
Jack Harris: Good Bye and Good Night #nlpoli
From 2006 to early 2010, Simon Lono wrote Offal News, a commentary on local politics, debating, and whatever caught Simon’s eye. When Jack Harris quit as leader of the provincial…
More beige than beige #nlpoli
The Premier had a carefully rehearsed message when reporters asked him on Thursday why he had appointed everyone in cabinet back to their old portfolios despite an election that had…
Deficit *is* higher than previously announced #nlpoli
The House of Assembly will have to deliver a budget that keeps access to new public debt for the foreseeable future. The politicians must satisfy the bond-rating agencies, not the…
Deficit $250 – $300 million higher than announced before election according to Premier #nlpoli
In the episode that aired on 26 May 2019, Premier Dwight Ball told NTV’s Issues and Answers that the deficit for the current budget is between $800 – $900 million.…
Simon Lono , 1963-2019
Simon Lono – husband, father, grandfather, advocate, orator, writer, mentor, friend – died Friday, May 24, 2019. He was 56. When our friends are alive, we do not spend time…
The Lowest-Common Denominator Minority Legislature #nlpoli
An inherently unstable minority legislature where the parties have a history of finding political agreement through public spending is not exactly a recipe for tough decisions. There is something seductively…
The 1908 Election all over again #nlpoli
You will hear a lot of spin about Thursday’s election result. Doesn’t matter where it is coming from. It is all spin and all spin is bullshit. Thursday night’s election…
Poor Ed’s Almanac – a hot summer is coming #nlpoli
The prospect of a minority government coupled with the need to pass a budget in the legislature after the election could produce a long, hot summer of political manoeuvring. Mainstreet…
Ego, Brain Farts, and Electoral Reform #nlpoli
Public ignorance of our political system is a scourge. Tackling that is the first step to meaningful electoral reform in Newfoundland and Labrador. The second priority is to make sure…
The Abacus Poll for Election 2019 #nlpoli
The chart below looks like there has been a huge jump up and down in “no choice” and a corresponding big change in party choice but actually there is some…
Election 2019 – First Poll #nlpoli
While the MQO poll shows the Liberals in the lead, a new poll from Abacus – released with an hour of this appearing – will likely show that since the…
The Financial Reality of Election 2019 #nlpoli
The reality confronting any administration after May 16 is the same regardless of which party wins the election. The government is unlikely to balance the budget in 2022, regardless of…
Voter Turn-out and Popular Vote Shares of Parties, 1949 – 2019 #nlpoli
Election turn-out has been declining steadily for provincial elections since the mid-1990s. The 2019 general election is on track to show a record low turn-out at 44% of eligible voters.…
Where do elections come from? #nlpoli
From fixed election dates to the number of candidates that run in an election, what Newfoundlanders and Labradorians believe about one of the basic institutions of their democracy is as…
Restoring Power – Mitigating the Impacts of Muskrat Falls #nlpoli
Left untended, the Muskrat Falls project threatens the financial well-being of the government and people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The threat cannot be removed merely by directing money from one…
Budget 2019 – revised trends #nlpoli
Budget 2019 was an election budget in the sense it contained a lot of little goodies, but there was nothing to get overly excited about. While everyone else is focused…
A CHEAP Framework – the PC and Liberal Muskrat Falls plans #nlpoli
The Conservative and Liberal Muskrat Falls rate mitigation plans are the same. Both include magical assumptions of revenue. Both omit crucial details. Note: Some people asked on Monday for comment…