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…
public finance
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…
Debt, Demand, and Delusions #nlpoli
The Conservatives running the province got together with their staff and key supporters this weekend to reaffirm their conviction that they alone ought to be running the province. Some people…
Political Will and Public Policy #nlpoli
The SIDI simulation of government spending that we’ve run this past week might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but these sort of thought exercises are always useful. The most…
Well on the way to Debt Freedom #nlpoli
According to economist-consultant Wade Locke, the provincial government’s “Sustainability” Plan includes a debt commitment: The long-run target is to bring the province’s net per capita debt gradually down to the…
Land of Confusion meets World of Hurt #nlpoli
From Tuesday’s Hansard comes this chilling reminder that even the Premier has no idea what is going on with the province’s finances. Mr. Speaker, I again have to implore the…
Pennies and Pounds #nlpoli
In May 2011, the provincial public works department issued a call for proposals to replace the lift bridge in Placentia. In August 2011, the department scrapped the project and went…
One Newsroom. Two Stories. @nlpoli
For the English crowed in Newfoundland and Labrador, @cbcnl gave its audience one story from the Auditor General’s report. They focused on horrendous salary increases in one government agency. From…
Putting selective “facts” on the splitting table #nlpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale wants to have a “conversation” about the provincial government’s financial mess and the ways we might fix it. That’s what she told CBC’s David Cochrane in her…
Where the Money Comes From #nlpoli
Just to put the provincial government budget in perspective, here are the top five sources of cash that come into the treasury from what are considered the province’s own sources.…
The Root of the Problem #nlpoli
Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite think that the level of scrutiny that we do over a $3 billion expenditure in health care is to take every single health authority…
Public debt and financial mismanagement #nlpoli
A few days ago, Stephen Taylor posted a table from a 2010 study that showed how big Quebec’s public debt is compared to that of countries around the world. The…
Fiscal conservative, you say? #nlpoli
One of the more curious comments from provincial Conservative supporters lately has been the claim that they support the current Connie administration provincially because they – the supporters – are…
Dundernomics 101: Public Sector Employment Numbers #nlpoli
In an interview with CBC’s David Cochrane, Premier Kathy Dunderdale said that the public service has grown by more than 2,100 jobs in the past eight years and that total…
The old cabinet documents ploy #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Premier Kathy Dunderdale and her ministers refuse to hand over documents on more than $5.0 billion in public works spending by the Conservatives since 2004. The documents are cabinet secrets,…
AG Report–Government Liabilities #nlpoli
The latest report by the province’s Auditor General has some information to bear in mind as we talk about Muskrat Falls. Note that total liabilities went up from the end…
Wading through Locke on Muskrat (Part 3) #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Debt One of the issues Wade Locke set out to address was the impact Muskrat Falls would have on public debt. For some other information on Muskrat Falls and public…
Open The Books for Everyone
Here’s a great piece from David Climenhaga contributing to rabble about fiscal openness. While it’s extremely unlikely that the Harperites will follow his advice, I fully agree that now is…
Inadvertent fiscal black humour
There’s something truly frightening listening to politicians and former politicians discussing the provincial government’s supposed plans to apply a surplus in the current fiscal year to the provincial debt. They…