Stephen Harper First Federal Leader to Respond to NL Premier's Demands
On Friday of last week federal Conservative leader Stephen Harper was first off the mark to respond to a letter sent by Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams just prior to the start of the election campaign. In the letter, sent to the leaders of all three major federal parties, Williams outlined multiple issues that he considers of major importance to the Province. He also requested that each leader send him a response (in writing) to let the province know how or if they would address each of those issues.
This tactic of extracting promises from the leaders while they are in election mode is not a new one for the province’s premier. Williams used a similar tactic just prior to the last federal election resulting in the now infamous promise by Paul Martin for revenue sharing on East coast oil revenues. A promise that eventually was fulfilled, but not before nearly a year of negotiation and a federal/provincial battle that saw the national flag removed from flag poles across Newfoundland and Labrador and the career suicide of long time Newfoundland politician and Liberal cabinet minister John Efford.
This time around Mr. Martin has been much more hesitant to agree to anything put forward by Williams. When directly questioned on his stance, on the issues raised in Premier Williams letter, Martin has repeatedly side stepped the questions and in one case even provided an answer that was so amazingly convoluted as to be nothing more than gibberish. In fact, the answer, provided to a local open line host was so strange that it eventually ended up as the topic of an editorial in the Globe and Mail.
Just last week Premier Williams appeared before the media and spoke of his serious concern with the fact that none of the party leaders had to that point responded to his letter, even though the election campaign was well underway. Although both the Liberal and NDP parties have since said they will provide a response in the coming days, Williams appears very pleased to have received Mr. Harpers response on Friday.
The issues outlined in the Williams letter encompass a myriad of topics from the fishing industry to ferry services and from federal transfer calculations to development of the Lower Churchill hydro project. In his response Stephen Harper addressed each of the issues however it is not yet clear what his precise responses were on each topic. What is known at this point is that his party is promising to cost share (on a 50/50 basis) the development of the Trans-Labrador Highway and they intend to station over 600 military personnel at the 5 Wing Goose Bay air base which has been struggling for survival since foreign military forces who trained at the base for years began pulling out.
Harper has also promised to provide loan guarantees to assist the province in developing the Lower Churchill hydro project, a project that is considered of prime importance to the province’s future and one that is very attractive federally for its potential impact on the nation’s Kyoto committments.
One of the topics Harper addressed in his written response was very pleasing to many people across the province, but particularly to those in the Gander region. For months the people of Newfoundland and Labrador have been fighting to have a weather office, that was closed by the Martin government, returned to the area. Now, on the eve of the election, the Conservatives have promised to do just that. This response has pleased many in the province although it was not a complete surprise since a petition on the subject that was circulated across the province and which captured over 125,000 signatures already boasts the signature of the Conservative leader.
In the coming days it is expected that the exact details of all of Mr. Harpers committments will become public knowledge. It is also hoped that the other leaders will take the time to put their responses down on paper. The Premier’s request has become a major news item in Newfoundland and Labrador and it is believed by many political followers that the the individual responses of the leaders will ultimately provide the framework for many voters to make their final decision when they enter the polling booth on election day.
22 comments:
Its been said of Mussolini that "he made the trains run on time"...but with a tight transit schedule came 'a whole lot of other crap'...people should not vote for any party or leader based on the promises made in an election campaign, for specific, short term, local gains. There are a whole lot of other things to consider that might just dwarf a 'weather station' or an airbase. I am not saying that these are not important issues, just becareful of who you want to get into bed with...
For my part, I don't like the Liberals (crooks and theives), but I don't trust the long term goals of the current conservatives. In my eyes they are run by Reformists, dominated by right wing religious conservatives who would roll back social programs and put our children on the front lines of US/UK wars of aggression in the middle east, for the sake of 'better trade relations' with the US.
As unpalatable as the Liberals are they are less distressing than the Conservatives, IMHO!!!
Isdaby I don't understand why people keep saying the Liberals didn't get involved in the Iraq war? If anything they have us more involved than if the Conservaties were in there. We sent two/three frigates to the gulf to help free up american naval ships for the war and 1000 troops to Afganistan to free up american troops for Iraq. We might not be in Iraq perse but make no mistake the Liberals social policy by steal has us in Iraq. With the cut backs Martin did to our military I don't see how we could have done much more with the exception of moral support.
Then there is the star wars requests by the US and the Liberals once again use the back door to support the US star wars program. The only thing the Americans wanted from us was access to the info gathered by the Norad DEW line for tracking of any incoming missiles. Since the Ballistic Missile Defence program is a space based weapons plan there was no need for the use of our soil for infrastructure so the only thing wqe could have offered the US in assistance for this BMD program was the info gathered from the DEW line and maybe moral support.
"Social Policy by stealth" is how some describe MArtins policies.
Back to the Premiers list of issues affecting NL. This is great news that at least one federal party has responded to his request for a committment. Most of what Harper has committed to has been apart of the CPC policy for a long time with the exception of the 50/50 cost sharing for paving of the TLH which is now apart of the NHS. The comittment of 60 troops and the stationing of a fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to 5 Wing is worth much more than the 155 million by the liberals in the form of vote buying. The CPC has committed to implementing Custodial Management of our continental shelf in accordance with the UN law of the sea article 77 350 nautical miles. The commitment to loan guarnatees for the Lower churchill has just made the future development of the Lower Churchill by NL a very real possibility.
I would just like to say that if our Premier endorses one party over another because of how they responde to his list of issues affecting NL I will whole heartedly support My Premier even if it is the Liberals in which case I will have to plug my nose close my eyes and cross my fingers and hope for the best for the country.
Since I no longer live in NL I will be voting for the party and not the candidate. Besides the way our political system is designed with toe the party line the candidates really don't have all that much say or effect on policy. So either we get commitments now during an election or forget it.
Forgot to mention one of the most important issues and CPC policies.
Their policy to stop clawing back non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula from the provinces.
This was what all of the fuss was about during the Atlantic Accord and here is the CPC offering a stop to the clawing back of Non-renewable resource revenues from the equalization formula!
The only problem I have with Danny and his letter to all the leaders is that he didn't send a letter to ALL the leaders. Mr. Williams seems to be one member of a long list of people who just do not respect the Green Party of Canada because he didn't send a letter to Jim Harris.
I posted this on my blog, talked on open line about it and even sent an email to Danny himself... which he hasn't responded to yet. I'm deeply interested in what he has to say about it because it seems to me that if he cared about Newfoundland and Labrador as much as he said he does, he at least find out all the options.
Stephen Harris
Green Party Candidate - St. John's East
http://newfoundlandgreenparty.blogspot.com
You can add my name to that LONG list of people who do not respect the Green Party of Canada.
Why would he send a letter to a party that is against the fishery in Newfoundland and to be blunt, a party that had no pull in Ottawa? It would be a waste of a tree to write a letter to your party
Not if you used recycled paper...
To correct you, we are not against the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, we are looking our for long term of the fishery, to make it sustainable, forever. We want to take it out of the hands of mutinational company's and put it back into the hands of the people.
Stephen Harris
http://newfoundlandgreenparty.blogspot.com
I will never vote for any party who thinks they can play god.
Basically by banning the seal hunt out right thats what your doing and in doing so are creating an imbalance in nature.
The very area where the cod are on the endangered species list is where the seal herd is most abundant.
Man has a responsibility to ensure that the balance in nature is maintained as close as possible what with us taking from one species but not another your creating a recipe for disaster.
6 million harp seals 3 million hood seals totalling 9 million seals off the coast of Labrador and the northern peninsula the very area where the cod are about to be listed on the endangered species list.
No wif the green party were to broker an agreement with the protestors where by only adult seals are hunted and all of the seal is used for one thing or another even if it has to be rendered into animal or fish food to be used for our blossoming aquaculture industry.
they intend to station over 600 military personnel at the 5 Wing Goose Bay air base
A year ago they promised this to Goose Bay, based on its northern location.
This year, they promise the same thing to Trenton, in southern Ontario, for the same reason!
They have also promised it to Bagotville, Quebec.
And Comox, BC.
It's raining battalions. And no one in the forces believes the Tories.
Harper has also promised to provide loan guarantees to assist the province in developing the Lower Churchill hydro project,
Harper has promised no such a thing.
Have you actually read his letter to Danny?
Harper said "A Conservative government would welcome discussions on this initiative and would hope that the potential exists for it to proceed..."
That's about it.
You have swallowed Danny Williams' version of Harper's letter, hook line and sinker.
Don't believe everything Danny tells you.
Don't believe ANYTHING Danny tells you.
Stephen Harper said
He will Implement Custodial Management in his mandate.
Whats next world domination
Were not making this stuff up he really said it.
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/nf_harper_letter_20060109.html
Harper is always the first guy to show support for what is important to Newfoundlanders. It was him that proposed the Atlantic accord and giving NL more of it's own revenues. They have also proposed Custodial Managment for the Cod fishery. When will NL wake up and realize that the Liberals only try and buy them off and if they want real change they have to change the way they vote.
Stephen Harper said
He will Implement Custodial Management in his mandate.
Nope.
He said:
A Conservative government would support extending custodial management of the Continental Shelf beyond the 200 mile limit, to the nose and tail of the Grand Banks and the Flemish Cap in the North Atlantic.
Notice the conditional ("would")?
The insertion of the word "support"?
"would support extending..." is NOT the same thing as "will extend".
http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/nf_harper_letter_20060109.html
Instead of relying on what CBC said Danny said Harper wrote... go straight to what Harper wrote:
http://bondpapers.blogspot.com/2006/01/harpers-reply-to-williams-full-text.html
WJM,
I am not trying to play up the letter from Stephen Harper, in fact I agree with you that in several areas his responses were a little wishy washy and even evasive, however at least he did respond.
As to the specific note you made about his insertion of the word "would", I believe you are reading more into that than is justified. The reality is such that until he knows he is elected, "would" is a valid term.
I notice that you made no mention of the items relating to Labrador and 5 Wing. My reading of his response left me with the impression that this was the one area of his letter where he was very direct. Going so far as to commit to specific numbers (650 member batallion) and agreeing outright to cost share the TLH.
You are a big advocate for Labrador, I would think you would be pleased with some of those comments from him and since they offer much more than many years of Liberal governments have done I would think this alone would make you at least onsider a switch to a Conservative member in Labrador.
I notice that you made no mention of the items relating to Labrador and 5 Wing.
You need to read the rest of the comments section, if that's what you "notice".
Going so far as to commit to specific numbers (650 member batallion)
During the by-election he said it would be smart to put it into Goose Bay because of its strategic location, access to the north, etc.
During the general election, he said the very same thing about Trenton. Ontario. Southern Ontario.
and agreeing outright to cost share the TLH.
The federal government already has cost-shared the TLH. 90% of the money that's ever been spent on the TLH has come from the federal government.
When is the province going to pony up? Labrador is part of the province, supposedly.
And curiously, even though Danny never asked for 50-50, and Harper does not offer 50-50, Danny is under the illusion (delusion?) that Harper said "50-50".
Harper does not say 50-50.
Harper says "cost share". If the federal government spends a dime... then it has shared the costs.
You are a big advocate for Labrador, I would think you would be pleased with some of those comments from him and since they offer much more than many years of Liberal governments have done
$340-million in federal funding for the TLH in 1997.
Federal government? Liberal.
$65-million in federal funding for the TLH in 1983.
Federal government? Liberal.
$8-million in federal funding for the TLH in 1988.
Federal government? Conservative.
Chump change WJM and you know it. Millions are like pennies compared to BILLIONS being like dollars. Just to highlight to every one remove three zeros of each one and see what you end up with so the common man can actually relate.
1,000,000$ Million 1,000,000,000$ Billion
1,000$ thousand 1,000,000$ Million
Just look at the announcement in NB 2 BILLION for road work alone, and that isn't building roads that is just to resurface roads that already exist!
http://www.conservative.ca/1091/33828/
"Additional details of the Conservatives’ plan include investing more in fisheries science and research; establishing an independent judicial inquiry into the collapse of sockeye salmon stocks in the Fraser River in British Columbia; and extending the 200-mile limit to the edge of the Continental Shelf, the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, and the Flemish Cap in the North Atlantic, and exercising Canadian custodial management over this area."
As for your woulda coulda shoulda comment.
You've been hanging out with the martinites too long because that is how his record can be best described. All talk and no action other than to line his own pockets and the pockets of his friends.
You also might want to tell people who you are presently working for so that they know you have a vested interest in Harper bashing, and couldn't care less about what happens to Labrador or Newfoundland for that matter!
Just look at the announcement in NB 2 BILLION for road work alone,
Across Canada. Go ask Loyola how much of that will be for the TLH.
As for your woulda coulda shoulda comment. You've been hanging out with the martinites too long
No, I just remember the last time a Conservative leader put promises "in writing" to Labrador.
The guy's name was Danny Williams.
He squirmed away from those promises, too, and they weren't even written in weasel words like Stephen Harper's are.
You also might want to tell people who you are presently working for so that they know you have a vested interest in Harper bashing, and couldn't care less about what happens to Labrador or Newfoundland for that matter!
Unlike Stephen Harper, I am very passionate about Labrador. I wonder if the man could even find Labrador on a map?
Chump change WJM and you know it. Millions are like pennies compared to BILLIONS being like dollars.
The facts remain:
The federal government has provided 90% of the hundreds of mlllions of dollars that have gone into the TLH so far.
The provincial government has provided 10%.
The vast majority of the federal contributions to the TLH have come when the Liberals form the federal government.
The last time the Conservatives were in power federally, Labrador got a very measly $8-million.
Go ask John Crosbie why that was.
"Chump change" indeed.
To: WJM
An opinion is an opinion is an opinion, but I do find it strange that even though you responded in part to NL-Expatrait's query you did not divulge who you are currently working for as he requested. Why is that? Could it be that you are working on a Liberal campaign?
If you are going to make comments against a candidate or for a candidate you should at least let the public know if you have a vested interest in them. Come on WJM, who are you working for? I really would like to know.
If you are going to make comments against a candidate or for a candidate you should at least let the public know if you have a vested interest in them.
I look forward to you making the same demand of all posters!
Patriot, thanks for providing this forum, especially for us displaced NL's. Great topic.
Danny is doing the right thing by embellishing the Harper response. I think it may force the other 2 parties to up the stakes a little since politics is a game of one-up-man-ships.
As for the military base promises wjm, during elections it is common practice to make the same promise to a number of areas with the same needs, in this case CF base expansions or commitments. The philosophy here is quite the same as drilling for oil, if you punch enough holes you are eventually going to strike paydirt.
There is a high probability the CPC doesn't expect to win every seat that they make the promise to. In the Labrador riding's case, I'd say, without seeing any polling data from the riding, that Todd Russell is a 70% lock for the Liberals. I think it is very safe to say that unless pictures surface showing Todd Russell performing fellatio on a white-coat seal, your riding will be Liberal. The CPC can promise whatever they want to the people of Lab. riding with a high degree of certainty that they will never be held to account for those promises based on prevoius voting patterns, ie 56 out of 60 years Liberal. Agree or disagree?
Such political strategy is not limited to those flying the colour of the Liberal party, they just seem to have perfected it.
A little investigation revealed the following:
Comox BC- CPC candidate won last election by 483 votes over the NDP candidate.
Bagotville Quebec- Historically gone back and forth since 1867 and has been red since 1993. But, a fellow by the name of Lawrence Cannon has been running a tremendous campaign and has a good chance of winning this seat for the CPC. He is pegged to be a very senior minister in the CPC cabinet if they form the next govt. since they would want a Quebec prescence in cabinet especially in the fight for federalism. He is a highly credible federalist who worked extensively as an advisor in Robert Bourassa's provincial party in the early 70's and was a Liberal minister in the National Assembly in Quebec up until 1994.
Trenton Ontario- has 2 seats which affect it federally. The riding of Northumberland is held by the Liberals who have had this seat since 88. The margin of victory here at the last election was 323 votes over the CPC candidate. The other riding is Prince Edward Hastings which is held by a CPCer who won over the NDP candidate by 2600 votes.
Labrador, NL- Todd Russell won more votes than all other parties combined and this riding has been blue only for 4 years since NL joined confederation.
So in the case of Trenton, Bagotville and Comox, there's already a military prescence there. The CPC spending promises for these 3 combined areas is significant but the political return on investment is very high. There's an excellent chance of 3 seats with great optimism for a 4th, Bagotville. Also, there has been an increase in the overall military spending budget announced by all parties already.
I guess if you really wanted to make a political point you could elect the CPC candidate. Then if your presumption is correct, that the CPC will never follow through on 5 wing Goose Bay, you are pretty much guaranteeing that the Liberals will represent the riding of Labrador for 56 out the next 60 years. I wonder if Todd would be willing to take one for the Big Red Machine? Maybe a position on some crown corp. or governing body.
Also, after watching some of the polling numbers coming out the past few days I had a thought about what our future govt. front bench would look like if the CPC won a minority govt. There are currently only 2 CPC members who have sat on the benches in a power position. There would be some new members of the house (rookies) as well as a significant number of others who have relatively little parliamentarian experience, less than 6 years say, and all in opposition. The Tories will want to put forth a competent and familiar face government to the people of Canada, as there is an average age of 18 months for minority govt's. They know it is only a matter of time before there will be another election and that they are only going to have a small window to prove themselves.
In this scenario, NL has a very good chance to have either Hearn or Doyle sit in its cabinet. Both are highly competent parliamentarians on all the rules and traditions of the house. Both are readily recognizable in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and out here in the west. Both are long in the tooth politically and have shown loyalty to the party under extereme circumstances. These are great political assets to have as individual MPs and as part of the political party machinery. They would carry great weight in a govt. where power is concentrated amongst a core group of party members, cabinet and the PMO. I'm sure their new found poltical power would attract a few ears with regards to the plight of Atlantic Canadians and NL's in particular.
Once again, thanks for giving me the opportunity to express my observations. I will be returning here from time to time to participate in these forums. I was never a member of a political party until last year. I have voted PC, Liberal and Green in past elections. I voted for the CPC party today in the advanced polls here in Grande Prairie. I signed up as a member of the CPC after Belinda Stronach walked across the floor to join the Liberals for a cabinet position in May of 2005. I am not a separatist, or a neo-con, or a far-right-wing religious zealot, or a war monger. I just want honest and accountable government and I want my tax dollars spent so that society gets the maximum benefit out of them. I also want the best for my home province of NL and it's blatantly obvious the Liberals have been a hugh disappointment in this regard. IMHO
WJM said
"If you are going to make comments against a candidate or for a candidate you should at least let the public know if you have a vested interest in them.
I look forward to you making the same demand of all posters! "
Interesting choice of words in placing the burden on all posters to do what you are being challenged with doing, before you choose to respond. That way you avoid the challenge and seem to be responsive.. By chance are you running for office yourself? your response almost sets a new standard for aggressive obfuscation.
To WJM:
Good dodge of the question. You must have studied at the knee of Paul Martin. Why don't you answer it and tell us who you are affiliated with?
If you want me to tell you I will. Nobody. I have setup the site and link for the PFP as an exercise to determine support, but I have no affiliation with any party or candidate and no vested interest other than that which is the interest of all Canadian voters.
Can you honestly say the same?
The provincial government has now released copies of the Harper letter and the Layton letter. They are available for viewing at:
http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2006/exec/0116n03.htm
I guess that just leaves Martin to weigh in. Pretty good timing really. With his party in free fall he now has the opportunity to see what the other parties have promised before sending his own last minute letter. Will he even bother I wonder?
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