As one local political analyst recently put it, “In Stephen Harper’s world, a penny saved is a penny Hearned.”Even after an independent analyst has proven that the federal government reached into the pockets of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to the tune of billions, Ottawa’s representative to the province, federal cabinet minister Loyola Hearn, is still saying his government is delivering a lot of permanent, long term benefits, “while he works on other issues like equalization.”
My first response after hearing that comment, after I finished choking on my morning coffee, was to wonder aloud (and with a few well chosen expletives) why the hell Mr. Hearn would even need to “work on equalization” at this point.
If he hadn’t supported his party over his province and if the Conservative government truly intended to live up to its promises, rather than shafting the province by sneaking through a budget implementation bill that undermines the Atlantic Accord, Mr. Hearn wouldn’t be worried about trying to fix the mess he, Fabian Manning and Norm Doyle allowed to happen.
Too little too late Mr. Hearn.
Hearn is also quoted as saying he doesn't believe anybody can argue with the government's decisions to re-locate the weather office to Gander, the planned stationing of two major ice-breakers at St. John's and Argentia and the announcement of over 100 million dollars for the Canadian Forces in St. John's along with a Battalion of 100 personnel. He then has the nerve to claim that this proves the Harper government is fully committed to the province.
Bull!
The weather office and the location of troops in the province were done because of massive public outcry and to ensure that you and other Conservative MPs could manage to get elected on the last go around. The deployment of the ice breakers wasn’t done because Newfoundland and Labrador so desperately needs them, which it does, but because it would have cost the federal government millions in infrastructure funding to keep them in their original locations. It's a cost saving measure and nothing more.
It’s interesting to see a grown man squirm like this but it looks good on him. It’s interesting as well to hear Loyola Hearn say he is, “working on equalization” when his own government is claiming they kept all of their promises and that Newfoundland and Labrador got a “sweet deal”. Which is it Loyola?
Cut the bull Mr. Hearn.
It’s clear from your statements and the statements of other federal officials that math isn’t a strong suit of your government but if you can just stop for a second and ask yourself the following question it might become a little clearer to you:
“If you simply stayed in the province doing nothing else but handing out multi-million dollar crumbs for the rest of your term in office, exactly how many of those crumbs would you need to announce to fully repay the $11 billion dollars denied to the province through your support for Stephen Harper and the Conservative party?”
I'd love to hear the answer to that.
Wow. You guys are some quick to turn on your own. Happens time and again.
ReplyDeleteDo you also eat your young?
Thats why we will be sending 7 NLfirst MP's to Ottawa next time around so we won't have to eat our own anymore.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nlfirst.ca/
If Hearne, Manning, Doyle, Simms, Mathews, Byrne, and Russell had a NL bone in their body they would cross the floor and stand up as NLfirst MP's NOW.
I don't consider Loyola Hearn, Fabian Manning or Norm Doyle "one of our own". If they were they wouldn't have voted to short change this province by billions, sit idly by while their lord and master undermined a bi-lateral accord without provincial consulation and they wouldn't be going around now trying to buy back favor using a fraction of the money they stole in the process.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who would call these traitors NLers is clearly misguided or never set foot in this province.
We are quick to turn on our own, because our own once in Ottawa are always quick to turn on us. In order to be a Newfoundland and Labrador politician in Ottawa that is one of the assets needed. It is of course as a result of the huge resource base that is here and the fact that the heartland has a great need for these resources, and the unfortunate fact we have Quebec on our borders.
ReplyDeleteHearn has proven by his actions that he cares more about his political carreer (ie. not pissing his boss off) than he does the province he was elected to represent. My hope is that he gets his arse handed to him in the next election.
ReplyDeleteThis is the same man who ripped into John Efford on the 'take it or lave it' thing back in the day. how soon they forget!
And while we are on this topic, what happened the the ordinary man's champion Fabian Manning?
They have truely shown us that they are CON-servatives!
It must be the air or maybe the salary/perks in Ottawa that blackens the soul of MPs. When Fabian Manning was here (I have it on good authority) that he was one of those guys with a PWG flag hanging in his office.
ReplyDeleteSo much for doing what's right eh Fabian?
News reports are saying that Loyola Hearn, in an address to the Board of Trade used the opportunity to take a few shots back at the Premier. He touted all the wonderful things his government had done for the province and attacked Williams record.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the reports, at the end of his address he was greeted with, "warm — but not rousing — applause from the several hundred people in attendance."
I guess he didn't get the strong support he was looking for from the business community. Poor, poor Benedict Hearn, what ever will he do?
You guys are harsh in Newfoundland. It's a wonder anyone wants to represent you at all.
ReplyDeleteI wonder........if any of you were in office...would you have acted differently??? Supporting your own party is a critical part of being in politics.
Honestly now.....how lily-white would you be in Ottawa??
"No" Because the way things are with the status quo/no link, you from Central Canada have been able to steal the resources for 58 years and get away with it. With the Fix Link whether you want us or not, we don't give two hoots, we will have control over our resources and you and your economies will be left out in the cold. I hear you wailing now through your childing rants.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time we realized like Quebec did years ago.
ReplyDeleteThe only way we will get our federal political representatives to speak on our behalf and not toe the party line which is drawn by Ontario due to their overwhelming majority of 106 seats out of 308 in the HOC. Is to send our own political party to Ottawa NLfirst to represent our concerns and not act in the best interest of the majority of canadians ON/QU by default.
ON/QU have over 60% of the population and 181 seats out of 308 in the HOC. Our representatives are forced to support policies that are bad for NL for the good of ON/QU. With no equality in this systemically flawed democratic imperialistic system.
I'll be voting for Tom Hickey and the NLfirst party next federal election come hell or high water.
For all of you Expats out there your chioces are either the NDP, or spoil your ballot by writing NL Equality or Exit on your ballot because any national party will be bad for NL and you will never get to return home.
Accountability Rally
ReplyDeletePeter Whittle is trying to put together a large rally at the Confederation building in support for the Premier's stand on Equalization.
He is in the process of getting his ducks in a row for this rally. He is talking with WST, St. John Ambulance, organizing groups (unions, etc.) and otherwise organizing the event rather than just doing it and hoping for the best.
He is also looking for anyone who is interesting in helping out on an organizing committee so if you have some time to do this you can reach Mr. Whittle at:
[b]whittlep@nf.sympatico.ca or by phone at: 576-2330.[/b]
Mr. Whittle is also asking that anyone interested in this pass his email address along to friends and associates who might also be interested so he can guage the level of support. He is also asking anyone who can do so to go on the open line programs over the next few days and support his efforts, ask questions and otherwise stir up public support.
VOCM also has as the question of the day for this week-end:
http://www.vocm.com/survey.asp
Do you support plans for a massive rally on Confederation Hill to support the premier in the equalization fight? Why or why not?
Currently at:
Yes 78%
No 22%
undecided 0%
Lots of good comments and slogans for making up plackards and signs.
Someone also suggested flying the canadian flag at half mast and upside down. The international sign of nation in distress.
Go Peter Go! But it needs to be well thought out and we need to be able to get a good participation of the people of this province to attend. I would like to see some expat Newfoundlanders and Labradorians organize a rally in Central Canada, since there are more of our people living there than here. Two rallies with a large show at each would be great for our Premier.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, it should have nothing to do with rallies that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador should gets its fair share of the monies distributed by Ottawa, it should be done naturally that is if Canada is the honest and just country that it is made out to be.
Again with the VOCM surveys!! How pathetic is this?
ReplyDeleteJust because a bunch of baymen click a button on VOCM doesn't make it a reliable survey.
Most of us in St John's are daily embarrassed by this governemtn and the rantings of "stereotypical Newfies"
We're trying to make this a province that isn't always laughed at and you people aren't helping.
A Rally. Yeah, that'll change everything. Puhlease.
ReplyDeleteWe'll look like dumb Newfies again.
Don't be silly, you won't look like dumb Newfies.
ReplyDeleteYou'll look like dumb Newfies holding signs.
Can't wait to see that spectacle.
For the greatest part of 58 years I was HAPPY under Canada, or I thought I was HAPPY. I thought it was a GIVE and TAKE situation, until I saw how bad the TAKE was on OTTAWA's and the REST of CANADA's part. But when I became fully apprised of the bad deal we got in Canada as it came into focus, I became very DISENCHANTED and now I am good an ANGRY.
ReplyDeleteOttawa not only didn't see that our resources were shared with us, the owner, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ottawa allowed the exploitment of our resources to the hilt and left nothing for us, the owner of the resources, while the other provinces and Ottawa prospered on our resources.
Ottawa didn't see to it that it spread the TRANSFER PAYMENTS, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT monies, and FEDERAL REGIONAL OFFICES to the furthest Eastern reaches of its territory, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, like it did to the West. Those monies doled out by Ottawa stopped at Nova Scotia to the East. As a result of not having the nutrients bleed out into the far reaches of its Eastern Periphery, it left a large land mass which makes up the complete Eastern Flank of Canada, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, dying for the lack of nutrients.
Yes, I am damn ANGRY, and I do not know what to do with my ANGER because Ottawa practices the Spin Cycle to extract itself from every situation it encounters, and because the LOUTS we have elected to look after this province FEDERALLY have toed the Party Line for Ottawa and are willing to do so until every bit of this province's life's blood is drained out of its body.
TOO BAD THAT OTTAWA HAS A PRACTICE OF DOLING OUT PATRONAGE POSITIONS AND OTHER PLUMS, WHICH ALLOW POLITICIANS TO TOE THE PARTY LINE FOR THEIR MASTER AND NOT FOR THEIR ELECTORATE. SO IF THE POLITICIN DOESN'T GET ELECTED, THEY ARE TOLD "DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY" YOU WILL NOT BE DISADVANTAED, YOU WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF. SO OUR POLITICIANS ARE LIVING IN AN IDEAL WORLD WITH A CADILLAC INSURANCE POLICY.
THE POLITICAL SYSTEM PRACTICED BY OTTAWA IS A CORRUPT SYSTEM. THERE IS NO WAY POSSIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD FOR A PROVINCE LIKE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, WITH SO MANY RESOURCES, BUT ONLY 2.2 PER CENT OF THE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN OTTAWA. HOW DOES A PROVINCE WITH SUCH A DISPROPORTINATE SAY EVER GET AHEAD?
I heard the dumbest thing on the evening news Friday.
ReplyDeleteAfter his speach at the board of trade luncheon Hearn commented that Danny Williams should be up in Ottawa fighting to fix the equalization problem rather than yelling about it in the media becuase he said, "Isn't that what he's being paid for?"
What an A$$hole!
Hey Hearn, I know you political types all have people scanning blogs and media sites so here's a message for you:
The premier is being paid to run the province, you sir are paid to negotiate and fight the province's battles in Ottawa. Just making the comment you did just proves you're a bigger Dick than anyone could have imagined.
He may soon be a dick without a job, at least the current job.
ReplyDeleteUh no...Hearn's job is to be the Federal Fisheries Minister.
ReplyDeleteAnd he's right about what Williams should be doing.
Anyone with half a brain (which excludes most NL'ers) would know that.
I guess if you're looking for someone with half a brain that leaves you out Anon 3:52pm
ReplyDeleteYes, Hearn's job is fisheries minister but he is also supposed to represent the province (and more specifically his riding) in Ottawa. Only an idiot like you would vote to elect someone who they don't expect to represent their interests once elected.
What was that you said about half a brain? You must have been looking in the mirror.
Maybe the last 2 anons should put their brains together and come up with one whole brain.
ReplyDeleteWe elected Hearn to represent NL yes....but he also has be the Fisheries Minister for the whole country.
A FEDERAL Minister has to work for the WHOLE country....hello!!!
As much as Newfoundland loves and thrives and nepotism and favouritism....in the real world you have do it the right way.
You elect these people in Newfoundland and celebrate their success until they do something you deem wrong then you crucify them. Great way to run your province.....don't try to hoist it onto the rest of the country.