Sunday, February 24, 2008

Time for some Political Reconciliation

You know, nothing bugs me more than commentary that is so politically charged by personal grievance and agenda that all issues and judgment are clouded.

Look at the take from LIEberal blogs. Every FIBeral out there has lost a job, a promotion, ground, reputation, pride, privilege and ENTITLEMENT thanks to the election of the Conservatives in Ottawa and the Progressive-Conservatives in St. John's. So what's the job at hand?

Well, for starters there's the constant shots at everything even PM Harper or Pm Williams does. Let's face it, Danny and Steve are not friends and will probably never meet for morning prayer, afternoon golf, and an evening poker game...not literally, anyhow. But each in his own capacity has become one the greatest leaders in his own domain. "Steve" is quite frankly the best Prime Minister for Canada in about 40 years. Now, he's a terrible Canadian PM for Newfoundland and Labrador, pretty bad for Saskatchewan too, and despite their delusions, very poor vis-à-vis Nova Scotia too. But for most every other corner of Canada, he's just what the doctor ordered. Beleagured and incompetent Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, may feel otherwise, but there's incredible calm in QC NB ON, PE, MB, SK, AB, BC, NU, NW and YK. Good for them... not so good for us.

Williams is not without his strengths and faults either. We see great abundance in the capitol region, and in Lab West. Some signs of prosperity seem to flow forth from Nunatsiavut and HVGB... and Come By Chance/Southern HArbor/Arbold's Cove to Clarenville, but just like NL is LEFT OUT of the Canadian Federation, so are many parts of NL. There is no plan in place for the Labrador Métis homeland of Southern Labrador, certainly no the straights or the Northern Pen of NL, nor Bay St. George...Corner Brook has it's fingers crossed, Grand Falls-Winsor is turning from Industrial pride to sleepy little retirement community and the same is true for the vast majority of municipalities in our fair land (and once proud country).

So do these FIBerals offer something for these less blessed areas of Labrador and Newfoundland that the CONservatives do not offer?

Sure, a different set of broken promises and more lies, lies and damned lies.

So where's my point in all that preamble? Where's my 'word of wisdom' arising from all that rhetoric. Well, I wouldn't claim I offer much wisdom, just a knack for the obvious.

PM Harper, "Steve" as his pals call him, is trying to make peace with the Canadian Liberal Party, giving just credit to the LPC for understanding how to govern and fight a war, and giving Stephane Dion, the other "Steve", a chance to stand-up and develop into a good political leader all for the general benefit of governance.

It is now high-time for NL Politicians of all stripes and addresses (postal codes starting with A or otherwise) to mend some fences, stand together on issues that matter.

It shouldn't take Afghanistan to set an example, it can start right here, in Newfoundland and Labrador...and perhaps it can start with political pundits present and currently unemployed (or underemployed, as they lick their wounds in opposition), and spread to communications directors and politicians.

Email me: wardpike@gmail.com if you think I'm off base.

posted by Ward Pike at 7:18 AM

1 Comments:

Blogger Mark said...

How about before agreeing on issues at matter, let's start a genuine dialogue about what issues matter.

Instead of filling our editorial pages, open line airwaves and TV shows with relentless and repetitive bile about our collective victimhood, and the boring nonsensical placement of our benign faith in the next big megaproject, let's talk about issues that matter and items we can change.

Our Democracy in Newfoundland is a joke. A complete and utter farce. No party is innocent and this, but voters are the ultimate victims. We have the shortest writ period in the country. We have rules which allow people to vote for incumbents before their opponents are allowed to be nominated. We permit vote buying with members' allowances and so called constituency advertising budgets. There is no limit on Government advertising in the lead up to a fixed election date, our electoral boundary review has been postponed through four premiers and is controlled by partisan appointments. Even our last two Chief Electoral officers were partisan hacks. But nobody cares.

Our legislature never sits anymore. But nobody cares.

We have not seen a Premier democratically elected to lead a party and subsequently elected to run the province in almost a quarter century. Nobody cares.

Our reporters are "bought and paid for", granted ambassadorial postings in exchange for their continued fealty. Our patriotic corporate leaders move or sell their companies to the mainland at the first opportunity.

Our population is getting older, and the political pressure on our MHAs is simply to spend more money, more money and more money on social programs and other assistance for our seniors. But who will pay? The same young people who can't find jobs and are expected to pick up and move to Alberta and then move back after starting a life elsewhere? I don't think so.

Our current government talks the talk on paying down debt and being fiscally responsible. Yet the size of government has increased nearly 20% in the past three years, and what have we to show for it?

Provinces as small and as "poor" as ours are having genuine discussions about reducing environmental degradation, including carbon emissions yet we can't even recycle tires or cardboard in our province for sheer lack of political will.

Childcare - the single most important social program that would allow young families to settle in Newfoundland instead of moving away is a distant dream, thanks to the cuts made by both levels of government since Harper's election.

This is the tip of the iceberg. You want a political reconciliation of sorts than drop the rhetoric and hyperbole and ask yourself why it is that in other provinces, other legislatures, other governments there is a level pf maturity that exists which allows the population to at least have a peak at meaningful debate on issues that are important to them, their families and their communities.

We pave more roads per capita than anyone else. And that per capita is shrinking. Yet nobody wants to address it. We have communities whose workforce will reach zero during the next decade, yet we preach as if there's some new job scheme just around the corner. Again - silence.

Instead, so many of the people you hold in such high esteem just want to rant about their mythology of the 1940s and build conspiracy theories about who's stealing our resources this week or next. It's tiresome, boring and trite, no matter which "tribe" it's coming from.

There - want a chat? There's a start. Drop your partisan blinders for a moment if you can and try throwing out a few of your own suggestions. Or, if you wish, just return to your continual drivel about what ProudStrongDetermined Victims we all are.

2:22 PM  

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