New Brunswick Politics

As always, Rick says it better than I ever could.........

Priority Six - We are a bunch of Pricks

on the death of a person whom it is desired to honour.


What more can I add.....

xx

Posted by PoliticsNB at 11:21 PM | Permalink | |

{Via CBC & CTV}
Accountability act 'a bureaucrat's dream,' information commissioner says

Info czar slams Harper for about-face on access


You can also check out the Information Commissioner's report HERE

Canadian information commissioner John Reid added his two cents to the debate over the Harper Government's so called "accountability act." Reid said:

It "will not strengthen the accountability of government through transparency, it will weaken it."

"No previous government has put forward a more retrograde and dangerous set of proposals to change the Access to Information Act,"

"The new government has done exactly the things for which its predecessor had been ridiculed."

He also called it "a bureaucrat's dream."


Other highlights include:

The fact that the proposed act and "reforms" will "increase the government's ability to cover up wrongdoing, shield itself from embarrassment and control the flow of information to Canadians,"


"Also, the government proposes to keep secret forever all records relating to investigations of wrongdoing in government. The previous government pushed through a secrecy provision for such records (over the objections of the Information Commissioner, public service unions and whistleblowers), but limited its operation to a five-year period."



Doesn't look like a step "forward" to me........can't wait to see how they try and "spin" this one.

Posted by PoliticsNB at 12:09 AM | Permalink | |

Thursday brings yet another strange one at the Leg.

Today, the Premier's press secretary, Chisholm Pothier, tendered his resignation, after releasing a letter containing personal information of a constituent to the media.

I mean, first off why is Liberal MLA Carmel Robichaud lobbying to help a constituent who lost a license for drunk driving, get a permit to be able to drive????? It's my understanding that this provision has been taken off the books for average Joe Citizen. Is it still a case of "who you know" even for a serious offence like drinking and driving??

As far as the conservatives........good god.....gimme a break. Have they learned Nothing over their tenure??? It might be different if it was the first time, but c'mon.....this is the third resignation for the same thing......and I’m not so sure Premier Lord is blameless in this one. It will be interesting to see what the ombudsman has to say.

Why do a keep getting the feeling this is a third or fourth term government, where things normally start to fall apart, rather than a second term one?

The current members of "BOTH" parties are turning the Leg into one huge joke. They are spending more time acting like children, with the constant petty sniping back and forth, than doing any of the Provincial business. I realize that in politics the back and forth is part of the "game", but this is getting well beyond what is accepted as "politics" and is simply foolishness.

Time for an Election!! Time to get rid of the children, and elect some people that might at least "try" and get some work done.

Posted by PoliticsNB at 7:33 PM | Permalink | |

{Via CBC: MLA Frank Branch says he was framed }

......and is pointing the finger at an employee of the North Shore Forest Products Marketing Board, Premier Bernard Lord and former Tory leader Bernard Valcourt. According to Branch the entire investigation of his conduct at the marketing board is simply a " conspiracy to ruin his life."

Is it just me or is this one of the stranger sessions we've had in the Legislature in years??

Time for some fun!!

What song title best describes this curent legislature for you???

I've got a couple.......

"Send In The Clowns"
or
"The wheels on the bus go round and round"

Lets have em!! I'll pick the top 5 and we'll vote on em...........

Posted by PoliticsNB at 6:17 PM | Permalink | |

First off, let me say my thoughts and sympathy go out to the families of these soldiers. We ask much of our men and women who serve in the armed forces, and sometimes that unfortunately is the ultimate sacrifice, to lay down their lives. I admit, I have at times questioned the mission itself, but never the commitment of those carrying out the mission. God Bless.

That's why it is so appalling to me that the Conservative government, with all their lip service to supporting the military, can't be bothered to lower the flag to half mast to honor our fallen soldiers.

From CBC: 4 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Quote from the story:
Canada's newly elected Conservative government has decided not to lower the Canadian flag to half-mast every time a Canadian soldier is killed, saying the automatic flag-lowering was a break with tradition by the Liberals.

"We have returned to the 80-year tradition of remembering all casualties of war or operations on one day, Nov. 11th," Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor told Canadian Press. "We've just returned to a tradition."

That's a pretty piss poor attitude IMO. Our government is asking our soldiers lay their lives on the line, and don't have the decency to perform a simple task like lowering the flag when they pay the ultimate price???? Tradition be damned......that's just disrespectful In My Opinion. I have to wonder how Stephen Harper or Gordon O’Connor would feel if it was his son or daughter killed in action?? Would he then think that the "tradition" is more important than a simple act to honor a fallen soldier??

Posted by PoliticsNB at 1:12 AM | Permalink | |

From CBC N.B. : N.B. firms still blocked from work in Quebec

It's nice that they updated some old agreements of co-operation, BUT, as long as the labour mobility problem exists, it's simply semantics. I actually agree with Graham on this one. Either the door swings both ways, or it gets locked from either direction. Of would of course prefer the first option, but if this is the way we have to do it.......then so be it. I understand that Charest has problems of his own, but it needs to be a two way street, not a one way.....

Just my opinion.

PNB

Posted by PoliticsNB at 9:03 PM | Permalink | |

{Via CBC New Brunswick}

Well if we needed any more evidence that Tanker Malley has zero credibility, and no intergity, today hot off the presses we have:

Tanker welcomed back into Tory fold

As Scott will no doubt pop in to remind me, I did indeed take Malley at his word when he said he was leaving the Conservative fold based on principles. (My bad, it's not the first time i've ever been wrong, and indeed it won't be the last.) Then he "took the cheese" (to borrow a quote of Frank's) and waddled up to the troth to become speaker of the house. Now he's back in the Conservative Party, and everything is just hunky dory. I think not Tanker. You prostituted yourself for all new Brunswickers to see. Hopefully the people in your riding will realize that you have "Tanker Malley's" interests on your mind, and not theirs at all.

You should be ashamed.

Posted by PoliticsNB at 10:29 PM | Permalink | |

{Via Yahoo News }

Story:
Novelist scientist silenced as Harper Tories quietly axe 15 Kyoto programs

Wow, the "little dictator" moved today to stifle a scientist who works for environment Canada.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from the above story:
"He got a directive from the department, cautioning him not to come to this meeting today," said Margaris of DreamCatcher Publishers.

"So I guess we're being stifled. This is incredible, I've never heard of such a thing," she said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trying to muzzle the cabinet is one thing, however, muzzling a public servant that wrote a book??? Come on!! What an arrogant little man Harper is. I thought we had freedom of speech in this country???? I mean it's not like the scientist was planning on speaking on conservative government policy. He was planning on speaking about a fictional story he wrote and the science he used to formulate his story. Very dictatorial of you Stephen! It's not like the science and topic of global warming is secret stuff. Meanwhile Harper quietly took his "Blue Axe" to environmental programs put in place with the goal of helping to reach Kyoto targets. Can we meet the targets?? Many say yes, Harper and his gang say no. Either way, shouldn't we be doing all we can to "TRY" for the environment and our citizen's sake, Kyoto or no Kyoto??
I guess this shouldn't really surprise me. After all, Harper promised to take us out of Kyoto, and people voted for him. Because people voted for him that automatically means people agree with each and every plank of the CPC right??? ~Rolling eyes~ Be that as it may, even if we pull out of Kyoto, does that mean that every program put in place has no merit??

My guess is Harper simply didn't want anything in the news that would draw attention to his little hack and slash performance.

Run the country like your own personal fifedom......yeah that'll get you a Majority Stevie Boy......NOT!!!

Posted by PoliticsNB at 9:46 PM | Permalink | |

When are we going to get a straight answer about who paid for Frank Branch to take his little trip to Montreal with Bernard Lord??? Brad Green was hush hush on the subject in the Legislature when asked. If Branch was that concerned about a snap vote to take down the Government, all he had to do is side with the Conservatives in any such vote. I certainly hope the Conservative Party, or Mr. Branch himself, paid for his tickets, and accommodations, etc. Is this little “Junket” being paid for by the taxpayer??? It certainly appears that once again the Lord government has chosen to “buy” off an independent MLA to continue to stay in power. The truth of the matter remains to be seen, but the optics are simply terrible. Hmmmmm, why does that phrase keep coming up in respect to this government??? You’d think after this many years in power, they’d at least ”Begin” to get a clue. You are not helping your cause Bernie!!
It’s time for an investigation by the auditor general IMO.

Posted by PoliticsNB at 8:23 PM | Permalink | |

CBC: Brace for high gasoline prices all summer

CTV: Expect high summer travel costs, experts say

Well, you can tell the warmer weather is coming, and the travel season will soon be upon us, as the pump prices are once again on the move around North America. Last year we were told that we were being gouged at the pumps, yet lo and behold here we go again. I’ve read the so called “reasons” that the oil companies say the price is going up this time……frankly I personally don’t buy them. Lord forbid there be a hurricane in some area of the planet, as that give one more “reason” for “extra” gouging. Maybe that’s just the skeptic in me………but, can anyone give me a logical explanation as to WHY IN HELL if the average price in Canada right now is 1.04, here in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where I can throw a stone and hit the largest Oil Refinery in Canada, we are paying 1.14???????? The only logical explanation I can see is that the price is extra high to begin with. If I were extremely skeptical I’d say that the citizens of Saint John, and indeed the province are paying for on-going expansion plans of that particular refinery, and “other” projects that are currently in that particular companies’ crosshairs at this moment. This simply screams “RIP OFF”, and yet is totally ignored by Fredericton, and Ottawa. Don’t be naïve in thinking that Premier Lord’s plan to regulate prices will help in this area. It will help the day to day swings up and down, but I strongly doubt it will do anything to keep the prices down. I'm not against the free market, and if we were on par with the rest of North America I’d have to chalk it up to simply that. But c’mon, there is no reason for the extra money per liter except pure and simple greed. And it appears governments at any level are unwilling to cross the oil companies……..who by the way made RECORD profits last year at consumer expense!

Posted by PoliticsNB at 9:54 PM | Permalink | |

Not too much blogging lately, as other things have been keeping me pretty occupied.

As far as the throne speech, not a lot exciting there. Basically Stephen Harper's campaign platform again. 5 priorities, yada, yada, yada. Despite what some may think, I’m trying to keep an open mind here, and see where the new government leads us. I actually can get behind 4 out of the 5, if they are done correctly. The Accountability Act, Crackdown on Crime, Patient Wait Times Guarantee I can possibly get behind (depending on the final bill of course). The GST cut, of course I can get behind, but I’m not sure it's going to make much of a difference really, at least to the poorer section of our population. Unless you have money and intend to spend some of it you will see very little savings.

Of course, the fifth, readers of my blog know, I do not agree with the Conservatives on. Their plan "Sucks the big one" as the saying goes. I hope the opposition, and the provinces stay the course to fight them on this one. Canceling deals already made with the federal government of Canada is not Kosher IMO. What kind of daycare does a measly $1200 buy you, especially if there are no spaces available. Don't get me wrong, I’ve said many times that any parent could use the extra $1200, but it's no replacement for money being put into actually "Opening" daycare spaces. What about the people that can already afford daycare, but can't find an open spot??? I wonder what happens in places like Ontario where daycares are already being built based on the money earmarked in the previous deal??

Posted by PoliticsNB at 9:33 PM | Permalink | |

So our 39th Parliament is set to begin tomorrow. 67 new MP's will take their seats on the Hill. I expect this to be every bit as interesting as the previous Parliament. I'm watching to see how Mr. Harper does in his new job. Of course, my expectations are pretty low, so I’ll not be disappointed……who knows he may even surprise me a bit.

Monday will be the election of the new speaker of the house. Tuesday will bring the Throne speech. Just one note on this, does anyone else find it a tad ironic that the man who led the charge about not being consulted about the contents of the Throne Speech in the last minority parliament has done little if any consultation himself with the opposition?? True, he did have those “little” meetings with the other leaders, but not sure that really qualifies as “consultations.” Anyway, I digress, on Wednesday, we will see the first question period. Expect tons of questions about the Emerson crossing, and the Michel Fortier appointment. I somehow doubt the opposition is going to let go of these two issues yet, at least until something else comes up to hammer the Tories with.

I expect the childcare issue to be the biggest fight of this session. The opposition will fight the cancellation of the deals already made, as will the provinces. This one should be the toughest of the conservative’s 5 initiatives to carry through.

Let the games begin!!

Posted by PoliticsNB at 9:46 AM | Permalink | |