Another World Class Bully
Be assertive enough, loud enough, employ tough rhetoric, display yourself as a defender of the needy and the innocent, and you will go far, my son. Premier Danny Williams must have sat at the knee of the redoubtable, ever-demanding Joey Smallwood who made himself a celebrity of the Rock, and a headache of the federal government. Newfoundland seems to breed them, one after another.
Living in such a hard landscape, they've got to be tough, irascible, self-availing. And they have been self-availing, living on the generosity of the rest of Canada since joining Confederation, Canada's littlest brother. For all that they're a proud people and rightly so, with an immensely colourful portfolio of humour and good feeling. Until and unless they feel themselves ill done by.
As, most surely, does Danny Williams, riled and outraged that he, and Newfoundland and Labrador just cannot have their cake iced. Good grief, they're a wealthy province now. Their geography has paid off right handsomely, and they're well greased with a steady income and a growing bank account, glowing handsomely and most comfortably.
Why, at this juncture, when the traditional 'have' provinces are suddenly diminished in stature and income, when manufacturing has hit the skids and the country's economy is wobbling alongside the global financial failure, does he think it's right and proper to sanctimoniously bleed tears at the great wrong done to his province by denying it what it no longer needs?
The great white hope of Newfoundland, its fierce protector, is just too intent on bleeding the rest of Canada. Beloved, or intimidating, which is he? "People have a fear that Danny will find out" says a veteran journalist in the province, should they openly criticize him. "Trying to get someone to talk openly and freely from the business community, and from inside government, is tougher than previous times."
He's keen on retaliation, should someone offend his sensibilities, oppose his methodology, question his purpose. Warning reporters they risk being "cut off" should they write unfavourably of him. He has taken it upon himself to interfere with the selection process in Memorial University's search for a new president. Denounced a public inquiry judge and lawyers.
He's been courageous enough to demand of international oil executives greater provincial control and profit from the Hebron oil development. And he took possession for the province of the hydroelectric and timber assets of Abitibi Bowater Inc., when it threatened to close its Newfoundland mill.
And he's a downright pain in the arse on the national scene.
Living in such a hard landscape, they've got to be tough, irascible, self-availing. And they have been self-availing, living on the generosity of the rest of Canada since joining Confederation, Canada's littlest brother. For all that they're a proud people and rightly so, with an immensely colourful portfolio of humour and good feeling. Until and unless they feel themselves ill done by.
As, most surely, does Danny Williams, riled and outraged that he, and Newfoundland and Labrador just cannot have their cake iced. Good grief, they're a wealthy province now. Their geography has paid off right handsomely, and they're well greased with a steady income and a growing bank account, glowing handsomely and most comfortably.
Why, at this juncture, when the traditional 'have' provinces are suddenly diminished in stature and income, when manufacturing has hit the skids and the country's economy is wobbling alongside the global financial failure, does he think it's right and proper to sanctimoniously bleed tears at the great wrong done to his province by denying it what it no longer needs?
The great white hope of Newfoundland, its fierce protector, is just too intent on bleeding the rest of Canada. Beloved, or intimidating, which is he? "People have a fear that Danny will find out" says a veteran journalist in the province, should they openly criticize him. "Trying to get someone to talk openly and freely from the business community, and from inside government, is tougher than previous times."
He's keen on retaliation, should someone offend his sensibilities, oppose his methodology, question his purpose. Warning reporters they risk being "cut off" should they write unfavourably of him. He has taken it upon himself to interfere with the selection process in Memorial University's search for a new president. Denounced a public inquiry judge and lawyers.
He's been courageous enough to demand of international oil executives greater provincial control and profit from the Hebron oil development. And he took possession for the province of the hydroelectric and timber assets of Abitibi Bowater Inc., when it threatened to close its Newfoundland mill.
And he's a downright pain in the arse on the national scene.
Labels: Canada, Crisis Politics, Economy
posted by Pieface | 7:39 PM
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