Danny and His Minions — Then and Now

Labrador is no more special a region of the province than the Burin Peninsula or Corner Brook.

Except when it's less:

"Obviously this cabinet was put together, not for the benefit of the people of the province, but to reward Grimes supporters. Despite its huge size, the new cabinet ignores several regions of the province, particularly the Corner Brook area..." — John Ottenheimer, PC Party press release, February 13, 2001 [no longer online]

"Mr. Speaker, I would ask the minister that, in the light of the fact that Corner Brook has been largely ignored by this government and in fact does not have any Cabinet ministers in that area - I bring that to the attention of the hon. Member for Bay of Islands - and the hon. Member for Humber East, that there is no Cabinet representation. In light of that fact, will government now make a commitment to the people of Corner Brook that it will do something about its future economic growth?" — Danny Williams, House of Assembly Debates (Hansard), April 17, 2002

Trevor Taylor, MHA for the Straits-White Bay North, was given the Labrador affairs portfolio Thursday, along with fisheries and aquaculture. Some people in Labrador are angry the job didn't go to the Labrador's lone Tory MHA, John Hickey in Lake Melville. Taylor says good representation isn't a matter of where a cabinet minister is from. "There are many long-standing grievances that the people of Labrador have," Taylor says. "They haven't been solved simply by having a minister responsible for Labrador and a minister from Labrador sitting at the cabinet table." — Trevor Taylor, CBC News, November 7, 2003 [no longer online]

"You can't have it both ways," he said. "If you're going to cut the cabinet back then obviously certain portions of the province, minute portions of the province, can be left out." — Danny Williams, Canadian Press, November 7, 2003 [no longer online]

On Wednesday, Labrador Affairs critic Yvonne Jones called on the province to set up a special development fund for Labrador. But today, Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne said the government would do no such thing. He said while the province is committed to improving infrastructure in Labrador, it will not set up special funds earmarked for any part of the province, whether it be Labrador, the Burin pensinsula or any other region. — NTV News, February 17, 2005

"Since I got into politics, I've been at the firing line, so this will just be another step in that," Jackman said. "I think this will speak volumes to the people on the Burin Peninsula," Jackman said of his appointment. "They will have a voice right there at the table, and it couldn't be more timely." — Clyde Jackman on being appointed to the provincial cabinet, CBC News, March 15, 2006

"Given the situation on the Burin Peninsula and the huge issue down there with FPI, then what beter time to have a voice at the table," Williams said. — Danny Williams, justifying the ever-increasing size of his "smaller" provincial cabinet, CBC News, March 15, 2006