Second fiddle

How hard must it suck to be a Danny Williams Administration Newfoundland Labrador cabinet minister?

First, you have to issue a cryptic media advisory of the type usually reserved for announcing, shall we say, "changes to cabinet":

Media Advisory: Minister to Hold News Conference

The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, has scheduled a news conference for today (Wednesday, April 4).

Then, even though it ends up being a run-of-the-mill, workaday government announcement, your name takes second billing to Glorious Leader's in your own press release:

Teacher Allocations Announced – Focus on Need Versus Numbers

To ensure the highest quality education for students across Newfoundland and Labrador, the Williams Government will invest $6.4 million in Budget 2007 in teaching positions. School districts will have 137 teachers above the current teacher allocation model to distribute to schools across their districts. The Honourable Joan Burke, Minister of Education, also announced today an additional 25 teachers to support a new Excellence in Mathematics Strategy and 13 new positions to address increased need in the province’s growth areas.