Cough, cough

Back in 2007, Our Dear Speech from the Throne intoned:

We as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians aspire, not to perpetual subservience, but to self-sufficiency. Our people are not content to tolerate a future of relying on others economically. However, our people have now also learned that we will achieve self-reliance economically only by taking charge of our future as a people. To that end, My Government will harness the desire among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to cultivate greater cultural, financial and moral autonomy vis-à-vis Ottawa. … Our people are ready to take charge of our future and, under My First Minister’s leadership, our province will achieve self-reliance by becoming masters of our own house.

It would appear that not everyone in Danny Williams-Government got the memo. On Friday, the CBC’s Tara McLean caught up to Minister of Something John Hickey at the first of his dog-and-pony shows highlighting how much Danny Williams-Government is spending in Labrador.(The take-away literature is strangely silent on how much DW-G collects in Labrador.)

Here’s a quick transcript from the CBC Labrador Morning audio file:

McLean: What’s the government’s plan for the Labrador marine service?

Hickey: Well, presently, of course, the Bond will run this year, and then, of course, next year, ah, certainly it looks that the Bond will not be running, because it’s not government’s intention to run a ferry service parallel to a road system. We fought many years to try to get this road done, and of course we’ve been successful. But certainly, y’know, the assessment of the pilot project between Blanc Sablon Corner Brook [sic] I’m sure will be looked at. And obviously, y’know, the issue of new ferries for the Straits crossing, something that we’d like to see certainly come forward, the department is looking at it, but federal government [sic] needs to cough up some monies here, I believe, to help us out with those particular pieces of infrastructure.

Masters of our own house, as long as someone else pays the utility bills and upkeep. Good ol’ federal Autonomoney. Is there anything it can’t do?