If you can't beat 'em

So, Dear Leader goes up to the Canada, having already spewed demoagogic venom, spews more such venom, and pledges to spew even more; after all, the next polling season is only seven weeks away:

PREMIER WILLIAMS: What we have done now is, we have gone to New York, we have gone to Calgary, we gone to the Nation’s Capital in Ottawa, and we will not stop there because we are going to state our case that is based on fairness, equity, and justice.

And, in the face of the transparent attempt to change the local channel by whipping up anti-Quebec hysteria, what do you do when you're the poorly-resource opposition? While Danny is off slaying his imaginary dragons, you seize the opportunity to attack his exposed flank, where he is vulnerable for his own failings and improprieties, right?

Of course not! In the sad spectacle that is Dannystan politics and the pathetic, hollow excuse of a legislature, you pile on board the Spirit of '48 yourself!

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, just yesterday the Premier bitterly complained about the way we were being treated at the hands of Quebec. Yet, in tender after tender this Province is awarding major construction contracts to Quebec companies. This government is feeding Quebec with one hand and beating them over the head with the other hand, I say to you, Premier. Quebec contractors are able to operate freely in this Province while restrictive labour practices effectively bar our own contractors from doing work in that Province.

I ask the Premier: Why are you awarding contracts to Quebec companies when our own contractors are restricted in competing for contracts in Quebec?

...

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, just a week ago, as the Premier was staging another lashing for Quebec, his government awarded a $31 million contract for the RNC headquarters in St. John’s to a Quebec company. The second lowest bidder, a Newfoundland company was at $33 million, a difference of less than 5 per cent of the total cost of the contract.

I ask the Premier: Why is it that you can lash out at Quebec, like you did in your speech yesterday and say that Quebec has, and I quote: Demonstrated the Province’s bias, arrogance and discriminatory business practices towards our Province, yet you are handing out taxpayers’ money in Newfoundland and Labrador to Quebec companies?

...

MS JONES: Maybe the tender is not awarded but those are the notes. Let me tell you the tenders that are awarded, because I just got it off the tendering list, it did not say, Mr. Speaker. Let me tell you the ones that were, a Quebec company was awarded a $12 million contract for a school in L’Anse-au-Loup while the Newfoundland company was less than 2 per cent shy of the lowest bidder. A Quebec company was awarded a $50 million contract for a long-term care centre in Corner Brook and the next lowest bidder, a Newfoundland company, was less than 5 per cent. A highway contract in Labrador was awarded to a Quebec company, when the Newfoundland and Labrador company was $25,000 over what the $12 million bid was.

I ask the Premier today: Why is it that you are not looking after our own construction and trades industries in Newfoundland and Labrador, and keeping that money right here at home?

...

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot say on the one hand we are being milked by Quebec, and on the other hand we are writing cheques for taxpayers’ money and giving it to Quebec companies.

I say to government opposite, you talk about the Agreement on Internal Trade, but it is perfectly acceptable if the government wants to put exemption clauses into ferry contracts or in fibre optic contracts, which we have seen happen in the Province, Mr. Speaker. So, if there is a will, there is a way.

I would say to the Premier today, in asking this question, Mr. Speaker, I would ask: When are we going to stop the practice of giving contracts outside of the Province, to the Province of Quebec, while they are shafting us, Premier?

The chances of anyone ever scraping together three brain cells, a shred of human decency, and a few grains of common sense, and calling the Premier out on his demagogic francophobic outburst of intolerance and bigotry are effectively nil.

In a 21st century province of Canada, that's really sad.