Five years already

His Dear Parting Words, though only a handful knew it at the time:

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Oh, if I may?

The Cupids celebrations, 400th Anniversary celebrations - I want to make sure everybody has a great summer and you spend time in your districts and get a chance to get around the Province, but this is a very special celebration. This is the oldest English colony in North America. It is equivalent, in my opinion, to the Quebec City celebrations that were held just two years ago or a year ago. Get out there, it is in the middle of August. Make sure you spend some time out there, but it is really worthwhile being there and being part of it. I know, Roland, I am going to see you out there. So we will see you there and at the Blueberry Festival. 

Take care.

Straight to the source

CBC reports today:

Political sources told CBC News Monday that many of the 73 names on Cabana's papers fail to meet the definition of a PC party member, as outlined in the party's own constitution. An eligible signature would need to come from a current or past member of a district executive, the provincial executive or a current or former member of the house of assembly.

Here again, for the record, and for the benefit of both CBC and its sources, is what The Party’s The Constitution says, which is not the same thing as what “political sources” say that it says.

Appendix A, Part II, 1.C.:

The candidate must file with the Chief Electoral Officer a nomination form containing the signatures of fifty individuals who are members of the Party on or before the date of close of nomination established by the Convention Committee.

The term “members”, as in “members of the Party”, is not defined in the definitions section of either the Appendix, or of the Constitution itself. However, there is absolutely nothing in that document which restricts the class of “members” who are entitled to be among the fifty to nominate a leadership candidate to the subset of people who are a “current or past member of a district executive, the provincial executive or a current or former member of the house of assembly”.

There are provisions of the Constitution which provide that current and former MHAs are members of The Party’s Executive Council, or that current and former MHAs, members of The Party’s Executive Council, or certain members of district executives, are ex-officio delegates to a leadership convention.

But those provisions are not those which govern the nomination of leadership candidates itself.

No, the nomination of leadership candidates is done by fifty “individuals who are members of the Party on or before the date of close of nomination”. If the Constitution had wanted to restrict nominating power to a small sub-set of PC Party members, it would have said so. Expressio unius exclusio alterius and all that.

And as party nomination contestants and John Babb have reminded us, ad nauseam, during candidate nominations in recent years… The Party has open membership, which makes it rather a tricky business determining who is a member at all, let alone who is a member on any given date.

Back to you, “political sources”.

Job Description

Another bit of inadvertant humour from the Constitution of The Party.

Appendix D provides as follows:

APPENDIX D

ORGANIZATIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

CAUCUS AND CAUCUS REPRESENTATIVE

The Caucus is the group of Party members currently serving as Members of the House of Assembly. In addition to the regular duties of elected officials, the Caucus is responsible for promoting the policies, aims, and objectives of the Party. The Caucus participates in the formation of Party policy. The Caucus is responsible for selecting an interim Leader of the Party until a leadership convention can be held, when the position of Leader becomes vacant due to resignation or death.

Membership has its priveleges

The ever-nefarious Geoff Meeker digs a little deeper into the case of Bag-On-The-Head, putative candidate for the leadership of The Party, whose concerns made it into rotation on radio news the other day.

This prompts the ever-intrepid Peter Jackson to chime in with a comment:

Geoff: Your post is quite balanced. There are two issues here. One is that the Tories have made it nigh on impossible for anyone to contend Dunderdale's coronation. The timeframe is too short and the fee and signature requirements are almost insurmountable. This is fact.

And another:

… said constitution clearly states the requjrement of 50 signatures from party members, something you also questioned. If they didn't restrict endorsements to party members, it would leave room for saboteurs to muck things up.

And what is that “signature requirement”? A lot of digging on this corner's part dredged up the signature requirement as it stood when late Premier Williams “ran” for the job in 2000-01, which prompted a very helpful mole — let's call them Mole — to provide what is apparently the most recent iteration of that illustrious document, the Constitution of The Party. Lo and behold, the requirement is the same now as it was then, to wit:

C. The candidate must file with the Chief Electoral Officer a nomination form containing the signatures of fifty individuals who are members of the Party on or before the date of close of nomination established by the Convention Committee.

Which of course raises the important follow-up question: which individuals are "members of the Party"? That arcane piece of knowledge was difficult to determine until Mole helpfully provided the answer, which is contained in Article 5 of the Constitution of The Party:

1. All persons who are residents or domiciled in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and who support the principles and aims of the Party are eligible to become members of the Party.

2. Subjects to Article 5-1 all individual members of affiliated associations and groups who support the principles and aims of the Party shall be members of the Party.

3. Notwithstanding Article 5-1 and Article 5-2, all members of the Provincial Executive Council as defined in Article 7-1 who support the principles and aims of the Party shall be members of the Party. Any member of the Provincial Executive Council who ceases to support the principles and aims of the Party will automatically cease to be a member of the Provincial Executive Council and forfeit all rights and privileges associated therewith.

The “affiliated associations and groups” mentioned are district associations, the PC Women's Association, and the like. The “persons” who are eligible to be members, as per the Constitutions definition section, are Canadian citizens. Curiously, there does not seem to be a lower limit on “membership” in The Party in and of itself, although other provisions provide that you must be 16 to do things like attend, vote in, or stand for election in district association elections (Article 13) and leadership delegate selections (Appendix A, Part II, section 2). The Constitution also provides that members must also be 18 to vote in (Article 12, section 3, para. 6) and (obviously, for statutory reasons) to run in candidate-selection meetings.

Note a couple of important absences from the membership rules. There is nothing about membership fees or cards or other such formalities. Article 5, distilled and cross-referenced to other sections of the Constitution, says that you are a Progressive Conservative if you are a Canadian citizen, “resident or domiciled”, whatever the difference there is intended to be, and you say you're a Tory.

And that, presumably subject to the age limit in Article 12, is exactly how the PC Party has conducted its late candidate nominations. As Danny Williams and John Babb reminded voters in the 2008 by-election districts:

Voting will be held in the District of Baie Verte - Springdale on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in three locations... Voters must be residents of the district and are reminded to bring two pieces of identification, one of which should be a piece of photo identification.

Similar language obtained in notices to voters in the 2009 by-elections in Straits and White-Bay North and Terra Nova, and the 2010 contests in Topsail and Conception Bay East-Bell Island.

Note, importantly, the reference to “Voters”. Not “Members of the PC Party”, whatever the M-word is supposed to mean in this context. Indeed, as The Party officials, and the nomination contestants themselves, have repeatedly boasted on gabby radio during the brief nomination campaigns, The Party is an “open” party, eschewing membership formalities and fees altogether in the name of democracy blah blah blah.

Yes, it might be hard to prove that you are a “member”, but it's equally hard for anyone else to prove that you aren't.

So with all that, with an open party that has no membership requirement other than to tell yourself you're a Tory, and with no apparent limit on the age of “members” who can nominate The Party's The Leader... how can it be said that the requirement to get the signaturs of fifty “members” is an “insurmountable” one, and designed to disallow the room for “saboteurs to muck things up”?

So, Mr/Mrs/Ms Bag-on-the-Head, and saboteurs, have at 'er. All you need to do now is find fifty self-styled Tories (children will do) and $5000 measly bucks.

Go nuts!

The last time (II)

On June 12, 2000, Kilbride MHA Ed Byrne, Leader of the Opposition, announced his intention to resign as leader of the PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

On July 6, the party office issued the following press release:

Provincial PC Executive establishes Leadership Convention Committee

ST. JOHN'S, July 6, 2000 — The Executive of the Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party met Wednesday, July 5 to set in motion the process to choose a new Party leader.

At the outset of the meeting, PC Party president Kevin O'Brien informed the provincial executive that effective immediately he is withdrawing himself from the process and taking a leave of absence as Party president while he considers whether he will seek the leadership of the Party. He said he does not want to be in a conflict of interest, or to put the Party Executive in a conflict of interest, in this regard. He immediately left the meeting.

The executive then chose Party vice-president Paula Hayes to serve as acting president.

The executive also moved to establish a leadership Convention Committee, pursuant to the Party's constitution, choosing past Party president Jim Oxford to serve as committee co-chair. The second committee co-chair and other committee members will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Under the Party's constitution (Appendix A, Part I, Section 4), "The Convention Committees shall have the general responsibility for all matters pertaining to the Convention. The Convention Committee shall establish the dates and times for the following milestones:

• the official start of the leadership campaign,
  
• the Convention,
  
• the close of nominations,
  
• the withdrawal of candidates,
  
• the submission of association executive lists,
  
• the submission of association delegate lists,
  
• the pre-registration of automatic ex-officio delegates,
  
• the pre-registration of other delegates and alternates,
  
• the registration of delegates and alternates at the Convention,
  
• the opening of hospitality suites at the Convention."
  

- 30 -

For more information:

Jim Oxford, co-chair of the PC leadership Convention Committee
Telephone: (709) [REDACTED]

Paula Hayes, acting Party president
Telephone: (709) [REDACTED]

Email: [REDACTED]

The last time (I)

On June 12, 2000, Kilbride MHA Ed Byrne, Leader of the Opposition, announced his intention to resign as leader of the PC Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Later the same day, the party office issued the following press release:

PC Party president applauds Ed Byrne, prepares for leadership process

ST. JOHN'S, June 12, 2000 — Kevin O'Brien, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party, had nothing but praise today for PC Party leader Ed Byrne, who earlier Monday announced he will step aside as Party leader to spend more time with his family.

"PC Party executive members were shocked and dismayed to hear Ed Byrne's decision. He has been a strong leader and we truly regret he is leaving, though we also fully understand and respect his reasons for choosing to go," said O'Brien. "I personally want to thank Ed Byrne for his leadership over the past two years and for his dedication to the Party. All across Newfoundland and Labrador, people have come to know and admire Ed Byrne as a tireless and effective leader, and that has put our Party in good stead."

"The timing of Ed's decision gives us a tremendous window of opportunity. His decision to remain as Party leader until a successor is chosen gives the Party the time it needs to handle the leadership process appropriately," said O'Brien.
O'Brien said he is looking forward to the months ahead and the process of selecting a new leader.

"We will be convening a meeting of the Party executive in the near future at which time we will be striking a leadership convention committee and discussing the appropriate time line for choosing a new leader," he said.

"As I see it, there are two windows of opportunity – the late fall of this year and the early spring of 2001 – but no decision has been made at this time," he said. Under the Party's Constitution, the earliest a leadership convention can be held is September 2000. The last general election was in February 1999, just a little more than a year ago.

- 30 -

For more information:

Kevin O'Brien
President
Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party
(709) [REDACTED]

Sic transit gloria kenti

Another of the teenage members of the Williams Team throws in with the Dunderdale Juggernaut, thereby magnanimously putting an end to his own ambitions.

And the response

Via Bob Wakeham:

Danny Williams, politician

George Abbott, Stanley Abbott, Walter Ernest Alexander, Israel Anderson, Joseph Andrews, Gilbert Antle, James Atwill, Edward Alphonsus Ayre, Eric S. Ayre, Gerald W. Ayre, Wilfred D. Ayre, Horatio Barbour, Maxwell Barnes, Leonard Josiah Barrett, Joseph Patrick Bartlett, John Barton, Frederick Donald Bastow, William Bennett, William Bishop, Stewart Malcolm Boone, Charles Bowman, John Breen, David Brent, Michael Broderick, Bertram Brown, Edward John Brown, Allen Burge, Garrett Burke, Leo Michael Burke, Sydney George Burry, Edward William Butler, Harry Butler, Ignatius Joseph Butler, John Joseph Cahill, Martin Joseph Cahill, Rodger Callahan, John Joseph Carew, Edward Carrigan, Thomas Carroll, John Carsons, Llewelyn James Carter, Ernest Leslie Chafe, Bernard Cleary, Charles Allen Cleary, John Cleary, Harold Gordon Coish, Edward Lewis Cole, James Patrick Connors, Harry Coombs, Lawrence Joseph Corcoran, William Patrick Costello, Norman Coultas, Harrison Courage, Henry Charles Crane, Llewelyn Cranford, Kenneth Critch, Harrison Crocker, George Graham Crosbie, Nathaniel Croucher, John Thomas Curley,

The justification (II)

From VOCM's December 7th Question of the Day (some emphasis added):

What Now Said: It's a phrase......get on with something important!

Gr Said: what,s the big deal xmas card

Trt Said: People need to get a life here in newfoundland it is only a Christmas card.

Rr Said: not a thing wrong with it...

Frank Said: Rock on Danny! Some people can't see the light side of anything

Patti Said: I voted No. Maybe "Lest we Forget" in this instance means Danny telling us "Don't forget what Canada did to us over the years that I fought so hard to undo, and continue the good fight."

Get over it! Said: My goodness people..GROW UP! Every day you guys manage to find something foolish to complain about. It's a Christmas card for god sakes!

Danny Fanny Said: i agree, we shouldn't forget. neither what our veterans did on all our behalves nor what Mr. Williams a.k.a. Danny has done for this province. he's made sacrifices for us as well. Gonna miss you Mr. Premier. Best of luck in the future.

Merv Said: for crying out loud its only a card ,,,,get a life ....ty

Jimmy Said: Get over it.I will never forget Danny and what he done.I hope nobody else does either.looks good.

Jane Doe Said: Thank God for Google. The phrase Lest we Forget comes from the poem Recessional by Rudyard Kipling. It was written for a queen and expresses pride in the British Empire but then expresses an underlying sadness that the Empire might go the way of all previous empires. (Sound like Nfld. and Labrador?) Only in later years was the phrase linked with Remembrance Day and found on war memorials. Lest we forget is NOT exclusive to war vets. So Danny did nothing wrong and has nothing to apologize for.

John Smith Said: Only a moron, and I mean a true moron would associate this photo with the War memorial. I have seen many phtos with this in the background, it's the lobby of confederation Bldg. for god's sake! Where should a pic have been taken. lorraine was always at the bottom with me, and now she has slipped lower than that.

SheldonTwo Said: It's not copyrighted so I find no problem with it. It's a phrase used normally by people on Rememberance Day but it doesn't mean that it should ONLY be used for that day. A lot of people associate it with that day but that doesn't make what Danny did wrong

Enough is Enough Said: PEOPLE, what the hell is wrong with you???? This man has done a wonderful job in the past 7 years as Premier. No one else could even come close to filling his boots. "LEAST WE FORGET" Lets not forget what he has done for our province. Thank you Mr. Williams, you will be greatly missed and never forgotten...

RDM Said: The words are just backdrop from the Confederation Buidling Lobby…get over yourselves!! It's Christmas.

Themove Said: Lorraine Michaels is being childish about this. WHO CARES? It's just a Christmas card.

Just a thought... Said: I can't believe the comments on here, its crazy. Its a card for heavens sake, a Christmas and Fairwell card from the Premier. Who cares whats in the back ground, no matter what was there, someone is going to have a bad remark about it.
Lest we forget Said: "Lest we forget" anyone who done any good for us or made us stronger & better people....Danny William, you are certainly one of those people!!!

ML in NL Said:

Honestly and truly!
I can't believe I even read this in the news!!!
Lady, shut up, it's a picture.
Find other ways to occupy your time.

Claire Said: I think this is a bit extreme. Yes, we use the phrase during Rememberance Day, however, it's not something we can only say on that occasion. The fact that it's in the background is arbitrary and it shouldn't matter one way or the other. Your point is moot Lorraine so move on. A Christmas card is a Christmas card so who cares.

David Locke Said: I think Danny just wants the people of NF and Lab to remember what they have accomplished in the past ten years. Danny has to be the best primer that NF and Lab has ever had and just what can be accomplished when the priorities are kept in focuse.

Stephen NL Said: Theres nothing wrong with his christmas card! He was an excellent premier and has done amazing things for our province! As far as im concerned he can put whatever he wants on his card.....besides it was certainly a memorable moment for me

Ashley Phillips Said: It's only 3 words. I think the way Danny pulled Newfoundland out of the hole is well enough to remember. The other MHA's should take a page out of Danny's playbook and not forget.

Steve Said: Oh friggin' boo hoo, he happened to be standing in a location in the confederation building that happened to have those words as the background, I wish all the whiners would get over themselves. All the blustering is mainly being done by the loud mouthed Danny-bashers and gossip mongers who should STFU and get a life.

The justification (I)

Via CBC web comments (emphasis added):

VanessaD* wrote:
Posted 2010/12/06 at 4:43 PM ET

I am very scared myself that we will forget.

We cannot slip back into the state of stupor we were in for 53 years before Premier William's arrival, that which saw us elect Politicians and immediately put them on auto pilot for the 4 year term for which they were elected. During those auto pilot spells they Gave Away the Shop in the name of our Raw Natural Resources and thus the resulting give away of our Human resource because our people had to follow the Raw Natural Resources to find work in the smelting, processing, refining and manufacturing industries which were created in other parts of Canada.Do the Opposition parties want us to remain in that wretched stupor state for the rest of our lives? It appears to me that is what they want. They don't want us to have a voice. It's easier to conduct Goverment dealings when you have the voice of the electorate silenced. Thank You Premier Williams.

Please hang on to Premier Williams' Memory Lest we forget! Lest we forget!

AvaJenkins wrote:
Posted 2010/12/06 at 4:57 PM ET

anyone considered the fact that lest we forget does talk about the troops? its a common slogan and danny uses it often to refer to the troops

cbcviewernain wrote:
Posted 2010/12/06 at 5:20 PM ET

Give Danny a break, it's only a Christmas card. He did good while he was serving as Premier, and he will be remembered!!

bayman1 wrote:
Posted 2010/12/06 at 8:37 PM ET

"Lest we forget" is a phrase people. It can be used during anytime of the year under any circumstance. It just so happens we use it in November for the lost and loved soldiers. Big deal if Danny used it in his Christmas card! Do you want some cheese with that whine?

langdon_c wrote:
Posted 2010/12/06 at 11:01 PM ET
Seriously guys? The picture is from his farewell speech. Every time there's a press conference in the lobby of the Confederation Building it's either in front of the doors that lead into the lobby or in front of the War Memorial. "Lest we Forget" is not in any way referring to Danny, it just happens to be on the wall behind him.

VanessaD* wrote:
Posted 2010/12/07 at 6:45 AM ET
Lest We Forget is a phrase that can be utilized to memorize any monumental event of important. The War Dead will not be hurt by using the phrase that hear usually when we commemorate our them for their Monumental Effort in both Great Wars. Our War Dead fought for Equality and Parity among all, so that every family could be secure in shelter and food and free from discrimination. It was also a Monumental Effort and Event for Premier Williams to get the message of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians out there to Canadians and the World, that Newfoundland and Labrador's Raw Natural Resources and its Human Resource were both being utilized by other parts of Canada and the World to grow buoyant economies while our province languished as the "Have-Not" province of Canada, simply because our resources were utilized by others for their economies. "Have-not" status was a title that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador never should have had to be tagged with and thus burden given its bountiful resource base and great geographic location in Canada.

LEST WE FORGET! LEST WE FORGET! LEST WE FORGET!

VanessaD* wrote:
Posted 2010/12/07 at 7:18 AM ET
Given the Thumbs down on this site the Opposition Members are out in full force. Also we should be able to garner from that very fact, that should they get control of power in Newfoundland and Labrador, it won't take them long to put us back in the "Have-Not" status position we languished in for the full 53 years before Premier Danny Williams arrived on the scene.

They can't wait to take the Easy Raod and give everything away once again.

LEST WE FORGET!

VanessaD* wrote:
Posted 2010/12/07 at 7:29 AM ET

Lest We Forget is a phrase that can be utilized to memorize any monumental event of importance. The War Dead will not be hurt by using the phrase "Lest We Forget" that we hear usually when we commemorate them for their Monumental Effort in both Great Wars. Our War Dead fought for Equality and Parity among all, so that every family could be secure in shelter and food and free from discrimination. It was also a Monumental Effort and Event for Premier Williams to get the message of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians out there to Canadians and the World, that Newfoundland and Labrador's Raw Natural Resources and its Human Resource were both being utilized by other parts of Canada and the World to grow buoyant economies while our province languished as the "Have-Not" province of Canada, simply because our resources were utilized by others for their economies. "Have-not" status was a title that the province of Newfoundland and Labrador never should have had to be tagged with and thus burdened with given its bountiful resource base and great geographic location in Canada.

LEST WE FORGET! LEST WE FORGET! LEST WE FORGET!

* Hi, Agnes N.! How ya doin'?

Unintended consequences

One of the happier results of Our Dear Departure from politics today, still pink and warm, is that the O'Brien Protocol, formulated for the other possibility, now won't have to be implemented.

From the "debates" of the House of Assembly on December 14th last year:

So you have to get to each one of the doors. You have to do that, and you have to talk to people when you are out. I do it myself in regard to when I am out to the grocery stores and whatnot, and I try to remind them, because God forbid, if we lose the leadership that we have right now, that is certainly the envy of all of Canada, as I have travelled within the country itself, I have heard time and time again: God, we wish we had a Premier like yours. So God forbid that we would lose him as a leader at this particular time. I will say this, that some point in time, I suppose a lot of people expect that we will lose him, but my idea of it all is that we should mummify him and keep him in the seat and do not let anybody know in Newfoundland and Labrador that he is dead. I think under just having him here, we will do much better than if we had somebody else in that chair. So I will say that there as well. I have said that, actually, publicly at times. I say it with some type of jest, because I am not sure if he would want to be mummified and put in that chair, but in the meantime, I would like to have him there myself, because I have all the admiration in the world.

Required reading

Robert Rowe bravely makes an under-made point.

Greatest Misses, Vol. I

From the pages of the 2003 edition of the "Bluesheet" — oh, how tempting it is to make a pun with a near-homonym of that word — some of Danny Williams' deeply-held beliefs and fondest ambitions that didn't quite see the light of day. Emphasis added throughout:

Consistent with our energy policy objectives, a Progressive Conservative government will make use of the hydroelectric potential of the Lower Churchill and any electricity that can be recalled or reclaimed from the Upper Churchill to accomplish the following priorities:

• Promote industrial development and meet domestic energy demand in Labrador and then on the Island of Newfoundland.

In order to stabilize government's fiscal position, a Progressive Conservative government proposes the following policies:

• Keeping real program spending constant by limiting the annual growth in spending to the anticipated growth in inflation. New needs that arise will be accommodated within this budget constraint.

In order to stabilize government's fiscal position, a Progressive Conservative government proposes the following policies:

• Approximately 40% of all government expenditures goes towards salaries and employee benefits. Over the next five years, approximately 25% of the public service will be eligible for retirement. A Progressive Conservative government will use this five-year period to reduce the size of the public sector through attrition.

During its first mandate, a Progressive Conservative government will make it illegal for government to spend money without prior legislative approval when the House of Assembly is in session, and restrict spending by Special Warrant to a specific emergency that occurs when the House is not in session.

We will restore a significant, independent role to the House of Assembly through:

• The election of an independent speaker, who will not sit in a caucus or be eligible for a cabinet appointment during the term of a legislature over which he or she presides.

To encourage more people, particularly persons with family responsibilities, to run for election to the House of Assembly, a Progressive Conservative government will:

• Ask the legislature to adopt family friendly election timetables and work schedules, so that Members can combine their work more easily with family and childcare responsibilities. This will involve a fixed legislative calendar with fixed sittings and adjournments dates, an end to legislation by attrition, a fixed budget day, and workable time lines that ensure a proper balance between Members' responsibilities to the legislature, their constituents, and their families. [Ah, so that's why the House never sits... they are being "family friendly" — ed.]

Committees will be expected to meet regularly outside St. John's to provide better access to the general public and to encourage greater participation by individuals and groups. [What's a "committee"? — ed.]

A Progressive Conservative government will take the following actions to close those loopholes:

• Legislate contribution and spending limits for Party leadership contests and nominees in Party candidacy races. [Surely such rules will be legislated before the PC leadership gets under way — ed.]
• Require full disclosure of contributions and expenditures in party nomination contests and elections.
• Require disclosure of contributions to leadership campaigns as they occur and disclosure of independently audited expenses within three months after the election of a new leader.

A Progressive Conservative government will propose amendments to the Elections Act and other relevant acts that will:

• Set and publish content rules for government advertising that will stop the use of public funds for political advertising.

A Progressive Conservative government will:

• Proclaim new Freedom of Information legislation which will include amendments that will clearly identify information that should be in the public domain, including cabinet documents, and will require full and prompt disclosure of the information to the public.
• Release to the public every government-commissioned report within 30 days of receiving it, indicate the action government will take on a report's recommendations within 60 days, and ensure prompt public access to all government reports in hard copy and on the Internet.

Parting words

On June 24th, the House of Assembly, after sitting for a gruelling 43 days, rose for the summer.

There are a whole host of rituals associated with the pre-rising sitting, not least of which, the platitudinous speeches from the party leaders on what was accomplished during the long session to date.

One of the leaders' June 24th speeches was a bit longer, a bit mushier, and a bit more retrospective than usual.

This corner could issue a longer epitaph for the Williams era, and probably will, but for today, let's leave Danny Williams in his own words. With his impending resignation as Premier, leader, and presumably MHA for Humber West, and the extension of the "summer" recess until December 6th, to give the rest of the PC caucus a chance to scrape its collective jaw off the floor, these words will stand as his swansong as an elected politician.

See you at the Blueberry Festival, and take care:

PREMIER WILLIAMS: I just want to express a few words of thanks to the members of the House, but before I do so I just want to build on the comments of the Lieutenant-Governor.

Yesterday, as evidenced by the red face, I had the wonderful experience of having the opportunity to go in and observe the caribou experiments and research that we have been doing and went into Bay du Nord wilderness area in order to see it. I went in yesterday because it was the only opportunity before the actual end of the calving season, when the calves are on their own, to see first-hand exactly what is going on with regard to predation and the reduction of our caribou herds. I am very proud to report that the money that we have allocated to look at this has been internationally appreciated.

Shane Mahoney, of course, was heading it up and I was with Shane yesterday. He has attended worldwide conferences at the highest levels. What the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is doing in order to protect its herds and to do sophisticated research, applied research in this particular area is world-class.

The reason I mention it though is to build on what the Lieutenant-Governor has said with regard to the Province as we travel around the Province – and it is not fair to say that Cabinet ministers are the only ones who are going to be working this summer. As we all know, MHAs, your work really begins as soon as you leave here because it is a summer of festivals, of being in your districts and being in your constituencies and having a chance to meet the people and answer to the people who you represent, good and bad, if they have any complaints, if they have any compliments, you have an opportunity to listen to it.

As he made the comment, as you travel around the Province do not complain about the weather, but as I, yesterday, had the opportunity to be out in the Bay du Nord wilderness area, it just confirmed for me the magnificent Province that we have, extraordinary, special place in the entire world. When you are there and you have the opportunity to come down in the middle of a caribou herd that is a protected area, to observe bears in their natural habitat, to observe the coyotes in their natural habitat, but to see the pristine wilderness that we have and the protected areas that we have, and to know that we as a people are protecting that culture. Yes, sure, we are developing oil and gas, we are doing all the modern things that have to be done in a modern society, and the things that of course are necessary in order for us to provide the social benefits and the things that have to be done in our Province from an infrastructure perspective.

We do have this magnificent land; this place that has been described as a marvellous, terrible place, I think by one poet. I cannot think of the author who did it. It is truly an extraordinary place, and we are all very, very privileged – I consider myself very privileged to be Premier of this great Province, but we are all very privileged to represent all of these districts and the people of this Province. I know that certainly the Member for Labrador – that is a whole other experience. The Big Land is just a tremendous experience. I am hoping to get up in a couple of weeks and do some salmon fishing up in your district, so I am sure I will be well received there, as I always have. We do - and I do not want to belabour it, but I do want to build on what the Lieutenant-Governor said.

The other thing is an event occurred here last week in my absence - and actually, before I even deal with this particular comment, while I was in Russia at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum representing the Province, we had an opportunity to see and hear from the best in the world on the whole global economic situation. What is really interesting is that the rest of the world is troubled. The rest of the world is actually concerned about where they are. When I am talking about the rest of the world, I am talking about major countries, like the U.K., France, Germany, the EU generally, and of course, we were in Russia. One of the comments that was made is probably the second country that is probably in the biggest trouble in the entire world is Britain. Now, it just came as a complete shock to me when I heard it, because we know the trouble that Greece is having, Ireland and Spain and Portugal, but Britain is going through a very, very difficult.

From our perspective in Newfoundland and Labrador, I think for the first time, and I am not standing to take credit for this, I am standing to say on behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, that I think we are in a really privileged position at this particular point in our development. We are in a bubble. I think we are in a protected bubble. The world situation is deteriorating. There is a lot of debt there, but one comment was made that the debt that is been incurred during the last twelve to eighteen months in order to get the world through the recession will not be corrected until 2030. A huge, staggering statement that it is going to take that long for the rest of the world to get up to speed. However, when I look at what is happening here in Newfoundland and Labrador, the fact that we do have our debt reduced, the fact that we have our pension funds under control, the fact that we have reduced taxes, the fact that we are doing things which countries that do not have the benefits that we have, that do not have the natural resources that we have – and that is in the area of research, development and innovation.

That is an area we are now moving in. It is a very, very important area that we have to address and this government is committed to putting that money into that research. That is why the experience that I had yesterday was an incredible experience, but it goes to show the importance of using those monies in the proper areas so that we can prepare for the future at a time when the oil and gas is gone. Hopefully by that time, we will have moved from a non-renewable energy Province to a renewable energy Province and we will have use the monies from one to move to another.

The other point which I wanted to make quite briefly is the news story that came in Reuters yesterday. It opened up by saying, "Newfoundland and Labrador has come a long way since staggering deficits only a few years ago..." The most important quote is one that was also reported in the VOCM News, was a quote by Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, who was in town last week for the NOIA conference. I was not here to hear him, but I heard of his comments in Reuters - actually, a worldwide, international news agency reported this. Mr. Carney said, "The economic forecast for this province is very promising… the rest of Canada would fare well using Newfoundland and Labrador as an economic example." That is a huge, huge statement.

Mr. Speaker, I am not here to take personal credit. What I do want to do is thank the members of my Cabinet, members of my caucus, and the members of the Opposition for their contribution in making us a better government through your questions, through your inquiries, through any attempts that you have made whatsoever to probe to get more information.

This statement, made by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, is a statement for which the people of Newfoundland and Labrador should be very, very proud. To say that our little Province, the tenth Province, one of thirteen jurisdictions, who was always considered the poor sister, the economically weak sister of Confederation, is now an example for the rest of the country is huge. So I think the people of Newfoundland and Labrador should be very, very proud of where we are at this particular point in our evolution. That does not mean, though, that we want to just try to stay the course and that we sit back and we rest on our laurels. I think we have to keep driving it and keep moving forward.

Having said all of that, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the last session, as I understand from the Government House Leader, it equals the record longest session of the House, so any criticism the hon. members opposite have about us not sitting around here long enough, we can stay for another couple of months, if you want to. I extend the invitation. I understand it is gruelling. I understand it is difficult, for all members of the House, quite frankly, but there were days when the Tories had three people in Opposition. I am sure Mr. Harris remembers those days. It is not easy, and they do understand that. At that particular point in time I was much younger, a political supporter, but I saw the hard work that the Opposition did. I want to give full credit to the Opposition, to the Liberal Leader, the Government House Leader as well, the Leader of the Party. I wish you well in the leadership, the upcoming leadership. You will probably be the only candidate. If they are smart, that is what the party will do, but having said that, I certainly wish you well.

From a perspective of the manner in which the House was conducted, there are going to be decorum issues, nerves are going to get frayed, but again, I refer to Mr. Harris, you watched a lot of sessions in this particular House, I was here as a clerk at that table a long, long time ago. It is part of the parliamentary process. People may say what they want and people may criticize, and people may say that young people who sit in the galleries are wondering what is going on, but that is the process. If you look at the British Parliament, if you look at the Canadian Parliament, you sit in the gallery in most of the provincial parliaments across this country, there is banter that goes on but it stays here, and when we leave here then that is where it stays.

I do want to thank the members of the Opposition. I do want to thank the Leader of the New Democratic Party for input. You are there all by yourself. I know that cannot be easy. There is not another shoulder to lean on at some point in time when you want to get a rest or you want to get a break. It is not an easy job, but I thank you for your questions. I thank you for the manner in which you conduct yourself in the House throughout, and it is appreciated. We realize the democratic process, we realize the adversarial process that happens here, but at the end of the day, it ends up with us getting the kind of endorsement that we got from the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which I feel is really, really significant.

I want to thank my government. I want to thank the Government House Leader particularly, for thirty or thirty-one pieces of legislation this time around. The longest session of the House. I think the session extended over twelve weeks. It does not add up to twelve weeks but it did extend over a period of twelve weeks, if we count the partial weeks. That is a long haul. That is not easy on anyone. Ministers are away from their departments. They have work to do in their departments and very, very important business. So if it does not get done here between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. or in the evening sessions, some of which can go late, then it has to done on the weekends or in the nighttime. So I certainly appreciate that. I want to thank all my fellow ministers. I want to thank all my fellow members of the House who have made a contribution from time to time. It was probably conspicuous in my absence but I can tell you, I was working to the best of my ability and I must say I am very, very proud of what we have all achieved as a group.

I do want to thank the Speaker, a tough job. It is not an easy job at all but you are the referee, and that is exactly as I see it. You probably should wear a striped shirt, Mr. Speaker, but having said that, to try and control the banter that happens between us is not an easy job. You conduct yourself in an impartial way and I certainly appreciate that. You bring decorum to the House. We take it away and you bring it back. So at the end of the process, I think it serves the people of the Province very, very well.

I want to thank the Table Officials, the Clerk and the Law Clerks for your contribution. I realize to have to sit there day after day and listen to us sometimes cannot be very, very easy. Again, the House flows very well and we certainly thank you for your contribution.

To the Pages who are constantly on their feet and run back and forth and keep us full of water and keep us full of paper and everything else, I just want to thank you so much. Certainly, I want you to know that it is appreciated. I think in later life you will find that it will be a very good experience. You may sit back sometimes again and shake your head and wonder, but you do it with respect. I have not seen you do it openly or blatantly but you probably go in behind the Speaker there and just kind of shake your head back and forth.

To the members of the RNC and of course the Sergeant-at-Arms, again, thank you very much for your oversight and for taking care of us and also for the security personnel and commissioners here who take care of the galleries. Obviously, from time to time there are people who come into our galleries with very, very legitimate complaints and protests, people who are on strike, people who have been on strike or out of work for extended periods of time, but overall, we have to sit here, we have to answer, we have to face the people. I think that is why this is a good process that people are able to come to the galleries, and again, young people are able to come in and see exactly how a Legislature works. I think that is a good thing. Again, I want to thank everybody for making sure that it is a civil place; that it is a place where people can come.

As well, the media – again, the media have been very fair to us. I bite my tongue when I say that, but as a government, they have a job to do. I guess at times they have to be critical. I hope they are never critical for the sake of criticism. When, in fact, we disagree with some of the things that are said, of course we will take issue with it. We will do it either publicly or privately, but we will do it as we have a right to do so. Of course, there is the right - freedom of speech and freedom of the press, they also have a right of course to cast their opinions, and again, an attempt to make sure that government is inline, and we appreciate that. That is part of it. We do not necessarily always agree with what they have to say but we certainly agree with the process.

The staff at Hansard, the staff at the Broadcast Centre, the Library staff, I want to thank you all. Again, this has been a long session for everybody. It is like the last day of school, if we had caps on and we were graduating we would all throw them up in the air.

I want to thank our chief spectator and cheerleader there, he is non-partisan. He just sits there and he listens but you should write a book some time. I am sure it would be an interesting read and be certainly very much appreciated by anybody who has had the honour and the privilege to sit in this House.

So, having said all that, I went on a little longer but the Lieutenant-Governor sort of gave me a lead in with regard to the Province and how we feel about this great Province. I have to tell you, yesterday, for me, was a unique lifetime experience and I hope - I would encourage anybody, whoever gets an opportunity as members of this House, to do that and to get out and see and truly appreciate what a great land we live in and what a great land we represent.

Thank you very much.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

PREMIER WILLIAMS: Oh, if I may?

The Cupids celebrations, 400th Anniversary celebrations - I want to make sure everybody has a great summer and you spend time in your districts and get a chance to get around the Province, but this is a very special celebration. This is the oldest English colony in North America. It is equivalent, in my opinion, to the Quebec City celebrations that were held just two years ago or a year ago. Get out there, it is in the middle of August. Make sure you spend some time out there, but it is really worthwhile being there and being part of it. I know, Roland, I am going to see you out there. So we will see you there and at the Blueberry Festival.

Take care.