I heard John Efford this morning on CBC Radio suggesting that Premier Williams has got to stop fighting with Ottawa. He basically said he had to put up with the same stuff as a federal minister that Hearn did. The common denominator, Danny Williams.
Efford is quoted in a VOCM story as saying the province will suffer from participating in the ABC. His answer: learn to agree to disagree.
Of course I think that is bullshit! Perhaps John needs to recall the reason he was targeted in the Atlantic Accord debacle. He either did not know the file or he was misinformed. The take it or leave it comment was just the sort of thing that makes for good federal-provincial relations. Add to that Mr. Efford's bottom line did not reflect the Prime Minister's bottom line. In other words John was not in the same loop as the Prime Minister Martin and Minister Goodale.
I am tired of this take what we give and be grateful attitude. I am tired of sending people to Ottawa who come back to the province to sell us on the Ottawa line. I am so sick of partisan politics. Even sicker of people who want to find fault with the Premier and support the man who labelled us as "a culture of defeat" and said he “didn't need Newfoundland and Labrador to win an election."
What do you do when you cannot find any common ground? That's right swallow your pride, kiss Ottawa's ass and be grateful for what you have. That served us so well in the past.
2 comments:
The take it or leave it comment was just the sort of thing that makes for good federal-provincial relations.
No, it was the sort of thing that makes for good Newfoundland nationalist mythology.
Efford never said "take it or leave it".
Danny said that Efford said it.
The two are not the same thing.
Why do you accept Danny Williams' accounts of events without question?
Wally:
I use my own ears. I was at the press conference when John Efford laid out his bottom line.
If he never said take it or leave it he inferred it and I was left with that impression.
No disrespect Wally, but it is a different world when your on the ground participating than getting all of your information through blogs, papers and the media from Ottawa.
And frankly, yes I trust Williams words a great deal more than Harper.
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