Recently our NL government decided to invest 14 million dollars into fisheries research... nobody can argue the sensibility of conducting research to properly manage our primary resource... the Fishery.
But... isn't that someone else's job, namely the federal government's responsibility? Didn't we forego the right to manage our fishery resource when we entered confederation?
I am far from being an expert on the fishery, or even the dictates of our entering confederation. As a matter of fact, I would say that for the most part I am very ignorant of the fishery, and why it has been, and is in so much trouble. However, I do consider myself to be a keen observer of human nature, and a thinker, with some ability to troubleshoot situations and get to the nub of what is going on.
So, our government is doing something good for the fishery and injecting a very large sum of money into research. Nothing but good can come from knowing the truth about our fishing stocks.
While this is important work it is not our responsibility to carry it out; it is the responsibility of the federal government. The money being used for this is not excess money as our NL government's budget shows we are running a deficit this year despite our oil revenues. This is, therefore, not 'found money' because of having a balanced budget, it is borrowed money, because it was not accounted for in any budget disclosure that I read.
I believe the case has been made for having a new longer term prison facility constructed in NL. However, this funding is supposed to come from the federal government as it would be their responsibility. Our government is not deciding to go it alone there... at least not yet??
I think it is very easy to make the case that more money is needed in many areas which is the responsibility of the NL government. So to beg the question, if the government of NL is willing to borrow money to carry out a needed service, why isn't it one that we have responsibility for like our highways for example, our highways need a lot of repair that will not get done this year, not to mention our ferry services? Has our government now decided to help subsidize Ottawa in it's responsibilities by spending money on fishery research?
Let me pose some reasons why this money is being invested into fishery research at this time.
1. Our fishery is in serious trouble, and this research is needed.
2. While the federal government has responsibility to be good stewards of this resource and provide the needed research, it has failed in living up to its responsibility to invest the necessary resources.
3. Research information that is gathered by federal government is not/has not been readily accessible by our people and our NL government, even though we have the right to 'Access Information'. In fact, the truth be known, I suspect we have extremely limitted access to federal fisheries research data.
4. Nobody has a bigger interest in the proper management of the fishing stocks off our shores than the people of NL, therefore, our NL government is saying that they are not willing to let our federal government add further to the demise of our NL fishery.
5. The actions of the NL government say, we don't trust you, the feds, to be good stewards of our resource and therefore we have to take steps which will give our fishing stocks a fighting chance of survival.
6. The actions of our government, in gathering hard independent research data, lead me to believe that the government of NL is 'making a case' against the federal government. The NL governments agenda may be to force the feds into doing what is right to manage this resource or it may be to take the management of this resource from the federal government altogether.
Our NL government has learned from recent scraps with the federal government that it is not wise to come out and verbally show the feds up as liars and decievers and not giving a damn about Atlantic Canada, especially NL. While those words may be very true, they then cause the feds to punish you for taking such a public position. I think it is safe to say that has happened, BUT... the feds would never say that they are putting the screws to you because you have been openly defiant and slammed them verbally at every chance. No, the feds put the screws to you and then come up with another rationale for why they are doing it.
Well, finally, our NL straight-shooter, Danny, is taking a page out of the federal play book. He is not saying with 'words' that Ottawa is incompetent, or uncaring but he is certainly saying it with his 'actions', especially as it pertains to the fishery research investment. Danny was once criticed/praised, I am not sure which, for not being a politician. Well, I don't think we can say that now. A previous blog on this site talked about how Danny gave a speech in Ottawa referring to PQ as being unfair and self-centered etc., without directly naming Ottawa... but we all know it is Ottawa who is supposed to be the over-seer and creator of fairness for all the provinces and ultimately is responsible for what PQ is allowed to perpetrate against NL.
Ottawa is not publically saying much, if anything, regarding the premier's slamming comments about PQ. Maybe they are OK as long as they aren't named directly? As for the fishery research to be done by NL, Harper's (bought and paid for) mouth-piece, Fabian Manning has voiced some approval for this move by NL, while other known Harper puppies, who ran, unsuccessfully as Conservatives last election, seem to operating from Harperish talking points which is trying to scold NL research as 'over-stepping' its legal rights into federal jurisdictions.
The bottom line... the badly needed, real and open fishery research, is about to be conducted. It does reflect badly on the feds that NL would have to do this. But Danny ain't sayin' a word!
Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe it is for the bloggers, like it appears I am becoming, to pick the kernals of truth and logic out of it. Afterall, politics is not about truth... it is about taking actions and creating spin on the truth for taking that action afterwards.
It just occurred to me... I think that there is a possibility that if someone stays inside the inner circles of politics for long enough that they start to actually believe their own spin, and forever lose their capability for truly independent and honest judgement. O My!
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