Effective public policy must be based on a clear understanding of the problem and its relation to other issues, as well as public needs and behaviour. “…almost 50% of all wind borne litter escaping from landfills in Newfoundland and Labrador is plastic, much of it single-use plastic bags…. There’s the
Continue readingAuthor: Ed Hollett
The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Unformation #nlpoli
“Deep Dive” is the name that Saltwire gives to its new series that is supposed to give readers supposed to give readers more information on specific topics that are of concern across the Atlantic Canada. The series gives Saltwire a way to produce unique content using all its resources in Atlantic Canada, thereby
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Seven Days of Books in One #nlpoli
The seven books from my part of the book challenge, with each described by the respective publisher’s blurb: 1. The myth of the strong leader by Archie Brown. Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that ‘strong leaders’, dominant individual wielders of power, are the most successful and admirable. Within authoritarian regimes,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Politics of Beige #nlpoli
The trend is impossible to miss. Utterly undeniable. Since early 2016, through poll after poll, voters in Newfoundland and Labrador have chosen “None of the Above” when asked what party they would vote for in an upcoming election. Support for the New Democrats has been shrinking steadily like an orange
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Napalm sticks… #nlpoli
The latest poll from MQO is being reported as a statistical tie by NTV , while CBC says it shows a “neck and neck” race between the PCs and Liberals. That’s not really the story of the polls, though and what they might mean. Here’s the pretty chart showing every party
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Turmoil and Topsy Turvy #nlpoli
With so much changing in any office, what has “always” been done really only goes back to the time of the last person who came in the door. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government has been censoring laws since 2012. That’s sounds absolutely insane to anyone in the province
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Turmoil, unusual #nlpoli
A petro-state with political instability is a pretty weird idea but then again we *are* talking Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government in Newfoundland and Labrador brings in money revenue per person living in the province than any other government in Canada except Alberta. It’s been like that since 2009. In
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Spring Election – when and why #nlpoli
There’s likely going to be an election before Victoria Day. If – by some miracle – the Liberals manage to win the Topsail-Paradise by-election next week you could be at the polls before the beer turns green for a day. If you haven’t heard that, don’t say now that you
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Mitigating Muskrat Falls: Ron, Harry, and Hermione are still baffled #nlpoli
Mitigating the impacts Muskrat Falls will have on taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador remains the single biggest unanswered question in the province nine years after the project started and the politicians first started talking about how they might do it. To mark the 14th anniversary of The Sir Robert Bond Papers,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The ins and outs of Equalization #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Each year, Canadian media conduct year-end interviews with politicians and every year the interviews are nothing but space fillers. This year’s version with Premier Dwight Ball – for NTV (broadcast but not posted yet) and the Telegram, thus far – are no exception. They asked the same questions, got the same
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: A spring election now seems more likely #nlpoli
Here’s the local poll tracker, now that the final party choice poll of the year is in. It’s every party choice poll by any firm (less a couple of outliers) all converted to show the results as a share of all choice. Undecideds are a valid option in the SRBP
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The MQO poll and Party Choice #nlpoli
MQO’s quarterly omnibus poll shows some curious changes in public opinion about provincial political parties. The province-wide numbers are not curious: the changes in a couple of the regions are. Let’s take a look first at the provincial numbers. As usual, SRBP presents the results as a share of all responses, including
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The Windsor Lake By-Election and polling #nlpoli
Market research firm MQO released a poll on September 10 about the Windsor Lake by-election. They’d surveyed 300 people about how they would likely vote and about who they thought would make the best Premier from among the provincial party leaders. On their choice among the candidates, MQO reported that
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The PUB, Exemptions, and Muskrat Falls #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Here’s some background on the issue of Muskrat Falls and Public Utilities Board exemptions. At the end you should know what an exemption is all about, how the exemptions – there are more than one – came about – and what that means for now and in the future as
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Bay du Nord and Equity #nlpoli
In a staged political event Thursday that was woefully short of basic details, the provincial government and Equinor announced they will proceed with development of the Bay du Nord field in the Orphan Basin. The news release for the event referred to a framework agreement only. Bay du Nord is
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Electricity prices, risk, and what the editors didn’t say #nlpoli
Okay. What Muskrat Falls will do to electricity prices is not funny. Never was. But what *is* extremely funny are columns like Russell Wangersky’s latest hand-wringer about the most recent round of electricity rates hikes. Remember when we were told that Muskrat Falls was needed to stabilise electricity rates? Now,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Rumpole and the Bleak House #nlpoli #cdnpoli
A scan of the docket for the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, General Division reveals that the Provincial Court Judges are having another whack at the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador over their ongoing and unresolved pay dispute. Those who suffered through the tale of tardy judges will note
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Rumpole and the Ticking Clock #nlpoli #cdnpoli
There are rules about how long a judge may take to issue a decision. Now, now. The lawyers among you are already spitting their morning coffee across the breakfast table at their long-suffering spouses but it is true. There are rules. (Read more…) “The Canadian Judicial Council”, its website tells
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Nalcor contractor secrets still safe under revised law #nlpoli
Anyone who cracked out the champagne over the bill that would purportedly shed light on Nalcor’s embedded contractors might want to spit some back in the bottle for another day. Bill 19 went through second reading on Thursday, putting it one step closer to becoming law by the end of
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: A cabinet, a caucus, and a legislature walk into a bar… #nlpoli
Don’t feel bad. Most people in Newfoundland and Labrador have no idea how our political system works. Self-described experts. Reporters. Pundits. Very often hopelessly lost when discussing even the most basic points about our political system. The real problems start when the politicians and, as it turns out, the public
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