Thursday, May 15, 2008

Hug a bear, hug a minister.

Good thing I did not fall for the old [good run of fine spring weather] trick. We now seem to be caught in a big hole of cloud and cooler weather pattern so my decision to not get overly excited about sowing seeds seems the correct one. I have some sprouting, but will do it in stages, unlike some past years.

So, this is the 9th day since Jim Lyall was elected President of NG. Actually it’s the 7th day if you count the withdrawal of any run off candidates but who’s counting, right?
Any way my life has not changed one iota, nor has any one I know……………just kidding.

NG has a huge job ahead of it to win back any respect by respectful people. I sure do hope that Jim can start injecting some common sense and respect back into the civil service and the assembly. I believe he can, but it will be not without assistance and cooperation, not to mention many bad days and a lot of inner strength from Jim and others. I am keeping my finger crossed.

All the candidates in the election priorized openness and accountability near the top of their agendas. So why not start here, the official web site of NG is way out of date, an on going problem going back to it’s inception by LIA.
One does not have to be a genius to figure out computers and communicating through them is prolific within the NG territory and without. The web sites and FacBooks put up during the election cement that fact.
So let’s keep the web site updated on a regular basis, [the last media release is October 06, the department make ups have changed are just two examples] maybe even put in a comments section, or at least a place for people to ask questions of ministers. This “oh you can go into any NG regional office and read this and that” has to change.

There are many other ways to communicate to the people, all established and under underutilized, again you do not need to be a genius to figure out what they are and how to use them to the benefit of all, you just need to have the will.

Another area that needs a good look at as early as possible is the Department of Health and it’s minister Greg Flowers.

Both have come under media scrutiny lately due to the propane sniffing and subsequent fire incident this week in Nain. One could call it reactionary by the media if they want, the fact is that incidents like this highlight the woeful inaction by NG in dealing with the deteriating social well being of a large portion of the population.

The minister was on radio and television the last couple of days responding to questions about what the NG is doing about the substance abuse problem.
I will not criticize his hesitant manner or what seemed like loss of words. I would be the same I think, it is very nerve racking being interviewed for public display, especially for the uninitiated and the shy.

That said I think he and his department need criticizing for their inaction, and according to the minister ‘no made in Nunatsiavut solutions and accountability’.
All we got from him was the same spin that has been spun since the report on substance abuse was released last year. That is; “we have formed a committee [the second one], we are seeking meetings with the RCMP, NL liquor board, airlines, provincial department of justice. I was blown away when the ministers response to the question ‘what are you as a government doing about the problem”. Paraphrased the minister said “he is talking to the people to see what they want done”. Bloody hell, the asking and talking has already been done; the report is out and has been for some time.

I thought that forming your own government meant making decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions, apparently not so at the NG. Good place to start right their JIM.
If the NG is not set up and ready to govern and take responsibility for their actions then don’t they have the responsibility to at least admit this to the people of Nunatsiavut?

To hug em or to shoot em? Not that I'm recommending anyone hug a polar bear.

One positive thing the Inuit of Labrador have been consistent on, not without pressure to do so, is there have been no spots hunting of any kind of any species, to my memory at least. Not withstanding the disastrous attempt at a caribou spots hunt my the provincial government some years back.

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