Newfie Bloc

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR BLOC PARTY

Six Newfoundland Federal Liberal MPs recently voted against the federal budget that their party supported. The premier of their province, Danny Williams, was howling about how bad the budget was for Newfoundland. He made it clear that he would be very angry if the Newfie MPs didn't vote against the budget - no matter what their leader said.

So they caved to the premier of their province, rather than follow the leader of the party they were elected with. They did it in the interest of their province...actually for clear self interest (fearing not getting reelected). They did not stand for a decision that was a.) agreed on by their party and b) determined to be in the national goodby their leader.. Their leader, Michael Ignatieff, timidly did not discipline them, but rather gave them a 'one-time' exemption from their responsibilities.
(Danny Williams - left)


This is a dangerous precedent for a provincial leader to be directing federal politicians. We expect this pettiness from the Bloc Quebecois, unfortunately. However, federal politicians are supposed to weigh decisions based on the good of the entire Canadian federation, not regional issues. Regional issues are properly dealt with on a 'government to government' level, not by thuggish intimidation tactics as used by Premier Danny Williams. We risk descending into a country of regions, rather than the grand Dominion envisioned by our founders. We are better and stronger together than as individual regions working for self interest.