Almost sounds like a plan

Well folks, you know people are paying a bit more attention to Nunavut bloggers when the politicians start using us for making their arguments. This anonymous comment showed up on at least three Nunavut blogs - mine, Jackie and Kent. I suspect others might have gotten something similar.

I was hesitant to comment on this. The anonymous commenter is clearly in some way linked with Tagak Curly. And it's about the worst kept secret in Nunavut that Curly plans to run for the premier's job. When you're a GN employee, mixing politics and blogging is a dangerous business. I felt distinctly uncomfortable talking about the Nunavut election, but it was a big event, it was my first territorial election and I wanted to talk at least a little bit about it. I'm not 100 per cent sure commenting on this is all that wise, but I will offer up a few comments.

So I'll say this much just to cover my ass...this is my opinion and not the opinion of anyone else. So for those of you in the know, don't be looking for hidden agendas, all right?

As for Curly's 10 point plan, I won't be commenting on each point. At least one of his points pertains directly to a department I work for and I might not be the smartest guy in the world, but I'm not quite that stupid.

But in broad strokes? I think I can sum it up best with a quote from the West Wing. We're replaying it - again - and we watched the episode "Noel" last night (one of my favourites. It's practically a master's class not just in script writing, but also in editing and sound) and there's a line Josh uses that I think works in this case.

"There are only two things that ever stop the government from doing anything: money or politics."

Which is my way of saying many of these things are very nice ideas. However, considering all the priorities in Nunavut, given that something in excess of 90 per cent of the GN's budget comes from the federal government (I stand to be corrected on that figure, but I think it's right), that the world economy is teetering on the edge of its worst crisis in almost 80 years and that the Harper government is already making rumblings about the possibility of a deficit in the next fiscal year, trying to get money for some of these things is going to be a real challenge.

It's not enough to say "I have these clever ideas I want to enact if I get to be premier", it's also a nice idea to explain exactly where you're going to get the money or how you're going to persuade a suddenly much more impoverished federal government to cough up the money. Yes, we have a Conservative MP who may well get a junior cabinet position in the new Conservative government. But trust a Newfoundlander, that's hardly your guarantee that the Gates of Bountiful are going to spread wide open and a torrent of cash is going to flow through.

There are any number of things Nunavut needs - tons of infrastructure, more housing, more social services programs - but if you couldn't wrestle the money from Ottawa when there were $10 billion a year surpluses, I'm not sure how much easier it becomes if there are deficits in the future. No matter how noble and just your cause.

I like the idea of listing out your priorities. I also like the idea of explaining exactly how you're going to accomplish them. One down....

Last Five
1. Dance, dance - Fall Out Boy
2. Be my Yoko Ono - Barenaked Ladies
3. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
4. Teenage love song - Rilo Kiley
5. I wish I was the moon - Neko Case*