tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post112912973105219122..comments2023-09-22T09:03:09.417-04:00Comments on Townie Bastard: Interesting idea, but no...towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1129401526900549412005-10-15T14:38:00.000-04:002005-10-15T14:38:00.000-04:00Donate your used books to the library and they wil...Donate your used books to the library and they will send you a receipt for the cover price of the book as a donation.<BR/><BR/>Tax man is the man to kill.NL-ExPatriatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15938647714308913350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1129247915709899222005-10-13T19:58:00.000-04:002005-10-13T19:58:00.000-04:00It really is sad, especially when you look at some...It really is sad, especially when you look at some of the other provincial legislatures that will sit for more than 100 days a year.<BR/><BR/>I know the arguments - that you can get plenty of work done as an MHA outside the House, that you have a lot of responsibilities to constituents (well, rural ones do. Town MHAs, with the exception of Jack Harris and the cabinet ministers, sit with their hands under their ass most of the time), but it really is annoying the House doesn't sit more often.<BR/><BR/>This is where a government is suppose to be held accountable by the Opposition. I don't know how good a job they can do in just 60 days.<BR/><BR/>Of course, it doesn't help that the Liberals are currently a pretty sad sack opposition. I'm not sure if they would be any more effective if they had 200 days to work with.towniebastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1129233418524665732005-10-13T15:56:00.000-04:002005-10-13T15:56:00.000-04:00Year, number of sitting days, outside dates of sit...Year, number of sitting days, outside dates of sittings, notes<BR/><BR/>Tobin<BR/>1998: 61 (March 13 – December 15)<BR/>1999: 52 (March 16 – December 14)<BR/>2000: 34 (March 13 – December 14)<BR/><BR/>Grimes<BR/>2001: 48 (March 12 – December 13)<BR/>2002: 53 (March 11 – December 19) (3 days of Voisey’s Bay session in June)<BR/>2003: 24 (March 19 – November 15) (election year, 1 day of special sitting in November for swearing-in)<BR/><BR/>Williams<BR/>2004: 59 (March 18 – December 16)<BR/>2005: 33 (so far)<BR/><BR/>[Typo corrected]WJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08070910923518931583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1129233354075115072005-10-13T15:55:00.000-04:002005-10-13T15:55:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.WJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08070910923518931583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-1129132927121091402005-10-12T12:02:00.000-04:002005-10-12T12:02:00.000-04:00Craig:Two things - First, when Wells was elected, ...Craig:<BR/><BR/>Two things - <BR/><BR/>First, when Wells was elected, the House had been closed for upwards of eighteen months and MHAs were still paid in a lump at the start of each session. Guys were left without an income for that time. Bad scene. The place was run by special warrant without proper public disclosure.<BR/><BR/>Wells and company implemented two things: bi-weekly paycheques for MHAs, like everyone else, and regular sittings of the House in the spring and the fall.<BR/><BR/>Tobin cut back on the sitting days, Griumes cut a little more and Williams has, with the exception of the last session, cut back yet again. He has publicly msued about not calling it at all if he could.<BR/><BR/>As for the Building, all I suggested was that we scrap the plans for an incredibly expensive interpretation program and instead just relocate the House and its immediate offices (Library, Hansard etc to the Colonial Building).<BR/><BR/>Leave the offices for MHAs etc where they are.<BR/><BR/>Total cost $3-5 million, including redevelopment of the H of A space into offices. That's well within the annual capital budget of the government considering that, contrary to your assertion, we are actually flush with cash. Da byes have so much they are having trouble funneling it somewhere. <BR/><BR/>In govt terms, that is piss all AND it has the benefit of cleaning up a bunch of physical problems with access as well separating the leg from the administration of government such that Works dept or the Premier actually controls the House not the members. (Witness last spring's fiasco)<BR/><BR/>You make some good points. I just don't think the existing proposal is at all suitable, nor do I think my idea is that impractical.<BR/><BR/>As for Liam, I suggest he should go to the doctor as I am doing this afternoon. Something must be wrong if we agree on anything.<BR/><BR/>Maybe it is a sign of the ApocalypsoEdward Holletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13152397042408814142noreply@blogger.com