Like every other news outlet in the province, CBC is reporting that federal fish minister Loyola Hearn released management plans for two marine protected areas in Newfoundland and Labrador...

Further to the discussion below, I've decided in order to best narrow the field to the five to six candidates CG has requested, I am putting up a poll of all 20 men to have won elections and subsequently served as premier of New Brunswick - since responsible government began in 1854 and through to Frank McKenna. Our two most recent premiers, Bernard Lord and Shawn Graham, have been excluded because a) it is too soon to fairly and even handedly judge their legacies and b) the poll will only allow 20 options...

On Saturday evenings, Global TV has been running a program, Global Currents (7:00 PM), which explores some segment of Canadian life in depth. Call it investigative reporting if you wish, but last Saturday's program discussed THE STAMP FISHERY which explored the plight of Newfoundland fishermen and the crisis in the fishing villages brought about by the lack of cod in the Atlantic...

Members of the House of Assembly will be spending their constituency and other allowances until after the next election as Bond Papers reported on 22 June 2007...

Yawn.

And to announce what? A $3.1 billion upgrade of the Halifax-class frigates that persistently list on the port side. Sure, the job has to be done. I am a progressive who also supports a strong military.

But after so cynically dismissing the people of the Atlantic as expendible both by words and deeds this can been nothing less than crass opportunism...

Wicked. Awesome. Wonderful.

That's the first time I have seen the words "metropolitan" and "Corner Brook" in a sentence since the department store at the Millbrook Mall closed its doors in the late 80's...

Who says the provincial Progressive Conservatives and the federal Connies are on the outs?

Pish posh old boy.

Not when there's an election to be won...

In June 1987, Clyde Kirby Wells, a constitutional and appellate lawyer and former minister of labour under Smallwood, defeated Winston Baker to became leader of the Liberal party of Newfoundland and Labrador...

I wrote profiles of the four Atlantic Premiers for publication for the May issue of Atlantic Business Magazine (ABM). One has already left office (Pat Binns of Prince Edward Island) but the other three are still in power: Rodney MacDonald of Nova Scotia, Shawn Graham of New Brunswick and of course Danny Williams of Newfoundland and Labrador. Over the next couple of days I'll post all the profiles.

A companion piece to these profiles is an overview of all four Atlantic premiers previously published in ABM and posted here.

Today, Rodney MacDonald of Nova Scotia.

In Labrador:

The provincial government announces a go-it-alone strategy for the Trans-Labrador Highway. [Turns out there was no signed agreement. As for Connie promises, well, people are starting to figure out what those are worth. Invites for this little show apparently didn't go out until late last week.]...

Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn is denying Labrador Metis access to a summer food fishery for salmon.

Maybe that's a smart thing...

Mainland Connies think the people of Atlantic Canada are, to quote the Wonderful Grand Band, living in a fog, living in a dreamworld...

Saskatchewan's court case over Equalization will tackle the issue of fundamental fairness in the system, according to Premier Lorne Calvert...

Peter MacKay has been looking especially long-faced these days. What to do when you get caught saying this...

Now this could get really interesting if the Stephen Harper administration actually refers the current Equalization spat to the courts for an opinion on whether or not his administration is violating the Atlantic offshore revenue deals...

VOCM has already framed this story through their headline National Paper Aims at Premier and their lede that a mainland paper has "taken another swipe at Danny Williams." But numbers like employment rate are hard, cold and indisputable although their interpretation might be called into question.

Still, not all numbers are politics; some are just numbers whether you like them or not.

Judge for yourself...

St. John's City Councilor Ron Ellsworth has made quite a name for himself already. He has carefully and methodically carved out a reputation as a straight-talking, sensible, responsible stand-up member of a council not really known for that kind of personality...

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are surely agog with the attention paid by the Globe and Mail to the province's offshore oil and gas industry...

Many of you probably thought that today I would post about the Prime Minister's embarrassing attempts to mask his government's lack of will to have Canada do its part to combat climate change or Manitoba MP Joy Smith's violation of conflict of interest rules by failing to disclose that the cost of her May trip to Israel (worth nearly $9,000 including expenses) was paid for by the Canada-Israel Committee. Admittedly, over the past couple of months, Maxwell's House has taken on an overly negative tone when it comes to politics so, today, I heap much deserved praise on Conservative MP Bill Casey...

While legislation creating a new Crown-owned energy corporation and a new version of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro were announced last week with the words that "energy investments in non-regulated activities will not affect electricity rates", a closer look at the legislation shows the problem will still exist...

A retired St. John's financial consultant is recommending the provincial government follow the example of other jurisdictions, including Alaska and Norway, and invest revenues from oil and gas development in Newfoundland and Labrador...

The Newfoundland and Labrador government moved today to protect 4 species. Two of which are endangered, 1 is threatened and the other vulnerable...

Government House Leader Stuart Jamieson introduced Bill 75 today which will set fixed election dates starting with September 27, 2010 and every fourth Monday of September every four years thereafter...

It appears that Canada's longest serving Premier is going down to defeat in PEI. Although young leaders have been flamming out across the country, 33 year old Robert Ghiz will be taking over as PEI's Premier...

Today was a day of relaxation and reflection. Elizabeth and I went to church this morning and then out for brunch. I spent the afternoon with my older son Jonathan. Elizabeth and I went to the CWL supper and then we had friends over to visit this evening. I have received emails, phone calls and personal expressions of best wishes and support and do appreciate them all very much...

Steve Kent, member of the federal liberal party and now a Dan-didate wannabe.

Nothing like ridicule.

After a bit of morning visiting, I headed to Kensington for the Liberal news conference on accountability where Robert Ghiz once again demonstrated his leadership abilities. A new era will dawn in Prince Edward Island government after May 28...

From Telegram editor Russell Wangersky's Tuesday column:

Overall, though, there's one clear point that has to be made: there's a major difference between disagreeing with someone's questions, and disagreeing with their right to make them...