What they said

From another traipse into the memory hole:

Conservative resolution suggests smaller government
Tracy Barron

Some Tory delegates are looking to clean House, literally, if the party rises to power.

A resolution on the party's annual convention floor in St. John's this weekend calls for the number of MHAs to be cut by 18 and cabinet by seven.

The Exploits District Association submitted the resolution, which states that the size of government in relation to the population is far too large and is a financial burden.

The association calls on the party, if elected, to reduce that burden by cutting the number of MHAs to 30 and the cabinet to 12.

It's a drastic downsizing from the current 48-member House of Assembly and 19-member cabinet.

Danny Williams, who will be officially sworn-in [sic] as party leader this afternoon, hadn't seen the resolution Friday afternoon and wouldn't comment on whether he'd support it.

"I would have to say it would be one of my goals, but, at this point, I can't get out in front of it because I'm not far enough along in the plan for the province," Williams said. "We're basically going to look at a whole new plan for government."

- The Telegram, April 7, 2001

That's a pretty small backbench

Take away four, add five. No, we're not talking about that most confusing of things, the province's new elementary school math programming. This is about the new provincial cabinet.

...

On Monday, Premier Grimes dropped the other shoe, and appointed not four, but five new cabinet ministers — even though he mused recently that a smaller cabinet might be a good idea.

Cabinet now has 19 members; with 27 Liberals in the House of Assembly and four former cabinet ministers waiting for an election call so they can retire to their pensions, that means there are only four Liberals left in the entire caucus who aren't cabinet material.

It is pretty blatant pocket-stuffing, because cabinet ministers, along with everything else, pick up an additional $44,829 in annual salary. A 19-member cabinet costs taxpayers $868,755 in additional annual salaries for ministers, while a 12-member cabinet would cost just $554,952 -- a savings of $313,803.

But what you might not think about as often is that the costs involved with new cabinet members aren't just the obvious ones like salary. Each minister has office staff, office equipment and a host of other expenses that, based on past experience with the Grimes administration, will range anywhere from $200,000 to more than $500,0000.

And the expenses don't end there. There are also the significant costs of our province's ever-increasing pension payouts for former cabinet ministers and MHAs.

We are the electorate that just keeps on paying.

The sad thing is, this would have been an opportune time to reduce the size of the cabinet.

What an opportunity lost.

The fact remains that, quite simply, not every MHA deserves the job or can handle the responsibility of being a government minister. And we can't afford a cabinet with 19 chairs around the table — not that a province this size even needs such a beast.

The idea of the cabinet is to have a small group of senior and experienced politicians who handle the most serious policy decisions that a government is supposed to make. It's not simply another place for the entire caucus to meet under a new name, and with larger take-home salaries than most people earn in the province those cabinet members were elected to serve.

Premier Grimes said again Tuesday that he is committed to reducing the size of cabinet -- but he won't address it until after the next election.

That promise has the ring of a pledge made by a Grade 1 student to do his math homework ... tomorrow.

And every parent knows how much faith you can put in that little chestnut.

-From The Telegram editorial, February 18, 2003

William's choice of ministers meets with approval

A number of groups have expressed their pleasure with the new cabinet and minister appointments announced by Premier Danny Williams when he was sworn in as the province's ninth premier on Thursday.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) likes the idea of a leaner cabinet as well as the announcement of a business portfolio.

Bradley George, Newfoundland and Labrador's spokesperson for CFIB, believes the premier, by reducing the size of the cabinet, has done more than simply follow through on an election promise.

"The premier has taken the first step towards controlling government spending," George said. "By having a leaner cabinet, the premier has sent the message that he intends to manage a more cost-effective government."

- The Western Star, November 8, 2003

Thin edges and wedges

When you were a kid, were you ever a member of a secret club? Remember how, after a few weeks or so, just being a member wasn't enough, and you had to have some sort of title, like president or vice-president?

Thank goodness you grew up.

There is a small change in the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador today, one so small thatyou probably hardly even noticed it. Bonavista North MHA Harry Harding has become the legislative adviser to Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne.

Now, for those who aren't familiar with the way the provincial government works, after an election, there are a whole bunch of MHAs in the MHA club. A select few — well, sometimes a few, and sometimesmany more than we can afford — get named to the provincial cabinet, where they get extra duties and extra perks, and where, along with their ministerial entourages, they cost the taxpayers as much as $500,000 per year, per minister.

Others get named as Parliamentary assistants; they don't get as much extra money as cabinet ministersdo, but their particular top-ups do cost taxpayers close to $24,000 a year in additional salary. Still others work for committees where they get interesting per diems.
...

When Danny Williams became premier, he vowed to cut the size of cabinet, and he did. Nineteen cabinet ministers in the last Liberal administration became just 14 under Williams.

Williams also appointed five of his backbenchers as Parliamentary assistants, a move that costs the taxpayers an additional $125,000 a year.

Now, only a few months in, and Williams hasappointed his first legislative assistant.

The last time the province had this particular type of assistance was in 1999, when the same title was bestowed on Jim Walsh by Brian Tobin.

...

No one's nose should be out of joint because they are just a backbencher, being an MHA is an honourable position — one you would think incumbents would be proud to hold. MHAs are the building-blocks of the House, and their votes on policy count just as much as anyone else's.

It is already an esteemed and privileged club, one that doesn't need more high potentates or official chief bottle-washers.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

And too many "special" positions are bound to leave a bad taste in voters' mouths.

- From The Telegram editorial, July 7, 2004

Oh, Tracy Barron, Bradley George... where are youse now?