While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old farmer, whose
hand was caught in the squeeze gate while working cattle,
the doctor struck up a conversation with him.
Eventually the topic got around to Politicians and their role as our
leaders.
The old rancher said, “Well, you know,
Mike Duffy is a ‘Post Turtle’.”
Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him, what
a ‘post turtle’ was.
The old farmer said, “When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a post turtle.
The rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor’s face so he continued to explain. “You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he’s up there, he’s elevated beyond his ability to function, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with.”
Are there Post Turtles in NL? I’m sure we have a few; well, one anyway. When the Provincial Minister of Finance (he’s a Post Turtle) brought down the Budget, it included a deficit of $564 million, elimination of 1200 public service positions and a commitment to keep a tight rein on expenditures. The Premier’s junket, to China, may be legitimate. But, one needs to be reminded that, as part of the Budgetary process, Premier Dunderdale (she’s a Post Turtle for sure!) announced that, by June 2014, she would take over responsibility for Intergovernmental Affairs, a position now held by Minister Felix Collins. The end of June is advancing, quickly.
Now, it has just been reported that the Minister is off to Qatar to speak with the Qatari graduates of CONA’s Campus. This is not a cheap ticket. In this year of ‘austerity’, one could easily argue such discretionary travel is truly unnecessary. Still, austerity must not be allowed to impinge on a redundant Minister, who needs his own junket, before easing into retirement.
Quite likely, Felix Collins is a Post Turtle, too.
