A STORY OF POLITICAL CHAOS: PUBLIC SHOULD DEMAND NEW BUDGET

The
Government’s first Budget, one entitled “Restoring Fiscal Confidence and
Accountability”  will do nothing of the kind. It is, in brief,
something akin to a “sick joke”; except the April “fools” are the ones the public just
elected.

This is a
Budget which the Liberal Government’s PR builders assured would reflect the
beginning of some political leadership, absent so far; the kind that would rectify Tory incompetence.

What the
province got, instead, was the blunt artistry of a clique of deceivers.

The
Government has confirmed, again, Nalcor CEO Ed Martin is firmly in charge.  

It takes no
great mind to figure out the singular agenda of Finance Minister Cathy Bennett,
even if it is lost on union leaders of NAPE and CUPE, that the Province took a very retrogressive step, yesterday. Instead of stepping back, this Liberal
Government has actually advanced our collective march over a very steep fiscal cliff.


Let’s begin
here:

      –         
There
was no progress made on the deficit

      –         
Operating
and borrowing expenses have actually increased, not decreased, from                  almost $8.1 
billion to
$8.5 billion.
      
      –         
Government
went deep into the pockets of taxpayers, reportedly to the     
              tune of around $3,000 annually; higher for others.

      –         
Nalcor
gets $1.3 billion (after getting $760 million in 2015/16); the new sum is the        
              equivalent of the total tax grab estimated at $863 million plus another half
billion 
              dollars.

      –         
This $1.3 billion is added to the $1.8 billion operating deficit, and to $570 million
for      
              Capital Account; all of which will have to be borrowed.

The
Government has to be absolutely stark raving mad!

Possibly, the
public will come to that conclusion, too.

Still, taking
those Budget outcomes on their face isn’t enough; the public needs to know
their implications beyond the immediate loss of the purchasing power they will
suffer from higher taxation.

Let’s take a
short walk, not through what the hundred or so PR people have written, but through the fiscal realty
behind the Government’s numbers and how those decisions, likely, got made.

It is a picture
that starts as a $1.3 billion “ransom note”, in the form of a demand to the
Government, from Nalcor.

The timing was
not accidental. The Nalcor CEO, seeing hundreds of millions of dollars melting
like a June snow, in Goose Bay, the Muskrat Falls project near broke, and with Astaldi ordering plane tickets to Milan, Martin would have painted a stark image for the
Premier. It would have contained plane loads of workers returning to the Island, hundreds of pissed-off
contractors, some of them Liberal donors, a government on the hook for hundreds
of millions, a Federal Loan Guarantee in jeopardy; then there’s Nova Scotia…

Martin would
have laid it on thick. The Premier is no match for him!

That is why the
script that the Minister of Natural Resources blurted out on Tuesday, was so
disjointed. Siobhan Coady, in the rush, forgot (or didn’t know any
better), that Ball’s decision ought to have been linked to the $1.6 million EY
Interim Report.

Coady could
only remember the threat to contractors, and our commitment of cheap power
to Nova Scotia. 

It
didn’t matter. By then, Ed Martin had the assurance of the $1.3 billion, anyway.

Now, for Part II.

Likely, the
reader is not aware how Budgets are created. Indeed, why would they be familiar
with such an obscure process, especially how specific decisions get made? 

You will
recall, however, the Finance Minister’s reference to Cabinet’s involvement;
“line by line”.

Bennett was
confirming Cabinet’s singular involvement. Historically, proposals for Budget
expenditure reductions go to Cabinet for approval. In contrast, revenue generation measures do not.

That
is because those decisions may have a bearing on companies listed on the stock exchange, and for reasons relating to “leaks” and
confidentially. 



Hence, revenue decisions are made almost exclusively between
the Finance Minister and the Premier.

Notwithstanding any “line-by-line” diligence they might have contributed, the Cabinet gave little to the Minister in
terms of expenditure cuts. The facts are easily summarized:

      –          The
current account deficit, again, is unsustainable at $1.8 billion.

      –         
450
positions outside, and 200 positions within the “core” public service, have
been 
              eliminated – not people – but positions, some currently unfilled; a rounding
error in 
              relation to the public service “bloat”, which has been created since
2007.

      –         
The
Capital or infrastructure Account, is $570 million even though the historical   
              average, prior to 2007 and oil fever, is around $300 million. So,
infrastructure, is still 
              double the historical norm.

       –         
Heath
and Education which, combined, represents 70% of spending on operations, 
               was
virtually untouched; the few cuts minor relative to the size of the budget for
those 
               services.

       –         
The
“Sunshine List” comprising all the people living off the public teat, earning 
               $100,000 to $800,000 annually, the ones with political clout, who work in and
meet in 
               the same circles as those of influence, are untouched; there are no
wage reductions, 
               virtually no job losses.

The overpaid and the bloat remain.


Do those decisions not seem peculiar to you, in a time of fiscal crisis?

There is only
one conclusion; one that seems to exist whether due to, or in spite of, its newness: this Government is in a state of chaos! 

Even as the Province’s bankers threaten to turn off the
money supply, the Premier was unable to achieve consensus over virtually any
expenditure reductions!

The Cabinet,
uncooperative, is signifying the Premier carries far less weight than their
commitment to his election promises.

Ball is a ditherer. Cabinet Ministers know he pales at any hint of disagreement.

But, there is a
bigger elephant in the room; one 
 not nearly as expendable as the Premier. That’s the bond rating agencies.

They represent
the lenders; the very people on whom borrowing for Muskrat Falls, and deficit
financing, depends. The Premier understands that much.

This dilemma takes us to Part III of
the saga unfolding inside the new Government.

The Premier,
having capitulated and agreed to pay the $1.3 billion “ransom” to Nalcor, and finding
himself with a Cabinet unwilling to take the political “heat” for Tory
malfeasance, is left to consider his options.

There aren’t
many. In fact, there is only one: sock it to the taxpayers.

And that is
exactly what the Premier did: a gas tax increase of 16.5 cents per litre, a “temporary”
deficit reduction levy (aka the Muskrat Falls Tax), 2% increase in the HST,
and a veritable register of hundreds of additional taxes and levies; all adding up
to $860 million.

But, the
Premier and his Finance Minister had a problem. $860 million was not enough for the lending agencies, when an equivalent
sum, plus another half billion, had gone to Nalcor.

Ball had to
offer the lenders more. 



His solution was simply to buy time to get Cabinet on side; offer the
Lenders a “supplemental” Budget later this year, when cuts could be made without Nalcor in the room. Promise them something, next year, too. Make it a problem for, yet, another day.

As a result, what the Finance Minister delivered, yesterday, was harsh. Very harsh. Rather than tackling the fiscal crisis, Bennett has only made it worse:

The
financial impact of all those taxes has been equated with an annual cost of
$3,000 for an “average” family; for some, the cost will be even higher.

What the public
has to digest is that this financial “hit” is just a beginning. It is not the
end. It is not even the beginning of the end.



Before it is too late, the public needs to ask: how much more can we take. Will I have to pay another $3,000 in taxes this Fall? On top of all those additional taxes, how deep will public services be cut? Those questions might now get asked. 

Yet, Ed Martin, having gotten another $1.3 billion, will state with even greater authority, next year, ‘there can be no going back, the province has too much into Muskrat’.

So, the public is stuck between a rock and a hard place; first, by a Government held
to ransom, by an incompetent and out-of-control Crown Corporation; second, by a dithering Premier, and a Government out of touch with realty. 



They cannot even count on an elected
Opposition to represent them, the Tories having created the problem, and the NDP too small and ineffectual. 

The public
can take this fiscal assault and do nothing, in which case they will have signed on for more.

Or, they can draw
a line in the sand by taking one single large step:



The public needs to tell the Premier to fire his Finance Minister and to craft a new Budget.


Else, we will all be broke. 



Des Sullivan
Des Sullivan
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Uncle Gnarley is hosted by Des Sullivan, of St. John's. He is a businessman engaged over three decades in real estate management and development companies and in retail. He is currently a Director of Dorset Investments Limited and Donovan Holdings Limited. During his early career he served as Executive Assistant to Premier's Frank D. Moores (1975-1979) and Brian Peckford (1979-1985). He also served as a Part-Time Board Member on the Canada-Newfoundland Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Uncle Gnarley appears on the masthead representing serious and unambiguous positions on NL politics and public policy. Uncle Gnarley is a fiscal conservative possessing distinctly liberal values and a non-partisan persusasion. Those values and opinions underlie this writer's views on NL's politics, economy and society. Uncle Gnarley publishes Monday mornings and more often when events warrant.

REMEMBERING BILL MARSHALL

Bill left public life shortly after the signing of the Atlantic Accord and became a member of the Court of Appeal until his retirement in 2003. During his time on the court he was involved in a number of successful appeals which overturned wrongful convictions, for which he was recognized by Innocence Canada. Bill had a special place in his heart for the underdog.

Churchill Falls Explainer (Coles Notes version)

If CFLCo is required to maximize its profit, then CFLCo should sell its electricity to the highest bidder(s) on the most advantageous terms available.

END OF THE UPPER CHURCHILL POWER CONTRACT: IMPROVING OUR BARGAINING POWER

This is the most important set of negotiations we have engaged in since the Atlantic Accord and Hibernia. Despite being a small jurisdiction we proved to be smart and nimble enough to negotiate good deals on both. They have stood the test of time and have resulted in billions of dollars in royalties and created an industry which represents over a quarter of our economy. Will we prove to be smart and nimble enough to do the same with the Upper Churchill?

41 COMMENTS

  1. Wasnt this finance minister the former nalcor chair? Even wrote the telegram in praise of muskrat and scorning doubters. Objective governance is not possible with a conflict of interest this irreconcilable, but nothing is reported on it?

  2. At a time of economic crisis where are our leaders, business and otherwise, and patriots that put the interests of NL first? Williams, Martin, Dunderdale, Marshall and their acolytes (Kennedy, Kent, Skinner, Lane, et al.) recklessly gambled away the future of NL. They were derelict in their duty. It's a colossal betrayal. These people need to be held to account and the people of NL should demand an explanation…perhaps a public enquiry.

    The financial tsunami that's upon us requires action now. We need leadership. Please make your voices heard now.

    Keith

  3. Good analysis as usual Uncle Gnarley. I have been saying for years that people wont start caring until things really start hitting them in the pocketbook. This budget wont get most people there yet, but they are certainly starting to pay attention now that the pain is real.

  4. Muskrat Falls and the inability of the government to stand up to the Nalcor mafia is sending NL over the fiscal cliff.

    Is not the real issue tackling Nalcor with an opening of the books and engineering studies? Don't forget that this may become a "stranded asset" if the spur melts away after 15 billion has been wasted.

    Who will confront the Nalcor dons? NL future rests on the answer.

  5. Most people want to be entertained, as 7 comments out of about 800 hits to this site since this morning, suggests it is too much trouble to write a comment. This site should be burning with overload of comments.Pity.

    • I was referring to idea of marching on the Nalco HQ and demanding Ed Martin's resignation. speaking of demands, is it possible that the bond market could put a stop to MF? Perhaps someone with knowledge of capital markets and these types of projects can comment.

      john d pippy

  6. `Hey hey, ho ho, Ed Martin has to go` This is what I suggested a march around the Nalcor building should chant. I mentioned this to my wife this morning, and she smiled. Of course it is no good unless there is a big turnout. And the leaders of the march: Cabot Martin, Des Sullivan and some other naysayers, who have fumed with the Muskrat Madness, and few would give then credit deserved for their warnings. Dave Vardy should be there too.

  7. A fantastic appraisal.

    What upsets me, what ANGERS me more than anything else, is Bennett's role in all of this. Her past with Nalcor, her (very public) stance on Muskrat, and her own (rather comfortable) financial situation. She's the last one who should be gouging cash from our wallets.

    What more should I expect from someone who charges .50 cents for a packet of mayo.

  8. Des, you are spot on when you assessed Ball as a ditherer. The lazy tax grab from the middle class & seniors was bad enough, but I expected an immediate wage freeze & some sensible re-organization & downsizing at the top admin levels. Not a one. It frustrates me to no end that despite imposing crushing taxes, they increase spending. Then there is the clearly illustrated incompetence & mismanagement at Nalcor. Yet again, our dithering premier does nothing but spin that he has "K"onfidence in the great Ed. We are truly screwed.

    • I wonder what happens if Nalcor loses its court challenge over the water management rights. How do they fix that? Would not it be more logical to put MF on hold until they are sure they have enough water to operate the dam? Their policy seems to be spend, spend, spend, all borrowed money, relying only on a hope & a prayer that they will win against Hydro Que. Sheer lunacy.

  9. Ball said on TV that the well off class are paying 88 percent of the taxes received, `so don`t say we are not paying our share`. By using the word we, he acknowledges that he is one of the well off class, so that he is paying his share.
    I, too, consider my self well off, but consider the proportion of tax from this budget hits the middle class and poor much harder. So Ball does not speak for me. Tax me more( my tax rate is likely less than many with lower income, because I have dividend income and write offs for interest expenses) and tax the less fortunate less. I would prefer no one paid higher taxes, but the situation demands it, through stupidity and mismanagement.

  10. I'm still sure over half of our rate paying population still do not comprehend what it will mean to their power bill once MFs is commissioned. If people think cutting back and putting on a sweater will be a solution they're sadly mistaken. That will only lead to paying more for even less. And as people go abroad, the remaining will unfortunately have to pick up the slack, in dollars of course. I guess we can soon look forward to reduction in property assessments. But then I'm sure municipalities will hike the mil rates to keep their cut. A sad state for sure. Nalcor has a large lawn that could serve as the social infrastructure to personally tell Ed NLers did not sign on for this project or him and his mismanagement skills.

    • With the advanced in alternate energy and generally going off grid, going off grid may become more common. Technology is improving constantly. In new home von dt ruin, assuming there will be dome, investments in beer insulation and installation along with energy storage might be popular. Retrofitting will be difficult but the problem with this is that there will be a tipping point reached where the taxpayer will have to pick up the tab over the ratepayer. Sigh…
      PS…does anybody really think on 2041 when NL gets access to 65% of the Churchill Falls output it will be worth as much as sone tank? As it is a constructed plant it will be of value but technology advances in the next 25 years may yield it moot….

    • With the advances in alternate energy and generally going off grid, going off grid may become more common. Technology is improving constantly. In new home construction, assuming there will be some, investments in better insulation and installation along with energy storage might be popular. Retrofitting will be difficult but the problem with this off grid move is that there will be a tipping point reached where the taxpayer will have to pick up the tab over the ratepayer. Sigh…
      PS…does anybody really think in 2041 when NL gets access to 65% of the Churchill Falls output it will be worth as much as some think? As it is a constructed plant it will be of value but technology advances in the next 25 years may yield it moot….

  11. The question was posed how do we force the budget to be reconsidered? I would suggest that we the people need to take our own decisive actions. It is one thing to post online but we need to be protesting and trying to send our message the Premier. I for one vote for a coup. I did not elect Mr. Ball.

    I am mostly "ok" with the tax and fee increases, they were generally expected. The debt deficit levy is what kills me. I believe if they had introduced Income Tax increases over a period of three years there would not have been as much backlash.

    The government would not have made as much back as quickly as they need it, but it would have been an easier pill to swallow.

    Just some of my thoughts.

  12. This situation reminds me of the conditions prior to the French Revolution. The Political and Corporate Elites here draft the policies which impoverish us and enrich them. What a Travesty and a Farce. And the Cowardly Liberals have now scattered to the four Winds with Duct tape over their lying mouths.

  13. I think the liberals have evoked a great strategy. Tax people to the point where they will break. Do this in the absence of any real cuts. Then when they start to remove 1 Billion in spending (which they have to do) the public will be behind them. Dwight is in a terrible position, he has to cut spending, and raise taxes. We have to start living within our means.

    • 43% of gov. revenue comes from Income Tax while 10% comes from corporate tax. Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture. Dwight's position is not nearly as bad as a person who has a gross income of $20,000, travelling to a minimum wage job and hit with just this gas tax! Now let's start talking about all other fee hikes and taxes….Think it's poor Dwight now!

  14. Iceland went through a financial crisis a few years ago causing suffering. Then, just recently there was disclosure of secret bank accounts in Panama.The President of Iceland had a secret account there. Within days the marches on government there forced him to resign. It was the size of the march: 6 percent of the population. CNN reported that such a demonstration in the United States would be 20 million people! For Nfld to react in portion would see 32,000 at the doors (on the lawn, in the streets) of the Nalcor building, or at Confederation building.

  15. Isn't it a pity that there is a lack of competent business journalism in this province. Real, solid investigative type. I would like to see someone 'follow the money' on the Muskrat project; the Labrador partnerships, the sizeable contracts, the kickbacks. Is Sunny Corner still doing a big job in Labrador, and is Cathy Bennet still tangled up with that company? There will be many multi millionaires come about from this project – many having to do nothing but sign a piece of paper.
    Corny capitalism, Chinese style.

    • At least there are people like Mr. Sullivan picking up the mantel for NL. His knowledge of MF is obviously immense. He is articulate and while it is a complicated issue, he manages somehow to make it understandable. Another Ray Guy in our midst I think!

  16. This was a cowardly budget by any definition. The Finance Minister and the Premier decided that they would make life unbearable for most people in this province by raising taxes and fees and not dealing with expenditures that have clearly gone out of control. What were these town halls and pre-budget consultations about? A pile of BS. This budget was about passing over to the "world class experts" at Nalcor $1.3 billion so they can fritter it away. This is not acceptable. If this is the best you can do, resign Mr. Ball! Resign Ms. Bennett!

  17. If we had to tighten the belt and suffer financially for a few years on account of the Muskrat Falls project, with the understanding that once that power was on line we would have lower energy bills and steady energy costs thereafter, it would not be so bad. But after phase one with a 3000 dollar hit per family, and likely phase 2 and phase 3 to follow, and then after that, a 80 percent jump in electricity rates from 10.6 cents to 19.8 cents as the reward…. well is it so bad for Nfld to declare bankrupsy right now. Seems we are headed for a Depression type era anyway. And didn't we all know from day one of high electricity rates due to Muskrat Falls. That is nothing new. Anywhere else in the world that project would have been shot down immediately.As a society, do we not deserve this this.
    Sure, it is said we are fighting Nflders, and we rant and we roar like true Nflders, but mostly we are whiners. It took the corruption of Squires in 1932 to rant and roar. But we were on a path to being bankrupt for years before, and then followed a decade of the dole.Are people just starting to pay attention when it hits them in the pocket book. Seems that way.

  18. One word for the budget:

    Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc'-Ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.