Read this article about Team Pennyslvania - an initiative that I think has been quite successful at attracting industry to that state.

Notice the name of the writer. She is the CEO of a local firm in Pennsylvania.

Let that digest.

Then think about New Brunswick.

Imagine if the CEO of Ganong or Irving or other members of the New Brunswick Business Council - was co-chair of an organization called Team New Brunswick designed to attract industry to New Brunswick.

This is the nub of the thing.

New Brunswick-based business leaders (most of them) continue to talk about expansion of local business and in some cases are actually hostile to attracting industry.

If the new Liberal government wants to engage the NB Biz Council, in my opinion, it should provide leadership on this issue. On attracting new industry to New Brunswick. New industry that will increase the labour shortage and probably push up the wages and costs of the firms in the NB Biz Council.

Does the NB Biz Council have the 'maturity' to understand that in the long run a strong economy in New Brunsiwck will be better for them? Even at the cost of rising wages and labour shortages?

Or will the NB Biz Council actually discourage external investment and demand more and more programs designed to help them expand (vested interests)?

This is an interesting debate to be sure. I, for one, support the Team Pennsylvania concept and would like a similar model here. I think it would be great if Ganong, McCain, Irving, Pizza Delight, McKenna, et. al. were fully onside and actually out helping encourage foreign investment to New Brunswick.

I'll believe it when I see it.

The Daily Gleaner ran a story yesterday on the population decline in New Brunswick. Campbell Morrison takes a balanced look at the issue.

Statistics Canada predicts the decline could mean the province would be home to as few as 708,000 people by 2026.

The issue confounded governments as long ago as 1997, when former premier Frank McKenna asked Joan Kingston to head a select committee on demographics. Kingston, now the principle secretary in Premier Shawn Graham's office, said the issue is key to New Brunswick's future prosperity.

"It is a very important issue when you consider that, in order to increase productivity and in order to have good economic engines firing on all cylinders, you need a workforce to do that," she said in an interview.

"It is very important (for) economic development."

I hope Ms. Kingston et. al. understand the chickenness and eggness of this issue. You need industry to attract people. You don't attract people and then go get industry. The trick is to convince industry that people will move here for good jobs.

So, I would survey expats to confirm this theory. I would publish all the inmigration data for a place like Moncton that has shown an ability to attract several thousand people from outside New Brunswick in the past decade.

If we spend too much time on the people side of the equation and not enough on the economic side you will end up with - surprise, surprise - Bernard Lord's model. Go to Toronto with Labatt beer, invite expats to a room and tell them about all the opportunities in New Brunswick. Then send them to a website that shows only call centre jobs.

It didn't work for Bernie and it won't work for Shawn.

I like the CBC. Some of the best, if not the best, reporters in New Brunswick are employed by the public broadcaster.

But I'll say this.

If Robert Jones got a bee in his bonnet about the root causes of the economic malaise in New Brunswick, every CBC listener would qualify for an honourary doctorate in the subject.

I heard another Jones piece this morning on the auto insurance sector.

He's like David with that little slingshot up against the mightly Goliath.

Or maybe he's like Don Quixote:

El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha
(The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha)
The book tells the story of Alonso Quixano, a man who has read so many stories about brave errant knights that, in a half-mad and confused state, he believes himself to be a knight, re-names himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, and sets out to fight injustice in the name of his beloved maiden Aldonsa, or as he knows her in his mind, Dulcinea del Toboso.

Robert Jones de la Mancha.

I like it.

Another article in a western Canadian paper educating westerners about the excessive federal funds sent to Atlantic Canada to prop up rural communities. This is from the Victoria Times Colonist:

Government programs aimed at helping rural areas can easily go wrong. Think of all the federal funds sent to Atlantic Canada, encouraging people to stay in the region despite a persistent shortage of jobs.


The writer must be talking about the billions spent in the last decade to prop up the aerospace industry - no, wait, that's Greater Montreal.

Well then, he (she) must be talking about the $1 billion fed/prov incentives for the auto sector over the past three years. No, that would be southern Ontario.

Certainly, it's the billions in tax breaks to encourage development in the oil sands. No, sadly, that's Alberta.

Millions to grow the film/new media industry? Nope. That's B.C.

Billions to support the agriculture sector? Not really. Most of that goes to farmers west of the Ontario border.

$590 million to develop port and rail infrastructure? Guess again. That's Prince Rupert/Vancouver.

Let's dig deeper.

How about the $4 billion Technology Partnerships Canada? Nope. Not one investment in rural Atlantic Canada.

How about the billions in federal government R&D spending? Not really. Outside of Halifax, not much of that money is spent in Atlantic Canada.


Oh, I get it. They're talking about EI.

Tell you what, Victoria. You give us the billions in R&D, industry incentives and infrastructure subsidies and we'll give you the EI.

That would be fun. Snooty, faux British accent Vancouver Islanders on EI and Miramichiers complaining about their lazy arses.

Oops. Just day dreaming again.

Premier Graham is setting up a task force to make recommendations on how the province can become self-sufficient.

Why I titled this post 'groan' is the last paragraph in the article:

While Graham said he's open to new ideas, taxation will be one of the issues examined by the task force. "We know we are losing productivity in our economy compared to other jurisdictions," he said. "That's why the task force will be looking at the taxation issue to make sure we are at appropriate levels." The previous Conservative government under Bernard Lord made a series of tax cuts. New Brunswick has the lowest small-business tax rate in the country.


I hope they don't spend too much time on taxation. I say this for several reasons:

1) New Brunswick companies don't pay much tax now. It's like 3% of total revenues - far below Ontario and Quebec (I'm not talking 'rates' here, I am talking about real taxes paid. 'Rates' don't matter - it's ultimately what is paid that matter). Not to put to fine a point on it but a recent study in the US found that 'tax rates' was one of the least relevant issues when it came to 'site selection' (where companies decide to site a facility).

2) Lord cut small business taxes to the bone and what happened? The number of small businesses declined. New Brunswick had the worst SME performance (in terms of growth/decline in the number of SMEs) of all but one province in Canada! There is always a temptation to think cutting taxes will help stimulate economic growth but in my research that only works at a national level or when there is a massive cut. If this group looks at taxation, I hope they focus on tax credits for job creation and investment. Just cutting a tax will reduce tax revenues with no promise of more investment. Arizona will give you a 25 year corporate tax break if you invest $1 billion or more. Sounds good to me.

2) Lord has cut small biz taxes and demanded more and more Equalization (now at $700 million more per year). If Graham's goal is 'self-sufficiency' (i.e. no more Equalization), he should be very stingy when it comes to taking away tax revenue. It must lead to far more new tax revenue that that which was lost. And the Lord example is a clear and recent one that just cutting taxes has no direct correlation with economic growth.


This task force must come up with strategies to grow new industries - and at very strong growth rates. Further, these new industries cannot be clustered only in 203 urban centres. They must be able to grow in central and northern NB as well.

I have an admission to make. Over the past couple of years, I have been buying up old time music CDs. Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, etc. As if I wasn't boring enough, now I listen to music that my grand parents listened to.

But I digress.

One of the more catchier tunes is from the Bing Crosby Show circa 1949. It's called Boise, Idaho and it's a duet with Judy Garland. It's basically a song about how wonderful that city is to live in.

Now, I read that Idaho is the third fastest growing state in the USA and that the growth is fuelled by in-migration.

Idaho. As a percentage of the US population, Idaho is smaller than PEI -relative to Canada's population. Idaho. 1,700 miles from Chicago. 2,500 miles from New York. 1,100 miles from LA.

In short. It's small and isolated from the major population centres of the US.

Sound familiar?

It's refreshing when I hear of these places growing strongly. I, maybe mistakenly, draw some hope that New Brunswick could also be a growing province some day.

Interesting.

It would seem that a few ex Atlantic Canadians are still interested in the homeland.

Do you think they pine for the rolling hills of Albert County? Or the majestic Annapolis Valley? How about the Nord Shore (see below)?

For inspiration look to the Irish.


North Shore Song

From Tide Head to Campbellton
And down to old Dundee
There's no shore like the North Shore
That's the shore for me.

Chorus:
There's no shore like the north shore
That's for shore, That's for shore
There's no shore like the north shore
That's the shore for me

When you're on the North Shore,
And have nothing else to do,
Go and visit the animals
Up in Nigadoo Zoo.

When you are on the north shore
And have an awful thirst.
There's no place to drink cold beer
Likeup in old Bathurst.

From the floral of Balmoral,
To the snow caps of Glencoe
The Scottish and the Irish,
Are alive where 'ere you go.

From the forestry to the fishery
To the mill down by the sea
The tallest man in Dalhousie
Is Mr. Bon Ami

Well Anglophone or francophone,
Are just the same to me.
Miguasha's shore, you can hear her roar
Friend or mon ami.

Rise Again

The time is nie, the time is nie
When every Scots man will cry
Rise, aye we will rise again
Fra heather glen ta button ben
We will rise this we ken
Rise, aye we will rise again

Fra Bannockburn ta auld strathyre
Ner a man will retire
Crook and cronock in every hand
Wi' banners high, men will cry
Do or die, do or die
Rise, aye we will rise again

Wa the gift that they would gee us
Ta see ourselves as others see us
Rise, aye we will rise again
Now's the time and now's the hour
We've the strength and the power
Rise, aye we will rise again

Though Charlie's gone we'll plod on
Wi our honour and our song
Rise, aye we will rise again
As long as there's a hundred men
Scotland will rise again
Rise, aye we will rise again


Giddy up.

The Telegraph-Journal is running a lead story this morning called "Do or die for N.B. forestry" quoting experts saying that massive change will be required such as downsizing the number of mills, turning the focus away from pulp and reducing labour cost through mechanization and other efficiencies.

This is an issue near and dear to my heart. For years, government has made almost no attempt to help these communities adapt to the new economic realities. No real attempt to grow new industries to reduce dependency on forestry, fishing and mining.

It just seems like yesterday that Bernard Lord was announcing $250 million for the forestry sector to put it on a firm foundation for the next generation or some such crap. The industry applauded (including Irving). I said it was just a bandaid back then and it would seem I was right.

They had the yackoff smirnoff report and said no (play on the name of the real consultant). They opted for short term bailouts and forgiveable loans. Remember, the Indian firm that bought the Nackawic mill and got $67 million in subsidies said on the day of the opening that he would likely need more from government.

In Night Train, Bruce Cockburn says "in the absence of a vision there are nightmares". He's right on the money. We near clearly definable options for rural New Brunswick. We need real targets. The public needs to know that if the government is going to invest $250 million more that it will lead to not just tiding over the forestry industry for another 12 months but a real solution for a generation.

Stephen Harper just announced $350 million in incentives for Pratt & Whitney to create jobs in Montreal.

How about $350 million for 2,000 - 3,000 high paying manufacturing jobs in Miramichi? Or Tracadie? Or Bathurst? Auto plants, as one example, have a shelf live of between 25-35 years and a closure rate (in that initial period of almost zero). When Ford and GM mothball auot plants, it's typically the older ones that go because of the massive investment required up front to get them going.

That's generational economic develompent support not short term bandaids.

I was in Halifax this weekend and saw several advertisments (movie theatre, newspaper, TV) promoting careers in the animation and gaming business. We know that PEI is moving in this direction. New Brunswick, once again, is last off the mark. Is New Brunswick even targeting animation and gaming as a growth industry? Who knows?

Just once, I would like someone to come up with a plan for economic development support in New Brunswick. One with targets. One with significant investments. One with alignment (fed/prov/local, R&D industry, education/training, industry attraction and entrepreneur support all pulling in the same direction).

More quotes about the dire straits of the forestry sector just don't cut it for me.

Come on, New Brunswickers! Eat, drink, be merry - for tomorrow we will have to read more Al Hogan crap.

Not only do we have one of the lowest per capita spends on eating out, we had the second worst rate of growth last year.

Go get it! Transfat! Burgers! Fries! Giddy up!


Source: Statistics Canada.

This is likely my final post before Christmas so I'll end with my Christmas wish list.

All I want for Christmas is:

A local newspaper that supports good government policy and condemns bad politics (the T&T just savaged the Libs this a.m. for cutting the HST rebate on electricity). The T&T never once even eluded to the policy implications of this tax cut (disincentive to reduce energy consumption). No other province (or US state as far as I know) has implemented anything like this cut. In Europe they have been increasing taxes on energy consumption. This was purely and only designed to cover over mismanagement by the government of NB Power. It was bad policy and even on the CBC we get YouTube (which of course is a valid angle to the story but it would have been nice to have a tax policy expert weigh in on the actual merits of the tax).

Just one of the Federal government's multi hundred million dollar corporate subsidies (Toyota, GM, Ford, Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney, Bell Helicopter, on and on and on). A big fat juicy high paying manufacturing plant in Northern NB (or southern for that matter) would be a nice Christmas present? What? Do I believe in Santa Claus? Why yes! Of course!

More R&D in New Brunswick. Being last place in Canada sucks.


Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I know I have posted on this before but isn't it strange?

Canada's New Government Announces $718,839 Contract Awarded to Refurbish Riding Mountain National Park
Dec 21

Canada's New Government Partners With UNICEF and the World Food Programme to Assist Families in Afghanistan
Dec 20

Canada's New Government Announces $673,056 Contract for Wharf Renovations
Dec 21

Canada's New Government Releases Federal Report on Comparable Health Indicators 2006
Dec 21

Canada's New Government Takes New Step to Protect the Environment With Biofuels
Dec 20

Canada's New Government Invests $200,000 for Genome Research to Control Clostridium Difficile
Dec 20


Google News has 511 references to "Canada's New Government" in the past 30 days.

When does 'new' become 'not so new'?

A few things of interest (to me at least) this am.

Ends
First, as widely anticipated, the NB Liberals concluded their external audit of the books and have uncovered a whopping deficit left by the Tories. I blogged on this before and remain skeptical. I haven't read the document but it sounds like deja vu all over again (in the words of Yogi Berra). Grant Thornton, audit, big deficit - flash back to 1999 and you get the same story. Interestingly, the Tories balanced the books that year anyway without any major cuts and something tells me the Libs will do the same. Should I be mad they cut my PST cut on electricity (would have saved me $30/month)? You tell me.

Oddities
I heard Mayor Mitten on As It Happens last night. Apparently, someone has been scamming using his name. They call a business in Moncton, say they are the Mayor and ask for $600 because a family member has died and they need to get to Vancouver. If you were cynical, you would say that this is because the mayor is not widely known in Moncton. I have a different view. I think that it's because the mayor is well liked and considered to be a man of great integrity (you wouldn't give $600 to some politicians - don't deny it). They are scamming on his good reputation. Look on the bright side, Mr. Mayor, the last time a Monctonian was on As It Happens, we were being called the 'armpit of the Maritimes'.

Possible beginnings?
I got a call from CRA last night. One of those surveys about how I perceive things to be. Some interesting stuff. A few highlights:

She asked me a question about what I thought the government's priorities should be. Crime, social justice, environment, health, etc. She didn't even mention the economy. Weird, huh? Then she asked me what should MP Brian Murphy's priorities be in 2007. I said 'economy' and she asked me to repeat my response. 'Economy', I said. I took it from her reaction that she isn't getting that response too often in Moncton. If so, that's too bad. If our government and community leaders drop the ball on the economy, we'll be right back to the early 1980s once again with boarded up buildings and garbage blowing through the downtown.

She asked a bunch of questions about the hypothetical upcoming federal election and my intentions. This was interesting. She said the names of a number of potential Tory candidates and asked me who I would vote for - Brian Murphy or that candidate. I won't get into names here because at least three of them are known to frequent this blog (ahem) and would not want their names taken in vain but those three all would be very interesting candidates and at least one would give Smilin' Brian (a guy I happen to like alot) a run for his money. I will say that they guy Alec Bruce calls "the ex used car salesman turned lawyer turned Premier" was on that list. I suspect, just a suspicion, that he couldn't beat Brian Murphy unless there was a national ground swell in favour of Harper (or if all that Dion snootiness against Monctonians started to actually sink in).

There was an inordinate number of questions about racinos, entertainment centres, etc. I know people are divided on the issue of ballot initiatives but in this case, why not just ask the people? You are always going to get people for and against gambling. Just ask.

Odds
This might not classify as 'odd' to you but everytime I hear someone say that the auto sector in Ontario is 'good for' Atlantic Canada, I just shake my head. It, in fact, is good in the sense that it raises national wealth and allows for the transfer payments to Atl. Canada to be increased and for the Premier of Ontario to complain that Ontario is not getting its fair share. But, in my opinion, you can stuff that argument in the latrine where it came from. If the government wants to support some form of economic justice (if that's a term) in Atlantic Canada it will get serious about supporting economic development here - not spending billions to prop up industry in Ontario and Alberta in the hopes that there will be more Equalization down the road for this region. That's a weird form of 'trickle down' or 'trickle east' or whatever.

But there are two other points to be made about this article:

1. Behind every successful economic development initiative, there is a prime mover or prime movers and these guys/gals are not usually top level politicians. Take the financial services sector strategy in Nova Scotia, the aquaculture and call centre industries in New Brunswick, the new media industry in BC, the auto sector in Ontario and the aerospace sector in Quebec. You will always find a mid level or high level civil servant has a great idea and ends up selling the politicians on this idea. It is rarely the other way around. Note to Graham - find those ideas guys and let them go to work. Lord didn't and look what it got us.

2. A quote from the article: [Interviewer] It's competitive with subsidies and incentives. The southern states in the United States, not so much in Michigan, have been drawing the Japanese manufacturers there with cash.

Lumley [guy who helped grow the auto sector]: Well, they can also use moral suasion a lot easier than we can because their market's so big.

This Ontario government is the first government since Bill Davis to really realize the importance of the auto industry. And Ottawa did a great job too.

But who likes to give subsidies? Nobody. But if you're competing against subsidies, I think we have a responsibility to do what the others do.

I don't like it, but it's like aerospace in Quebec. The sad part is other countries subsidize aerospace. If you think that aerospace is important, then you've got to be there.

But I think the Japanese investment in Canada is fantastic. They are very welcome players.


It's a bit too bad that they don't use that logic in Atlantic Canada.

Stephane Dion was quite disturbed by how stupid Monctonians were when he spent six months here in the early 1980s.

There must be a few bright Monctonian...


Moncton researchers find biomarker for prostate cancer

Cancer researchers in Moncton have developed a tool they say will eventually identify prostate cancer earlier and more accurately than standard tests.

Dr. Rodney Ouellette, who is part Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, leads a team of scientists that he said has come up with a biomarker — a series of telltale genes that always appear to be active in people with prostate cancer.

It took the scientist three years to whittle down the 20,000 genes in the human genome to find the eight genes that have repeatedly shown up in men with prostate cancer.


And if that ain't smart enough for ya, check out this.

The federal Conservative government is set to reveal another part of its clean-air strategy Wednesday with a $200-million plan to promote biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, industry sources say.

Environment Minister Rona Ambrose and Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl are to announce the plan in Saskatoon, as the Conservatives seeks to upgrade their environmental credentials and prepare for the next election.

Barb Isman, president of the Canola Council of Canada, expects the government to put forward regulations requiring five per cent renewable content in Canadian gasoline and diesel fuel by 2010, as promised in the Conservative election platform.

She said the package will include a $200-million program under which farmers can obtain part ownership in biodiesel plants expected to sprout in coming years.


Wouldn't it be neat if one of these mega investments actually generated some benefit in Atlantic Canada?

I think the Sorry Centrist was working on something about biofuels..... Maybe we can get 10 bucks to help develop a sector.

Women made up 56 percent (about 8 million) of the undergraduate student population and 59 percent (about 2 million) of the graduate students in 2005, according to the latest data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau on school enrollment in the United States.

59% of the graduate students.

When was getting my Masters, maybe 25%-30% were women.

Someone once said that eventually, women will run things and men will revert to doing the heavy lifting.

I'd better beef up.

Make Way for YOUth is a new program that "aims to reverse the tide of young adults who leave Nova Scotia’s rural communities for work and school chances that can’t be found at home, and to create opportunities for people like Zinck who want to return.

Modelled after a 15-year-old program in Quebec, the Nova Scotia version will run in two counties and is aimed at people aged 18 to 35 living in both Nova Scotia’s capital city and outside the province. In Halifax County, a wide area that spans the urban core of the city to rural communities, 20 young adults will be chosen from applicants to spend three weekends exploring small-town life.

Likely early next year, young adults will spend a week in the Colchester County area, meeting politicians and business and community leaders.

Ca c'est cool. For every 1,000 out, we'll bring in 20.

Just kidding.

Sounds neat.

I'm too cheap to spend the $20 bucks to get this report but Alberta media is reporting on it.

A new study says Alberta's economic boom is making it harder for businesses in Atlantic Canada to find workers. The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council says there was a net flow of almost 13,000 workers to Alberta over a 12-month period ending July 1st. About 5,000 of those were from Newfoundland and Labrador - the equivalent of one per cent of the province's population.

Isn't it neat when studies confirm what you see with your own two eyes?

For the blog regulars, you may want to skip this one. It is more oriented to the few new people that have been tuning in but have not read the 1093 previous blogs. For regulars, divert yourself by reading Feschuk's blog here.

POP QUIZ

Please answer the following questions truthfully and after at least five seconds of deep deliberation. At the end of the test, I'll tell you how you did.

Question #1
New Brunswick is in the first period of sustained depopulation (it's going down) since Confederation. The last time there was any drop in population at all was a two year period during the Great Depression. Do you think it's okay, in a general way, for New Brunswick's population to decline and for 70+% of our towns, villages and cities to be losing population? Y/N

Question #2
At the same time the population is declining, government spending in New Brunswick is rising at record - inflation adjusted - levels. Since 1999, the provincial budget is up by over 35% - similar to populations that have a growing population. A large part of the revenue required to fund this increase in spending comes from the Equalization program. Politicians, expecting even further need, are demanding more Equalization. At the same time, in inflation adjusted terms spending on economic development or areas that are meant to directly increase tax revenues and grow the economy is down dramatically. Do you think that it is acceptable for government to reduce investments designed to get the economy back on track and at the same time demand more Equalization? Y/N

Question #3
The previous government's approach to economic development was to slightly cut tax rates in the hopes of stimulating large scale economic growth. For example, they cut the small business tax rate to the lowest level in Canada. The result? The growth/decline rate of small businesses in New Brunswick was second worst in Canada. Do you think it is acceptable for government to sit around and do almost nothing to address the worst population crisis in history (sorry for the hubris) and actually cut revenue out of the treasury (through marginal tax cuts) that could have been used to invest in growth-oriented economic development? Y/N

Question #4
Likewise, the Federal government has been reducing dramatically its spending on economic development in New Brunswick (as a percentage of its budget). At the same time, its transfer payments to New Brunswick -notwithstanding the decline in population - are up significantly - since 1999. Do you think it's acceptable for the Federal government to cut economic development spending and increase transfers like Equalization? Y/N

Question #5
The previous government promised to put New Brunswick among the top three provinces in Canada for R&D spending. We are still dead last in Canada. The Federal government spends the least amount on R&D in New Brunswick of all provinces. Do you think it's acceptable for the Federal government to spend more money (per capita) in all other provinces on R&D? Y/N

Question #6
The Federal government just announced a $350 million incentive for Pratt & Whitney in Montreal to reseasrch and manufacture jet engines. The Federal government provides hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives to the auto sector in southern Ontario and to the oil sector in Alberta. Do you think it is acceptable policy for the government to invest in companies in the richest areas of Canada and not in the poorest? Y/N

Question #7
Have you read about these issues in the media lately? Y/N

Question #8
Our new Premier, Shawn Graham, has promised to put in place policies that will make New Brunswick self-sufficient in 20 years (defined as not needing Equalization). In the past seven, we have gone backwards to the tune of over $700 million per year. The former Premier and Finance Minister have laughed this off as silly. Do you think this goal is attainable with only incremental change and tweaking of policies? Y/N

Question #9
Alberta has eight international offices promoting trade & investment. Ontario has a baker's dozen. Quebec has a similar amount including some 90 people in France alone promoting trade, tourism, investment and cultural ties. New Brunswick does not have one person stationed outside New Brunswick - anywhere - promoting the province to the global business community. Do you agree with this policy? Y/N

Question #10
The previous Tory government has described their time in office as a time prosperity, record growth and good government. In fact, it was reported that current Premier Shawn Graham has said he would 'continue' many of Lord's economic policies (I never saw this directly). Do you agree? Y/N


Rating Your Score (high subjective!):

If you answered Yes 8-10 times you are like me and should probably seek some form of therapy. Just kidding! Call your MLA and ask why it doesn't seem to matter to them.

If you answered Yes 5-7 times you are probably living in either a) a bubble, b) Moncton or Fredericton but not have ventured outside the community in 10 years or c) another province.

If you answered Yes 2-4 times you are most likely in need of education. Please read the last 1,093 blogs posted here (including comments!) over the past 2+ years.

If you answered Yes 1 or less times you are either a) Bernard Lord, b) Jeannot Volpe or c) Al Hogan.