I’ve said it before, guys like Donald Savoie are few and far between in Atl. Canada. The TJ has an article today that covers his thoughts on self-sufficiency. Now in all fairness, I like Savoie because I like his ideas. If you don’t like his ideas it’s likely you won’t feel the same way as me. But regardless of ideology, you have to appreciate his 38 books. His appointments. His respect in a wide variety of circles.
Premier Shawn Graham needs to be “…. the province’s best salesman.” \
I agree. However, unlike McKenna, I would recommend that Graham build a very strong team of sales people for New Brunswick. This can’t be a one man show.
Savoie conceded that “the bar [self-sufficiency] is set very high.” “But I’d rather set the bar high than just give up. That’s why I’ve been supportive of the self-sufficiency agenda.”
Contrast this with Jeannot actually ‘laughing’ at the self-sufficiency agenda.
However, like me, Savoie is not tied to arbitrary dates – rather to measurable progress.
But Savoie said he doesn’t believe in either magic bullets or in artificial deadlines. What’s needed, he said, is a sense of urgency and to have multiple initiatives – from tax incentives to infrastructure investments to having the federal government onside to, of course, salesmanship – all heading in the same direction. “If at 2026 we’re not there yet, we just keep going,” he said. “2026 is not Christmas. It’s just another year.”
I like the Telegraph-Journal. Sure, it has an Irving bias but I guess that’s to be expected. However, they have been publishing some smart stuff lately – thinking man’s stuff – about the self-sufficiency agenda. Contrast that with the dopey, mealy mouthed stuff we see in the T&T.