This Newfoundlander needs to brush up on his history
One expatriate Newfoundlander is taking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to task in the budget fight Ottawa is having with Premier Danny Williams. This Newfoundlander living in Switzerland makes a point about how Newfoundland out to work towards becoming the self-sufficient nation it was prior to joining Canada, after which things went downhill.
The problem is, things went downhill long before Newfoundland joined Confederation, and what many people might not realize is that at the time Newfoundland joined Confederation, Newfoundland had long since stopped being self-sufficient, and could hardly be called a nation as it was directly governed by an unappointed foreigner.
Micheal Holden has some things to say about Newfoundland's shoddy treatment by the rest of Canada:
Equality is what each Newfoundlander wants, pure and simple: to be an equal and proud part of Canada. We have never gotten this out of this federation. We’ve been taken advantage of for 58 years within Canada and through our altruistic characters, we’ve just sat back and let this happen.
We went from being Britain’s first colony in 1583 to becoming a Dominion (just like Canada) to becoming Ottawa’s colony in 1949 (migrant workers to support mainland industries, natural resources to exploit, etc.)
This is why we need the pre-election Harper deal to be respected. It’s what we need to finally make Newfoundland the self sufficient ‘nation’ that she was before we joined the federation.
His comments are part of the discussion at the Globe and Mail concerning Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams comments that Prime Minister Stephen Harper hope for more cooperation is just a ploy:
The implication yesterday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that a highway improvement deal with New Brunswick was possible because they were co-operating with the federal government was denounced as a ploy to set provinces against each other.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams said later he was pleased that "much-needed" money was being spent by Ottawa in the region, but he reacted strongly to Mr. Harper's statement that the deal was a sign of the benefits of working together.
"I would tell the people of New Brunswick that they shouldn't trust the Prime Minister under any circumstances," he said last night in comments relayed by his press secretary. "I would also say that pitting provinces against each other does nothing for this country."
I wonder is Holden's attitude is typical of people in Newfoundland and Labrador. I hope not, if for no other reason than the Holden got his history rather muddled.
Newfoundland a self sufficient nation that before joining the federation?
Hardly.
In fact, Newfoundland wasn't even a dominion anymore.
You see, in 1934, Newfoundland was broke. The Depression clobbered the island's export-based economy. Facing this crisis, Prime Minister Frederick Alderdice agreed with the findings of a commission that recommended dissolving the government and turning Newfoundland into a British territory run by an unelected appointee of the British government.
In return, Newfoundland got money.
And so in February 1934, the Alderdice government voted itself out of existence. It is the only time a responsible government in the Commonwealth was replaced by another that was unelected and unaccountable.
The Commission of Government was run by Sir David Anderson, shipped over by England to take over things.
Things went well. Anderson's successor, Sir Thomas Walwyn, encouraged the Newfoundlanders he was appointed to govern to join his native Britain in the war effort against Nazi Germany. The influx of spending from Canada and the United States caused the economy to rebound, but after the war, the British government realized that the fundamental problems in Newfoundland had not been fixed. Faced with their own war debt, the British made it clear that Newfoundland would be cut loose. The third and final governor, Gordon Macdonald, campaigned for Newfoundland to join Canada, an unpopular position at the time. The Evening Telegram of St John's printed a poem when Macdonald left, hoping for his safe return, but in fact the first letter of each line of the poem spelled out "The Bastard".
Nice.
In any case, in 1948, two referenda were held, and Newfoundlanders tried very hard not to join Canada. Indeed, the motion to put the Confederation option on the ballot was defeated by those who felt that being governed from Britain was better than joining Canada, but Gordon Macdonald simply overruled the commission and used his powers as governor to put the option on the ballot anyway.
So, no, Newfoundland was not a free dominion and a democracy prior to joining Confederation. It hadn't been for 15 years.
So, no, Newfoundland was not a self-sufficient nation prior to joining Confederation. It was neither a nation, and it had voluntarily given up its nationhood because it was not self-sufficient.
Holden and his type ought to focus on Newfoundland's present and its future potential, and whether Danny Williams is putting that at risk. Making up history is not helping their cause.
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Comments
Steve, I somehow get the feeling that you history lesson will make little if no difference. Some people have their minds totally made up and do not want to be confused with facts.
Posted by: Brian in Calgary at June 26, 2007 11:51 AM
Really,one should Not get facts confused with pompous putdowns of a greater race.
Given Newfoundland's strategic location in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Allies (especially the United States) built many military bases there. Large numbers of unskilled men gained the first pay-cheques they had seen in years by working on construction and dockside crews. National income doubled overnight as an economic boom took place in the Avalon Peninsula and to a lesser degree in Gander, Botwood, and Stephenville. The United States became the main supplier, and American money and influence diffused rapidly from the military, naval, and air bases. Prosperity returned to the fishing industry by 1943. Government revenues, aided by inflation and new income, quadrupled, even though Newfoundland had tax-rates much lower than those in Canada, Britain, or the United States. To the astonishment of all, Newfoundland started financing loans to London. Wartime prosperity ended the long depression and reopened the question of political status.
The American Bases Act became law in Newfoundland on 11 June 1941. As Earle (1998) finds, Newfoundland girls married American personnel by the thousands, "the Yanks' jaunty manner and easy social ways making an often stark contrast to the Canadian servicemen who at this time began to coin the epithet 'Newfie.'" The American connection worked so well that the Canadian government in Ottawa became alarmed. A new party was formed to support close ties with the U.S., the Economic Union Party, which Earle concludes "was a short-lived but lively movement for economic union with the United States." Advocates of union with Canada denounced it as republican, disloyal and anti-British; Britain refused to allow the people the option to vote on union with the U.S., and the U.S. state department, needing British and Canadian cooperation in the Cold War, decided not to press the issue. [1]
It remained a colony until acquiring dominion status on September 26, 1907[1] along with New Zealand. It successfully negotiated a trade agreement with the United States but the British government blocked this after Canada raised objections.
Posted by: Brian in N.B at June 26, 2007 12:55 PM
The true fact of the matter is that the Atlantic Accord deal is a good deal more nebulous than either side wants to admit.
The maintainance of pre-accord levels of equalization while still benefiting from the accord seems to be implicit in the agreement. Is this proper under equalization? No. The increased revenue from off-shore oil and gas is supposed to affect the province's elligibility for equalization, as well as the amount of equalization it recieves.
Alberta isn't getting a special deal under equalization despite the poor condition of the lumber and cattle industries. Nor is Saskatchewan, despite the plight of grain farmers (or Lorne Calvert's made-up "promises").
Yet, I think we need to realize that the federal government isn't respecting the implicit terms of the Atlantic Accord.
Then again, would things be any different under Paul Martin or Stephane Dion?
Posted by: Patrick Ross at June 26, 2007 02:14 PM
Hey I have a great idea. Let Newfoundland Labrador go on their own and see what happens. Since they made such a go of it last time I'm sure they would love to give up provincial welfare in exchange for their independence.
Posted by: joe at June 26, 2007 09:47 PM
...well the last I heard is Newfoundland was hoping Quebec would seperate first...
Would cut off 16 hours driving time to Toronto eh...
Posted by: tomax7 at June 27, 2007 12:53 AM
Actually, Joe, NL would do quite well should they separate. This would give them the full benefit of the offshore petroleum reserves, full management over fisheries and the full benefit of Labrador hydro-electricity. The new revenue would far far exceed the paltry amount of equalization (less than $2 billion) they would receive over the next decade under the new, reduced formula for NL. Bill C-52 plainly violates the 1985 and 2005 Accords, which is plain to see to anyone who bothers to actually work their way through the byzantine drafting of C-52.
Posted by: murray at June 27, 2007 07:59 AM
Newfoundland & Labrador should be cut off the teat immediately.
Back in the 1960's Canada changed Alberta's status from "have-not" to "have" because the per capita Alberta economy was around 92% that of Ontario's. Today, NL&L is at this same economic level. Time to turn off the taps. That goes for SK as well!
Posted by: Reid at June 27, 2007 03:48 PM
 
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