PremierVille
Vaughn Palmer made an important point in today's VSun NonFunRun post-budget analysis (hidden behind the subscription wailing wall*):
"The budget continues to bankroll the relentless centralization of power and policy-making in the office of Permier Gordon Campbell.
Campbell's office has been on the receiving end of a $3.6 million, 40% budget increase over just two years.
Most of the extra money has gone into a high-powered secreteriat under deputy minister Jessica McDonald.
The premier's office is everywhere in government these day, most often in the form of special advisers working directly for Campbell bypassing the line ministries."
Now, let's leave aside, for the moment, the dictatorial nature of such a strategy given that the existence of such a huge slush fund allows Mr. Campbell and his minions to skirt legislative scrutiny, both from the opposition and from his own caucus (note that Mr. Palmer said the last 'two' years and remember that two years ago that 77 of 79 MLA's were members of Campbell's own party).
Instead, let's call a spade a spade in terms of policy.
Specifically, how can you develop coherent, consultation-based policis when you're so paranoid that you do everything in-house, behind closed doors, hidden away from everyone, even your friends?
Then again, I suppose it is possibe that Mr. Campbell is actually a secret fan of HST.
After all, it was Thompson who once said:
'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.'
Clearly, something is not quite right in the State of LINO**.
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*You've got to wonder if established, old guard columnists that rely on even older media, folks like Mr. Palmer, are starting to get a little ancy about having all their stuff hidden away behind the firewall, especially when they see themselves constantly being lapped by a DIY-type like Mr. Holman or even that old curmudgeon Rafe Mair.
**Liberal In Name Only
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