Posc Student

Jack still can't decide if he wants to have a Quebecker or a female deputy leader. When questioned today about certain critic roles he left out, that he had last time, and about certain MPs he said that he's not done announcing his critics. As pundits have said it's quite possible that the Liberals will be seen as the real opposition over the next four years, their party may be small but they have well experienced MPs and just all around more talent.

They're only twice the size...

So unless there's not 100 MLAs there wouldn't be enough talent for say 20 Ministers?

Peter Penashue becomes the first Innu ever sworn into cabinet as the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada!

Read Andrew Coyne's article in Macleans, Britain has 23 and Australia, Germany, Japan, Frnace, and New Zealand all have 20 or less. We have the largest cabinet in the democratic world. http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/05/16/cut-it-in-half-and-no-one-would-notice/

Time to reduce Cabinet, should be under 20.

Lots of people complain about PEI being over represented. The reason the government is adding seats to the House of Commons is because the population is growing. A united Maritimes would really be no different then any other province. Ontario has 13 million people and has 107 MLAs and you think 2 million people should have 100? If these MLAs were paid $80,000 a year it would mean spending $8 million a year just of MLAs, 50 MLAs would probably make sense.

John Baird's going to Foreign Affairs!

I'm sure the federal government would offer some support. All three provinces could benefit with a reduction in the number elected officials and the downsizing of government in general. They are some of highest taxed places in the country, probably North America, uniting would allow for major tax cuts to help spur population and economic growth. This whole one province would make out better then the other just doesn't really make sense.

100 members for a population of under 2,000,000? I'd say 60 tops. As well no other province has a seante and I don't even know if it'd really be allowed, what would the sense of it be?

I just think he's the one with the experience to do the job. I doubt he'll get it but there's probably no one else within the party with his qualifications, Martha Hall Findlay has also said he she be Minister of Foreign Affairs.

MacLeans, which I guess is Andrew Coyne, is suggesting slashing the size of Cabinet, here are his thoughts. I agree alot with what he's saying, there's no Health Minister for whatever reason, here is the article he wrote which is quite interestin. He compares the size of our Cabinet with others and it's amazing how big ours is. Taking his list here are my thoughts; •Prime Minister - Stephen Harper •Justice/ Attorney General - Rob Nicholson •Public Safety/Solicitor General - Vic Toews •Defence (inc Veterans) - Peter MacKay •Foreign Affairs & Trade - Chris Alexander •Intergovernmental Affairs - Rona Ambrose •Aboriginal Affairs - Leona Aglukkaq •Immigration - Jason Kenney •Finance (inc. Revenue, Treasury Board, Financial Services) - Jim Flaherty •Industry - Tony Clement •Resources (inc. Energy, Mining, Forestry, Fisheries, Agriculture) - Christian Paradis •Infrastructure (inc Transportation, Telecoms, Public Works) - James Moore •Environment & Public Health - John Baird •Work & Incomes (inc Labour, Training, Unemployment Insurance, Income Assistance, Pensions) - Diane Finley There’s also: •Government House Leader - Peter Kent or Diane Ablonczy •Senate Leader - Marjory LeBreton

Newfoundland and Labrador is a ferry ride away from Nova Scotia, it simply wouldn't make sense to be together. The three Maritime provinces combined is only a little bigger then the island of Newfoundland, the united province would still geographically be the smallest in Canada. For someone to get to the Maritimes from Labrador, by car, it would take several days, you can drive through the three provinces now in less then a day. I agree with the provinces having three different histories and cultures but you could say that about francophone New Brunswick and Anglophone New Brunswick. Or Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario, or Newfoundland and Labrador. Uniting doesn't mean your history just disappears. I don't see why people think one province will be treated better then the other. A new government, like any government, should make sure each region of the province is treated fairly. I'm sure there are currently people in one region of Nova Scotia who think they aren't treated as fairly as another. The provinces were all allocated a certain number of MPs when they joined Canada, it's in the constitution that they can have no less then what they currently have even though they are over represented. If they were to unite it would mean changing the constitution and the government of the day may think that it's only fair that the new province be represented like the others. Of course that may not happen, but if it does I don't think it's a huge deal. Also Nova Scotia has 52 MLAs, New Brunswick has 55 MLAs and PEI has 27 MLAs, I will let you add all that up.

Why are you talking about separation?

Does it make sense for a region with a population of less then 2 million to have 134 legislative members, when a province of 13 million has 107 members? The only thing I think New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI would lose from uniting would be that they would have less Members of Parliaments, and not being over represented shouldn't be a big deal. The three provinces geographically are all connected and even combined they would be the smallest in size. Some think that having a larger provinces would be easier for attracting businesses but putting that aside the cost savings alone would be huge. The number of MLAs could easily be cut in half and the public service could be reduced. The savings could be used for economic development projects and could mean big tax cuts for individuals and corporations. I cannot imagine that there would be a lot of negatives to doing this, there would be a lot of issues to work out in the begining but after a while a Maritime Union would be much more efficient. The federal government could look at paying off so much of the three provinces current debt as a further incentive.