Just as Santa gives some well-deserved time off to his elves after busily preparing for his Christmas journey, Finance Minister Tom Marshall has his helpers all lined up for his gift-giving trek.
Minister Marshall is once again set to embark on a series of cross-province consultation sessions, and he has his political partners and their helpers are already hard at work preparing the 2010-'11 budget for presentation later in the spring.
However, before they put the finishing touches on the document, they want ideas from you and I on how to spend our tax dollars.
This is not a new exercise for Minister Marshall - he's been down this road. But what makes the consultation journey a little different this time around is that the province has shown some financial stability for a number of years, and as bad has it may have been through the 2009 recession, Newfoundland and Labrador came away in pretty good shape.
To say the province is not too bad off financially is a far cry from a November 2003 when the Williams administration was staring bleakly at a deficit in the vicinity of $1-billion after assuming the reins of power from the Liberals.
Yes, even back then with a deficit, there were pre-budget consultations, led by former finance minister Loyola. However, his speech was to spell out the province's desperate financial situation before asking for ideas and views from town councils, development groups and individuals across the province.
For the most part, nothing ever became of the suggestions presented to Mr. Sullivan - however logical or sound they might have been. His notes became more of a wish list than Santa's, with the major difference being many wish list writers were disappointed with lumps of coal rather than new roads or improved health care. Mr. Sullivan's efforts were concentrated on managing the deficit, so his visits were similar to that of the old Western medicine man - pop into a town with glamour and sparkle, sell your wares, and bolt to the next town before anyone was any wiser to camouflage.
With the financial turnaround which the province has experienced thanks in no small part to oil, one would think Minister Marshall will be a little more like Santa.
Don't be fooled. Minister Marshall will be seen as intently listening to what community leaders and residents from St. John's to Goose Bay may have to say, but truly, he's not that interested. If he was, he wouldn't need to waste taxpayers' money travelling the province using smoke and mirrors to try and show the government cares and is listening - all he needs to do is to hear what the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are saying needs improvement during the rest of the year.
If this journey is like any of those in the past few years, it will be a self-promotion of the how the Williams administration has turned things around in the province's coffers.
For the most part, the province's expenditure and revenue estimates have already been submitted by Minister Marshall's little helpers and tabulated by the number-crunching accountants. Thus, there's even less reason to go through a process of consulting with the public.
Can the consults. Listen to what people in the province are saying year-round. Use the money saved on the cancelled journey to fill some of the wish list letters received during the year.
info@ganderbeacon.ca
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