I suggest that Mr Paris spend more time promoting NS on his own continent/country/province and stop wasting tax payer’s money travelling to India.
After the Yarmouth fiasco (The Cat) and the recent NDP Budget, I cannot believe what I am reading here!!
Nova Scotia is and was already famous as a film stage to film producers.
Stop the Grandstanding and the feeble attempt at justifying this trip.
There was no mention of the cost of this trip to NS Taxpayers. Those costs should be audited pronto and made public… and if warranted should be paid back to the the taxpayers.
We expect government to create jobs, but not to spend any money doing it? I do not know what this initiative cost but if it results in 2 good paying jobs created then the trip has paid for itself in no time. I will reserve judgement on this one. Like it or not we do compete for these jobs in a global marketplace and these companies have lots of choices.
I understand what you are saying Barry, however there has to be follow up and accountability reported back to the taxpayer… if is a huge word and government does not have a good record here. We usually pay through the teeth to get foreign investors that spend our dollars and they leave with no accountability and with Nova Scotian’s absorbing their debt (usually huge debts).
Government (any government) has to be fully accountable to the taxpayer! Just as any organization has to be accountable to those who fund them. Whether it be Federal, Provincial, Municipal, Disaster relief, or even local volunteer Rate payer associations, sports, youth, church and fundraising groups.
This also applies corporately where the shareholders and auditors and boards of directors, employees, hold the responsibility of accountability. Its obvious accountability is lacking in all these areas and who is to blame?? … each and everyone ( of us) who has accountability for public funds and does not treat public funds as their own funds… or does not strive to get the best value for the money spent …Enough said
So, perhaps Nova Scotia does need exposure and promotion. Without that, I think it’s unlikely potential investors and businessmen would know the advantages of doing business here.
But how exactly to best promote NS to business internationally? Is Mr. Paris the best representative for this particular job? Might someone else be better suited, such as a film producer who understands the business model of producing films and how NS supports that business model. Or maybe a plant engineer who understands manufacturing. Or an IT manager for IT, etc.
OTOH, I’m often disappointed by consultants who claim they’re experts in… whatever I’m talking about at the moment (miraculously). It’s experiences like those that make me wonder if the free market can really do any better job than the government.
Ideally, I’d like to see someone knowledgeable in the business model of industry act as a representative, if they would do a reasonable job at a reasonable cost. But
in reality it’s often a gamble for the government hire a contractor or consultant. You can’t always know what qualities you’re going to get in advance, and the purchasing/contracting in process has many rules to make it more fair to the supplier (not so much for the government, being essentially a monopoly). And if those rules are skirted, then the government/bureaucracy is playing favourites (or abusing its monopoly). No win for the government, I think.
Wow, now I totally understand why Halifax is so far behind other Canadian capitals economically. And everyone here blames it on the explosion????
Halifax and its port should be booming. But I think some of the above comments explain exactly why it isn’t.
Shortsightedness is the real answer to the lack of growth in Nova Scotia.
I think Percy has been pretty transparent with his spending and if he has obligations to fulfill in his ministerial capacity then he needs to do that.
Should he row a boat to India? There are plenty of those hanging around for him to use, all along the fishing ports of NS. Or are we going to hang onto those in hopes that the fishing industry revives? Moving with the times and creating new industries for the East Coast to prosper is a better move I think.
I suggest that Mr Paris spend more time promoting NS on his own continent/country/province and stop wasting tax payer’s money travelling to India.
After the Yarmouth fiasco (The Cat) and the recent NDP Budget, I cannot believe what I am reading here!!
Nova Scotia is and was already famous as a film stage to film producers.
Stop the Grandstanding and the feeble attempt at justifying this trip.
There was no mention of the cost of this trip to NS Taxpayers. Those costs should be audited pronto and made public… and if warranted should be paid back to the the taxpayers.
So this is why I have to pay more taxes
If you voted NDP
Feel free to step in front of my truck
We expect government to create jobs, but not to spend any money doing it? I do not know what this initiative cost but if it results in 2 good paying jobs created then the trip has paid for itself in no time. I will reserve judgement on this one. Like it or not we do compete for these jobs in a global marketplace and these companies have lots of choices.
I understand what you are saying Barry, however there has to be follow up and accountability reported back to the taxpayer… if is a huge word and government does not have a good record here. We usually pay through the teeth to get foreign investors that spend our dollars and they leave with no accountability and with Nova Scotian’s absorbing their debt (usually huge debts).
Government (any government) has to be fully accountable to the taxpayer! Just as any organization has to be accountable to those who fund them. Whether it be Federal, Provincial, Municipal, Disaster relief, or even local volunteer Rate payer associations, sports, youth, church and fundraising groups.
This also applies corporately where the shareholders and auditors and boards of directors, employees, hold the responsibility of accountability. Its obvious accountability is lacking in all these areas and who is to blame?? … each and everyone ( of us) who has accountability for public funds and does not treat public funds as their own funds… or does not strive to get the best value for the money spent …Enough said
@Steve – seriously?
So, perhaps Nova Scotia does need exposure and promotion. Without that, I think it’s unlikely potential investors and businessmen would know the advantages of doing business here.
But how exactly to best promote NS to business internationally? Is Mr. Paris the best representative for this particular job? Might someone else be better suited, such as a film producer who understands the business model of producing films and how NS supports that business model. Or maybe a plant engineer who understands manufacturing. Or an IT manager for IT, etc.
OTOH, I’m often disappointed by consultants who claim they’re experts in… whatever I’m talking about at the moment (miraculously). It’s experiences like those that make me wonder if the free market can really do any better job than the government.
Ideally, I’d like to see someone knowledgeable in the business model of industry act as a representative, if they would do a reasonable job at a reasonable cost. But
in reality it’s often a gamble for the government hire a contractor or consultant. You can’t always know what qualities you’re going to get in advance, and the purchasing/contracting in process has many rules to make it more fair to the supplier (not so much for the government, being essentially a monopoly). And if those rules are skirted, then the government/bureaucracy is playing favourites (or abusing its monopoly). No win for the government, I think.
Wow, now I totally understand why Halifax is so far behind other Canadian capitals economically. And everyone here blames it on the explosion????
Halifax and its port should be booming. But I think some of the above comments explain exactly why it isn’t.
Shortsightedness is the real answer to the lack of growth in Nova Scotia.
I think Percy has been pretty transparent with his spending and if he has obligations to fulfill in his ministerial capacity then he needs to do that.
Should he row a boat to India? There are plenty of those hanging around for him to use, all along the fishing ports of NS. Or are we going to hang onto those in hopes that the fishing industry revives? Moving with the times and creating new industries for the East Coast to prosper is a better move I think.