In the newsrooms of North America, reporters usually fall on the floor laughing when they hear some official say they were "shocked". It's an overused phrase. It is usually closely followed by "appalled" as in "I was shocked and appalled". It's never "dismayed and appalled" or "shocked and bothered". Nope. It's always "shocked and appalled".
In the world of overused and lazy phrases, it stands next to"...and then something went horribly wrong..." in the tool bag of the demons of Reporters' Hell. People who use the phrases too often will get to hear it in the afterlife for a really long time.
VOCM posted this story to their website yesterday, in which the local Natural Resources minister expressed his "shock" at hearing the federal government planned to sll its interest in Hibernia on the open market. He also wanted the shares "returned" to Newfoundland and Labrador, but more on that knee-slapper (<-- another horrible cliche) later.
Anyway, don't bother looking for this story at the VOCM site. It has since disappeared.
"VOCM Province Still Wants Hibernia Shares - Feb 16, 2005
Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne says he was shocked to learn that Ottawa may be getting ready to sell its 8.5 per cent stake in Hibernia. The National Post is reporting that details of the sale could be announced in next Wednesday's federal budget. Byrne says government has not swayed in its position that the Hibernia shares should be returned to Newfoundland and Labrador. Byrne says he has made a call to federal cabinet minister John Efford looking for answers. Opposition Leader Roger Grimes says those shares would be very valuable to Newfoundland and Labrador. "
More detail on this issue will follow later in the day.
I just have two questions:
1. Has Ed Byrne read the letter from Stephen Harper in which Harper pledges to sell the Hibernia shares for the benefit of all Canadians, if Harper is ever elected Prime Minister? I don't seem tor ecall anyone in the Progressive Conservative party provincially noticing that the national leader wasn't onside with one of the local party's big offshore issues.
In fact, come to think of it, Harper didn't support any version of Danny Williams' offset proposals last year. Harper just criticised the Prime Minister for not living up to the Prime Minister's commitment. (Clue: Harper learned his politics from Penn and Teller - big thing: misdirection)
2. Just who is this guy Ed Byrne and why is he speaking about oil and gas? The Accord file, which is in Byrne's department, was stripped from him and handed to Loyola Sullivan. Byrne couldn't even get a seat at negotiating table, nor could he get a prominent spot in the signing ceremony, as his predecessor Bill Marshall had 20 years earlier. Ed spends more time announcing a strategy to develop a strategy to develop wind generation of electricity than he does talking about one of the biggest files in government.
Byrne has been almost invisible in the past year on major issues like this, except as the government's counter-attack force or as commentator on trivial issues raised by the Opposition.
Hmmm. Maybe that's the answer. Since Roger Grimes has put out a release on the Hibernia shares story and Byrne is commenting on it, maybe it is an issue the provincial government isn't really concerned about. But it is enough to have the minister responsible for hydroelectric power being "shocked" by something.