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THE N.S. MLA LOOTING SCANDAL ZINCK IS NOT A PRECIOUS METAL BY A. FRANK GRUNT WHEN CANADIAN ROCKERS APRIL WINE SANG ROCK ’N’ ROLL IS A VICIOUS GAME, I’M SURE THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE GAME OF POLITICS IN MIND. The many and growing number of inconsistencies in the “He said, they said” Trevor Zinck saga would make anybody’s head spin. We know a few things for sure: The Dartmouth North MLA was not named as a player in Auditor General Jacques Lapointe’s recent report. That with Premier Darrell Dexter’s massive majority win in June, Trevor Zinck was expendable. That Zinck was not paying his constituency office bills on time. That Zinck fessed up to a gambling & booze fixation, the result of mounting personal problems. And, finally, we know that Zinck is definitely Dr. Phil material. Trevor Zinck As it has been from the very start of this N.S. MLA Looting Scandal, there are more questions than answers. But there’s no comparison between incompetence and the suspicion of criminality. The Zinck file now sits on the desk of AG Lapointe for further investigation. We don’t know where that further investigation might lead. I have no sympathy for the now Independent Honourable Member. Doctor, lawyer, political columnist, Frank magazine hack, show me the person who claims to be personal problem free, and I’ll show you a liar. But why throw Zinck under the bus when Halifax Atlantic Dipper Michele Raymond, duly noted in the AG’s report, has her own bookkeeping challenges to deal with? I may eat these words one day but, as of now, I consider Zinck an upgrade from Glace Bay’s dearly departed Dave Wilson. Sadly, both these characters were (and Zinck still is) entrusted by distressed constituents who need effective representation the most. One Dipper caucus member explained to me that they, including Dexter, had been aware of Zinck’s problems for months, but at the end of the day found him to be beyond rehabilitation. It was also explained it’s not unusual for MLAs to get behind on their bill payments, because in theory, at least, the Speaker’s Office doesn’t reimburse until after the bills is paid. All bills are in the individual MLA’s name. Zinck claimed he was turfed because of a perception he was getting too cosy with opposition parties, and Dexter & Co. did not want to be embarrassed by Zinck possibly voting against the upcoming budget. He even cited recent reports in a popular bi-weekly family magazine to make his case. CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 14 ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK APRIL 13, 2010 THE END IS NEAR FOR STEPHEN MCNEIL BY A. FRANK GRUNT WELL, IF A MONTH IS A LONG TIME IN POLITICS, THEN TWO WEEKS BETWEEN EDI- TIONS OF FRANK MAGAZINE IS ALSO A LONG TIME. Last issue, Frank 581, we once again touched on the inner workings, or non-workings, if you will, of that “black hole” sometimes referred to as the N.S. Liberal Caucus. Of which, as of this writing Friday, March 26, 9 p.m., there are a total of 10 members. But that could change any minute. Might even change tomorrow when I come in to fix only my major spelling errors. But, what the hell, life’s too short. Political lives are even shorter. One rumour circulating the last 10 days or so, and which will not go away, is that another prominent Liberal MLA Stephen McNeil is about to go bye-byes, like the late Dave Wilson from Glace Bay. Anybody remember him? He resigned over the N.S. MLA Looting Scandal. Watch for this little matter to continue to grow. Wilson, as we reported last week, lawyered up with Sydney’s Sheldon Nathanson. Since then, Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil has made another spectacle of himself, saying sorry seems to be the hardest word. All the system’s fault, McNeil continues to say, not one mention of greed and the possibility of criminality on part of our “Honourable” MLAs, including Liberals. Fact is McNeil misled everybody he knew, February 17, a full three weeks ahead of time that Glace Bay’s Wilson’s was going to resign, which he did on March 11. McNeil preferred not to know why, so when the shoe fell, he could plead ignorance. Is this the mark of a leader ... of anything? So, it gets worse, not better, for McNeil, who some Liberals feel will not survive the mid-May Liberal AGM in Antigonish. “No. I don’t see him surviving,” said one Liberal. “He knows his caucus is unhappy with him, and does nothing. He wouldn’t even survive a vote of confidence from his own caucus members. I think a lot of membership cards are going to be signed and mailed. Secret ballot is the best way to get rid of any party leader.” I also asked the question Frank 581, does McNeil chief of staff, Allan Sullivan Jr. have the same political savvy of his late namesake father? The answer, according to one party insider is a resounding “NO!” Even some loyal Liberal Cape Bretoners are seeing Sullivan as not exactly what they thought they read on the label. “He doesn’t even come close to Dan O’Connor (D. Dexter’s chief of staff), and he’s a nine to five-er. If anybody should know by now that politics is not a nine-to-five job, it should be Allan Sullivan. Somebody who grew up around politics,” said the irate insider. CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS FOR NOT-SO-FAT FREDDIE BY A. FRANK GRUNT FREDDIE JACKSON IS OUT AS THE LONG- TIME MANAGING EDITOR OF THE CAPE BRETON POST. His last day, I’m told, was Friday, March 19. Known for schmoozing with members of Sydney’s uppercrust and anybody bearing a title, as much as he was known for his long black trenchcoat, Jackson was the Post’s lead newsman for nearly two decades. The native Newfie and former Telegram sports reporter replaced Angus MacDonald, who as managing editor introduced the notion of very wide, red suspenders into the Post newsroom. As for schmoozing, it’s great as long as at the end of day (or night!) you get some worthwhile copy out of it. Schmoozing also works best with an open bar, outside of those two facts of life, schmoozing is a complete waste of time. Yours, and particularly mine. I understand Freddie, who a certain biweekly family magazine back in about 1992 labelled Fat Freddie Jackson, was offered something else to do within the TransCon (a Quebecois outfit) newspaper chain. At 53, married with five girls between the ages of 17 and 27, Freddie, who in latter years a certain bi-weekly family magazine was forced to refer to as Not-So-Fat-Anymore Freddie Jackson, is too young to retire. He did get severance from Transcon. What those particulars are, I don’t know. A move back to Newfoundland is highly unlikely. When Freddie first joined the Post, it was a Thomson newspaper, then a CanWest chattel, now a TransCon plaything. Important to note, once again, that TranCon Media is a company more interested in corporate profits from the printing biz than effective news gathering. At the time of Freddie’s arrival, Peter Kapyrka was the Post publisher. (Middle initial “J”, by the way, if you care.) I think the writing had been on the wall for a very long time re Freddie Jackson. Only recently, bang on Frankland 581 deadline, did that same bi-weekly family magazine receive a tip that managing editor Freddie had virtually lost all his editorial power “months ago” to former city editor/associate editor Doug McGee. It is, in fact, McGee who can now be addressed as the paper’s managing editor. Pro tempore. Fred Jackson The paper (read: TransCon) I understand, is currently wondering aloud if the Post needs a full-time managing editor. Oh, dear, how this bodes for another former sports guy turned TransCon managing editor, Carl Fleming, at the Truro Daily News, a much, much smaller newspaper, is now a very open and interesting question. Much the same can be said for other TransCon playthings like: the New Glasgow Evening News, and the Amherst Daily News. Current circulation figures, supplied by TransCon, claim Post circulation at about an average of 26,000 daily. Circulation was about 32,000 daily when Freddie took over, but that fact is also a function of the meltdown in the newspaper biz. Although, you talk to any Cape Bretoner over 25 years of age (if you can find one) and they will tell you the same thing — they basically buy the Post for the obits. It’s been that way for 35 years at least. Not that a little bit of enterprising hard news wouldn’t help move the paper from time to time, but that’s not been seen in the pages of the Post since the days of the late Ian MacNeil in the 1970s. Anita Delazzer, who arrived on the scene CAPE BRETON CALLING... from Irving Schwartz’s Seaside Cable, is now the Post publisher. She’s seen as a fair person (just taking orders as they say), but Anita Delazzer is rarely confused with the late Katharine Graham from that other Post. Near the end of his tenure at the Post, Freddie was doing some late night tab and editing work, work formerly done in rather accomplished manner by Peter Cotter. But poor Peter was also let go by Transcon earlier this year. It was Freddie and former publisher Kapyrka who teamed up to give readers the short-lived asinine “Buddy Breton.” It was an anonymous weekly column playing on every Cape Breton stereotype, using the Cape Breton vernacular, which was employed to, ... to, er, u, ... I have no idea, really. Freddie and Kapyrka also employed their lovely wives to help out during election nights. What’s that they say “strong families build strong paycheques.” I dunno. No matter. Freddie isn’t the last to go. As previously reported, TransCon plans to move all pre-production of its Nova Scotia playthings to Charlottetown. This will put at least another six Post employees out of work, TransCon’s only unionized shop. They have been without a contract since January 31. The good news is that pre-production workers kicked out on their arses by Anita Delazzer have been invited to re-apply for their old jobs in Charlottetown, where there is no union protection. Incredibly gracious stuff. Freddie first went on the missing list a few weeks ago when his regular Saturday, happy talk column suddenly disappeared from the editorial page. Shame. I’m gonna miss that inspirational quote at the end of each column, Freddie used to close with. But Freddie has made enough connections in Cape Breton to land on his feet. Don’t you worry. Also disappearing from Cape Breton at alarming rate is any real media presence. First ATV pulled out of Sydney, then CBC- TV’s Cape Breton Report was also flushed down the toilet, and when Halifax’s “Little” Bobby Pace came to town buying up radio stations, this only added to an already advanced case of media atrophy. Does Frank Know? atlanticfrank@eastlink.ca APRIL 13, 2010 ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK 15
Page 1 and 2: South End divorce’s new mystery b
Page 3 and 4: ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK HALIFAX, NOVA
Page 5 and 6: WHY PASTOR ELAINE HAS LEFT THE IWK
Page 7 and 8: INDIAN NEWS FOR INDIAN VOTERS BY CH
Page 9 and 10: BY SAM ANTICS LIKE A GOOD MANY OF U
Page 11 and 12: MYRA’S MOMENTARY LAPSE IN PROTOCO
Page 13: WHY ‘BABY JESSICA’ NEEDED A SMA
Page 17 and 18: ARMOYAN DIVORCE: FIVE MONTHS OF DRA
Page 19 and 20: CLOAK AND DAGGER IN WOLFVILLE BY WA
Page 21 and 22: EVERYONE’S AN IRISHMAN ON MARCH 1
Page 23 and 24: ZINCK, FROM PAGE 14 In response, th
Page 25 and 26: ARTISTS KNOCKED OFF THEIR PEDESTALS
Page 27 and 28: BY BILLY BOB MCWILLIAMS EVERY WEEK
Page 29 and 30: AND THERE’S RAMONA DOING THE CHAR
Page 31 and 32:
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