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COLUMNIST’S CRITICISMS LACK ‘SUBSTANCE’

I've recently read another column published in the Cape Breton Post by David Delaney, and I have to ask has he perhaps fooled himself into believing melodrama is criticism?

From what I can tell, Delaney's problem with the local government is the hiring of two advisers - one a policy advisor, the other an Indigenous affairs adviser.

He then compares these two additional staff to the Consilium Principis — which was an advisory group to for the Roman Emperor (the most powerful man in the world) nearly 2,000 years ago.

A bit much, isn't it?

I suspect Delaney needs to dress up his criticism of these two hires in such dramatic fashion because otherwise what are his criticisms, specifically?

It seems to make very good sense to me to obtain expert advice on municipal policy and its real-world effects. Delaney seems to imply that council seeking policy advice is a sign of weakness.

In my opinion, Delaney needs to spend less time making colourful allusions to antiquity and more time actually explaining his beef with policy advice, which he has completely failed to do beyond calling it “weak.”

Speaking of a lack of specificity, what exactly is Delaney's criticism of the Indigenous affairs adviser?

Again, this hire seems to make perfect sense to me. We have a large and changing Indigenous population living on Cape Breton Island, so having an expert on staff to help manage this complicated intergovernmental relationship seems like another no-brainer.

Yet Delaney implies that the only reason council is pursuing this relationship is to gain access to unspecified funding through unspecified yet nefarious means?

Delaney seems to cast aspersions on council's motives with no evidence or explanation, which is harmful enough, but what exactly is he referring to here? What cynical financial benefit is the municipality pursuing through cooperation with local indigenous populations, specifically?

I suspect Delaney doesn't actually have answers to these simple questions, but he clearly believes Dick Cheney does!

This last bit of melodrama is, yet again, a bit much. I'd point out that it also seems like more window-dressing for the lack of actual substance in Delaney's critiques.

I seem to recall the former vice-president's main talent to be trapping his nation in multiple complicated, bloody and expensive foreign adventures, leaving the mess for others to clean up.

Good faith criticism of our local leaders is invaluable. Melodramatics, the Roman Empire and Dick Cheney? Not so much.

Ryan Campbell Islandview

OPINION

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281728387391771

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