Newfoundland & Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador Opinion

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BOB WAKEHAM: Poor performance, poor apology for NL tourism minister's speech in France

Andrea Barbour's apology for embarrassing speech in France 'rang hollow" and didn't reflect the poor way she represented NL at a sacred event, says Bob Wakeham

I was tempted — only slightly, mind you — to give a rest, a pass, to the matter of the amateurish delivery of two speeches by Tourism Minister Andrea Barbour at Beaumont Hamel on July 1 during ceremonies marking the 110th anniversary of arguably the saddest, most tragic day in the history of this centuries-old place of habitation.

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After all, as I debated the merits of writing a column on the dog’s breakfast served up by Barbour on that hallowed piece of Newfoundland ground in France, I had to acknowledge that the tongue-tied minister has already received a certain amount of justifiable scolding, and, as well, it’s been several weeks since her embarrassing performance, making it “old news” in journalistic parlance, and perhaps not worthy of a re-visit.

But, no sir, given the fact that deadline circumstances prevented an earlier column on the Barbour affair, and as someone with a personal connection to the needless slaughter on the morning of July 1, 1916, as does my wife, and thousands of other descendants of soldiers killed, wounded or scarred psychologically for the rest of their existence,........

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