Taking the Fight to the Hill

Taking the Fight to the Hill

By: Ryan Young

It was suggested to me this week that I was somehow dishonest or not forthcoming to the public that I was now an “active political partisan.” While I must admit that I found the idea of me being a partisan of any sort extremely humorous, I figured it would be best to put my thoughts about the issue here on the Rogue Bayman where anyone can see them. I certainly have nothing to hide and I plan to continue to have an active voice in support of this great province and its people. I have made this information public knowledge several times, on my blog profile, on social media, and in the community. I was a little surprised to see an issue made of it at all, but in the spirit of openness and transparency, let’s put the whole issue to rest.

Over the summer, I accepted a part-time position as a Political Assistant to the Independent Member of the House of Assembly from Mount Pearl – Southlands, Paul Lane. As a part-time employee, I don’t make a giant salary, I don’t have a fancy expense account, and I wont be drawing a fat pension. I am, however, very excited to be working with a man that is willing to address the serious issues facing our province right now and who is demanding better from all of our elected officials. When I applied for the position with Mr. Lane, I felt that my education and experience were more than adequate for the job and it certainly didn’t hurt that I am very active and knowledgeable about the current political scene in this province. I felt like I was a good fit for the job and Mr. Lane felt the same way and offered me the position. The rest as they say, is history.

Mr. Lane has been echoing many of the sentiments that I have been speaking out about for the past few years such as education, democratic and electoral reform, injured workers, and accountability for Nalcor, just to name a few. My decision to support Mr. Lane comes from my personal belief that he is a man in the right place at the right time to be saying the things that need to be said, and he has been successful in getting people to take notice of the issues. I take pride in the fact that I will be able to play a small role in ensuring that these important issues continue to be brought to the public’s attention and I will do my very best to make sure these issues do not go away. While I will maintain a separation in my own views, both as Ryan Young and the Rogue Bayman, it is very likely that the message will very often be similar. Whether or not that makes me a partisan, I will leave for my readers to decide.

The Independent office means just that. It is independent and holds no affiliation to any party. There is no party line to toe on the issues. There are no outside lobby groups or political interests that have to be considered. Basically, it is an office that is independent from everything that is currently wrong with the way we do government in this province. Frankly, I think it is the only office that I would be able to work in, as real change on real issues is much more important to me than political ambitions or money. Not that any other office would touch me with a ten-foot pole. The party system is not usually fond of the “wild-card” types that are not afraid to tell the truth and get their hands dirty digging into the issues. While working for Mr. Lane was certainly not part of my plan, I could not pass up the opportunity to learn how things really work on the inside and to assist him in bringing the message to the people.

So there it is for the world to see. I will continue my quest for a better future for my children and yours, and I will not be silent on the issues. If anyone feels that my position within the Independent Office makes me a partisan and nullifies my views and opinions, then that is certainly their choice to make. At the end of the day I can only stand on my track record of what I have done and said, and ask that you stick around, dear reader, and let us fight this fight together.

"Only by working together and standing up to demand better for ourselves and our children, can we truly get our province to what we know it can be. Great men and women have been forced to rise up before and remove from power those who would steer us astray. We must call upon their noble spirits and rise again to the challenges of our time."

-The Rogue Bayman