.The story begins with the newspapers of New Brunswick. Loke all Canadian newspapers, they're not to be trusted. But it's a bit different in NB. Here, virtually all newspapers are owned by the Irving family -who also own everything else in New Brunswick.

Died this week in Fredericton, Brunswick, democracy, after 144 years of failing health.

Premier Alward has handed over planning our economic future to a self-appointed committee of corporate heads. The government will be represented only by the premier who will simply be one member of the committee.

That means effective control of the budget and taxation will be held by the Irvings and the Ganongs and their friends. And they will be in no way accountable to either the elected  assembly or the people of New Brunswick.

Recently, leaders of big business in New Brunswick organized an "an economic  summit" to advise the government and us great unwashed on how to run the economy (with all the implications that has for social policy.) Various groups were invited to take part. These included business leaders, community groups (vaguely defined) the local neo-conservative "think tank", university presidents, government leaders, etc. to represent the whole society.