READ THE SHORT ARTICLE FOR CONTEXT – THEN WATCH THE VIDEO
Noog·ie [‘no͝oɡē/] noun NORTH AMERICAN informal (1) a hard poke or grind with the knuckles, especially on a person’s head.
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Most opposition MLAs take it for granted that Liberal MLAs will not answer their questions, so they seldom bother even pointing it out for the record when they don’t get an answer to their opening question. In fact, they prepare their subsequent “supplemental” questions anticipating they won’t get any answer to their first question, and they’re, (sadly) never wrong and forced off-script by an actual answer.
Some MLAs have recently begun pointing out to the Speaker that they didn’t get an answer to their question, especially when it’s directed to the Premier and another Liberal MLA keeps popping up instead. And sometimes, especially when the opposition MLA is particularly passionate about the issue and gets no answer, will show considerable frustration, get a little louder, and become a lot more animated in an attempt to force an answer to a simple “yes” or “no” question.
Well, Steven Myers pounced on both Minister Robert Mitchell and the Premier in a big way Friday morning, and left some nasty welts on their foreheads as he repeatedly pummelled them with demands to “say uncle” and answer his @#$!@$% question!
And for that he gets the coveted “Noogie” award for “Best Attempt to Elicit a Straight Answer from a Non-responsive and Intransigent Liberal MLA During Question Period.” How did he win the award?
The video clip speaks for itself, but note how Myers directed all his questions to the Premier (and actually got him on his feet for one response) but that it was Minister Mitchell – who Myers twice called the “Amalgamation Minister” – who fielded the rest of his attempts to get a straight answer to his question from the Premier regarding whether he will honour the results of a soon-to-be-held plebiscite on amalgamation for those living in the unincorporated rural area of Myer’s riding .
You can go online to watch Mitchell’s and the Premier’s responses if you enjoy hearing words that don’t really mean anything, but I’ve cut that garble out so you can witness the unadulterated and truly Herculean efforts Myers employed as he brow-beat the Premier and Mitchell trying to get an honest answer out of them; and for that, Myers takes home the Noogie Award!
In the end Myers was unsuccessful, but he can take solace in the knowledge that both Mitchell and Wade will be nursing and displaying a couple of pretty embarrassing “noogie bumps” on their foreheads for a considerable time to come! The clip is a little longer than usual, but worth the watch.