FINANCIAL REALITY LOST IN LEADERS' ELECTION CHATTER

As much as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians heading into a new General Election are hoping, wishing and praying for the status quo, change is what they will get. That is the case regardless of who wins.

That is a view you won’t hear from the Party Leaders. You'll need to decide whether to read on.  

The Province has lost thousands of people, especially since the ‘60s and ‘70s, and more following the cod moratorium. The latter were mainly tradespeople and other workers who looked westward for their pay cheques, earning the ascription “rotational” workers. Leaving, they looked back at a society that had not figured out how to leverage a huge fishery and other natural resources into enduring wealth and jobs.

Then, and later, in the pubs and occasionally on the hustings, as offshore oil development created new optimism, debate was rife over how we might hang on to what was left of our rural character against the steamroller of big oil and swaggering oil men.

Back then, too, unemployment was high and wages low. The Government delivered services meeting no one’s expectations. Still, many had seen a lot worse. And, as tough as it was, there was a grounded-ness in how we, and our politicians, behaved.

PLAYING CHES: REFERENDUM IDEA HIS BEST MOVE?

Ches Crosbie wants the Government to call a referendum on equalization. He believes it will call attention to the program’s unfair construction and garner support for reform of the system, giving this province some much-needed additional revenue. 

Other than the Schroder Policy Institute’s Upper Churchill proposal — which has been articulated by local artist and entrepreneur Bob Hallett — no ideas have been brought forward to deal with the Province’s full-blown, and largely unacknowledged, fiscal crisis.

This Blog has never assessed Mr. Hallett’s proposal, but it is gratifying that a talented, fresh face has entered the fiscal crisis debate — even though “debate” may be too strong a word.

CHES CROSBIE TESTED: "MISTAKE" TO REPLACE MADNESS?

The recent Telegram interview with newly-minted Tory leader Ches Crosbie leaves a disturbing impression of how he will address the challenges of a Party recently described on this Blog as “broken”.

The Telegram article saw Crosbie shifting the blame for the Muskrat Falls project onto the Liberals. “What they should have done was make sure that a proper stopgo analysis was done as soon as they got into office. They frittered that opportunity away,” he was quoted as saying. Crosbie is correct on the point, but he needs to deal with the ghastly mistakes of his own Party before he is ready to throw stones at his rival.

Not to his credit, Crosbie asserted: “… PCs are like everyone else in this world: we’re only human. If mistakes were made we’ll have to take the approach that that was then, and this is now,” he told the reporter.

CAN CHES CROSBIE REBUILD A BROKEN PARTY?

If new Tory leader Ches Crosbie had hoped to wear the moniker “Landslide” after last weekend’s vote, the Party had no qualms denying him any such expression of unanimity.

The contest was a straight two-way leadership race. With Crosbie winning 57% of the vote against 43% for Tony Wakeham, according to the media, the outcome was respectable but hardly overwhelming.

Wakeham came into the race late and with a communications plan that didn’t include the general public. He exhibited little knowledge of public policy issues, too.

In contrast, Crosbie demonstrated preparedness and a willingness to engage people on the ground and on social media. His legal experience shone through the process; his speech was thoughtful and careful.