Dunderdale's supporters pulled the plug

I watched yesterday - as most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians did - Premier Kathy Dunderdale resign.

It was not a sad time for me - I did not like her leadership style or the policies she rammed down our throats.

The resignation speech was - in part - a list of "accomplishments" of her government - all the wonderful things. If this was the case - why would she resign? Why are the polls reflecting that close to 80% of the people do not want her leadership or her government?

What I heard yesterday was a continued drone of - "communication" problems. Was she a great communicator? No - however that is not the reason the vast majority of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians do not support her or her government.

It does not matter who communicates Bill 29 - we don't want it.
It does not matter who communicates the Muskrat Falls deal - we don't want it.
It does not matter how she relates the coziness with Stephen Harper - we don't like it.
It does not matter who makes excuses for not holding an inquiry on the death of Burton Winters - we want one.
It does not matter who communicates the CETA deal - the people are not satisfied with the amount of information provided.

It's not the messenger - it is the message.

In this regard - all the tired Cabinet behind her - should have gone with her. Are they delusional? Do they think if they get the one line spinner type like Brian Tobin or the bully type like Danny Williams - the policies they are trumpeting would be any more acceptable? What ever happened to the simple reasoning? Is it in anyway possible that the people do not like the policies and deals of this government?

On Muskrat - they fired everything at us - more expert communicators and communications than any person should have to suffer. They did not and do not have the peoples' support for this deal.

And by no means was she going to throw any of the backroom antics out into the open. We are to believe that Kathy Dunderdale ran back from Florida to resign - cause - she wanted to?

If the so-called supporters of Dunderdale want to patronize this woman by saying you are doing wonderfully my dear - but it's just the way you say it - or do it  or the way you look - the I guess the Premier should really examine her choice of "friends".

For me it's this - the people do not like what you are doing with the province. In that respect we do not support your Cabinet who were involved in the decisions.

The other part of her speech - was what could be termed the human part - the emotional part. In this she thanked her family - as we all should thank our families. The part about sacrifice I can do without as many professions and jobs - particularly those involved in protecting and saving lives - make that sacrifice for their entire careers - 50 years of it in some cases. Next up was the "women's" advancement discussion. As a woman - I can say she did nothing whatsoever for me as it relates to advancing women in politics. She was one of the most extreme partisan politicians I can remember. If you were a woman and supported her and her government - yes you would be looked upon favourably. If you were a young PC or a man who supported her and her government - you would be looked favourably upon. If you were a woman who was critical of her government and policies - she had no problem slicing and dicing you - and remember - she had the power to abuse it.

If she would like to confirm that she at no time discriminated against a woman because they were publicly critical of her government and policies - then I will challenge it.

All in all - I found Premier Dunderdale to be arrogant, out of her depth on many issues, too delighted with her power, and generally incompetent.

Do I care about how she looks or how she speaks (outside being relatively literate for the position), or that she is a woman? No. I care about how she conducts herself while in such a position, the decisions she makes and how she treats the people who put her there.

I care that the Premier and her government spent many hours of public media condemning those who disagreed with her policies and deals. The use of the words partisan, naysayers, and conspiracy theorists to describe the population one serves are not the words I want to hear from a "leader".

On the continued media thread that communication is the big problem here - that's assuming we - the people - are all not able to really see the benefits of something unless it is communicated by the likes of a John F. Kennedy? It is quite likely that when the vast majority of a population cannot see the benefit of one deal or another - it's because - it's not beneficial for them.

A politician - like all people - can be thanked for service - however to place them on a pedestal above many in a population who serve in some capacity or another is wrong. Yesterday the Premier quit her job. Her choice. It says a great deal however about the commitment to finish the job you started. Imagine if other professions could or would do that - imagine the mess we would have.

Her Cabinet and caucus who supported her leadership and policy choices did nothing much to prevent the resignation - that we can see anyway. So the wannabe new Premiers and their supporters spent most of the day blaming the people and or media for "not understanding her".Yesterday they wanted us to feel bad for causing her to leave.

The majority of people may not have supported her - but the majority of people could only replace her on election day. The Premier's supporters pulled the plug. It's important to add that they pulled the plug for polling results that were achieved through the policy choices of the entire Cabinet.