Let's review the situation we have had and continue to have with the PC Party and its leadership.
1. Kathy Dunderdale quits.
2. Marshall named interim Premier.
3. PC leadership rules and process announced.
4. Three candidates qualified to run.
5. One is thrown out (Tommy Williams and party exec) - a second bows out due to process (Danny Williams condemns him) - one candidate remaining.
6. Candidate remaining was involved (guarantor) with a company that was released from its bond obligation.
7. Auditor General called in to review the HVP contract circumstances.
8. Frank Coleman - Premier in-waiting admits he had personal guarantees attached to the bond.
9. Minister Nick McGrath attempts some sort of explanation regarding the bond/s.
10. Bonding experts claim Minister did not know what he was talking about.
11. Premier Tom Marshall fires most of Office of the Premier staff.
12. Premier Tom Marshall hires staff for the Office of not-yet Premier Frank Coleman.
13. Province admits road left by HVP will now cost 1.5 million dollars more.
14. This would not have been the case if the bond was not released.
13. Premier designate Frank Coleman - prior to actually taking office - quits.
14. PC Party starts over to find a new leader - and a Premier.
The Tories celebrated their new House of Assembly Act in 2004. This great new democratic tool to ensure everybody had some expectation of a regularly called election on a fixed date. They insured that if a Premier quit too early - then an election could be called earlier - so as to give the people a say in the new leadership and direction of the government.
Who talked to Frank Coleman and encouraged him to run? He came out of the blue and certainly did not appear prepared for or really that interested in politics. We should assume Mr. Coleman had some idea before he decided to run that his business HVP would be released from a bond - in which he was a personal guarantor. Is this enough to make somebody run?
What would be the value to the Tories? Well it certainly has delayed the call of an election - and they are in losing poll territory. However - if Mr. Coleman stayed - they would not get the same delay. They have bought themselves another 3 months. Many people speculated the fix was in for Frank - so it is more than coincidence that there was no contest - for if there were - we would still have a leader and an election could be called.
It has now become a conspiracy theory that all this is innocent. Any thinking - inquiring - mind would have to be cynical.
It is time the Opposition Parties demanded an election - visited the Lieutenant Governor and dealt with the obvious manipulations by the PC Party.
The PC Party is not the government. The PC Party and its representatives like Tom Marshall - should not be spending money for a Premier not yet in office. The PC Party should not be able to control through slight of hand the laws of this province.
The only way not to smell a rat - is if you have a tightly squeezing partisan clothespins on your nose.
Has it become so bad here that the most stinky of events - seems normal?
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