It is certainly clear that I for one expect a judicial inquiry into the HVP affair and I will be posting something dedicated to that stench ridden file in the near future.
Today - however - I will deal with the immediate display of arrogance coming from our newly minted "unelected" Premier.
I tweeted my suspicions a week or so ago - that I expected Davis might go outside the caucus and appoint an "unelected" Cabinet member. Davis has not let me down - and by that I mean I am not disappointed with the predictable actions of an "unelected" Premier with born again arrogance in the ministry that is politics for this PC lot.
Steve Kent - in fine predictable form - becomes the Deputy Premier - as a direct result of his play in the leadership convention. Pre-printed scarves - an unwelcome sermon from the convention podium - and a feeling of self importance has placed Kent right where he wanted to be. Nothing to do with us - just to do with the "ambitions" of a former and long-tenured Constable who decided to hire his former boss to run his shop.
Then comes the bombshell - of such magnitude - that the Richter scale rumble from the Auditor Generals report - grew a little stronger and more dangerous to our democracy.
We awake today with an Attorney General and Minister of Public Safety who is unelected.
The Premier's release calls Judy Manning a "newcomer". A newcomer to what? This person is unelected and therefore has no place in our Cabinet and is not permitted to sit and be questioned in the House of Assembly. The Department of Justice is no more and is now the Department for Public Safety? What a mess we are in.
The instant word on the street is that the Attorney General must be a lawyer. Let's take that at face value and agree( I do not). Felix Collins is a lawyer and the member for Placentia - St. Mary's. He is apparently staying until the next election. Therefore - if Paul Davis wants a lawyer for Attorney General he has one. Further Manning is apparently going to seek the nomination for Placentia - St. Mary's and if successful run in the next election. Well should Ms. Manning win the nomination and go on to win the seat and if the PC's win the election - then she could be considered for Cabinet. This play with the electorate of Placentia - St. Mary's is complete with arrogance on behalf of the Premier and a blatant disrespect for the people of the district and the province. Additionally Ms. Manning should run in one of the upcoming by-elections - unless she too already feels entitled. And considering Paul Davis believes that 300 or so people can make him a legitimate Premier - perhaps he should have chosen John Ottenheimer as Attorney General - at least somebody voted for him.
Davis is flexing his power and we are being tasered for wanting to keep our democracy in tact. This driving ambition suits Davis like it suits a repeat offender finding God.
Recidivism - apparently - should not be reserved for re-offenders - but rather extended to a former police officer extending his new found power.
This is a slap in the face for the electorate and a demonstration of how Paul Davis plans to govern. The promise to hold early elections in the event a Premier resigns early will be ignored. The promise to listen to people - has already been shattered in a million pieces as Davis goes outside the electorate's choice of MHA's and appoints his own Minister. Paul Davis will keep his commitment to transparency by ignoring the stench of the undocumented information regarding the Humber Valley Paving scandal?
It seems the fellow who headed up Child Youth and Family Services - children died while under care of the Department and then the fellow who headed up Transportation and Works in the middle of the ill-fated HVP contract - is just going to carry on as if he is fully entitled.
This is not the making of a people's leader - this is the making of a zealot who has gained power. Short-lived - I predict.
Paul Davis should have gone to government house this morning and asked that the writ be dropped. He clearly does not have the confidence that people - the electorate will give him the power - that he instead has been handed by a few hundred Tories.
Paul Davis has arrested democracy and cuffed the electorate.
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