Kowtowing to a savior.
Is this what we want from our provincial MHA's or federal MP's?
What the people say they want - what the political parties will tolerate - and our weak 2 party sharing system.
How many times have you heard people express dismay when politicians tow the party line instead of standing for the position widely held by a particular constituency?
When Charlene Johnson - Trevor Taylor - and Harry Harding stood by the party during the RMS fiasco in the fishery - despite the wishes of the fishermen - people were angry and perplexed - it also turned out they were right - but 1 fishing season suffered catastrophic consequences.
When Stephenville lost the paper mill - workers wondered where Joan Burke and Jim Hodder were.
When Loyola Hearn - Fabian Manning - and Norm Doyle did not support this province respecting the broken equalization promise - people were angry and still are.
When John Efford did his song and dance over equalization - while Paul Martin was trying to get out of his promise - people were shocked and upset.
When John Hickey ignored the broken promise of his leader to the Metis Nation - people in Labrador were incensed.
What all these people - some of them long-standing respected politicians - chose to do - was tow the party line.
The people claim they want a representative who will stand by them and their communities - and when a choice has to be made - the member should stand with their constituency not the party line.
The political parties will avoid at all costs - independent thinkers who will do this.
The people of Newfoundland and Labrador will only elect the two traditional parties - and very rarely an independent member - who in short order joins one of the parties anyway.
Our system is weak and the two party system (the NDP never present themselves as government in waiting) we have does absolutely nothing to deliver the representation people say they want.
The two main parties in this province are the Liberals and the PC's who swap power back and forth - usually with one savior leader or another. Then of course the corporations which like to control and run the province - especially resourced based companies and financial institutions fill the coffers of who they think will win.
In order to change up the 2 party system - people need to find the courage and the sense to vote another way - they have to be open to and support new parties and independents federally and provincially - and become more involved in the NDP. The latter is more difficult as the NDPas similar to the PC's and Liberals have their long-standing members who tend to dominate the party executive and control the party message. We need to look at proportional representation and public funding of elections - so new parties or even the NDP can get some money in the bank for votes they receive. (The same as the new federal system)
Understand this clearly - it is unlikely that until we do this - anybody you vote in under the traditional party system will ever choose you the constituent over a party position. It is also unlikely that new leadership will come from within - as the parties tend to seek names and personality types that appear to be knights on a horse with all the answers from outside.
That's why Tom Rideout did not last long - Bill Rowe gained leadership but not government - Ed Roberts was rejected - Don Jamieson did not get the nod. Loyola Sullivan - Ed Byrne - Lynn Verge - and Len Simms could not take government either. That is why Roger Grimes never had a chance. Instead we had a long list of saviors riding in and carrying their parties to victory.
This also causes another problem. The people who choose to run when a new savior presents are more opportunistic than anything else. They do not have to be strong in their own right - and they fully expect to get a well paying job with great benefits because their leader has the population spellbound. Unfortunately this means they are too grateful to their boss to do anything but nod in agreement. They are lead around by the nose - and despite their claims of protestations from within - they fail in changing policy which they know is bad for their constituents. Look at the numbers of people who sought PC nominations - then look at the other two and their candidate rosters.
Newfoundland and Labrador could use a couple of minority governments to shake up the status-quo - and members feelings of entitlement. In order to do this at least 3 strong parties must be present - and sadly as I write this today - we only have one.
Freedom of speech and independent thinking is not permitted in our two party system - unless you are the leader - and there is no fear that the populous will turn on that leader for the weak members he/she is stuck with.
Governments and Oppositions need more than one strong - articulate - and educated person - they need many people who can get in there and voice new - creative - and progressive policy. They do not need a bunch of bobbing heads calling open-line programs and saying I am part of so-and-so's team and that person is great. When is the last time you heard Wally Young call open-line and say this new policy initiative is something I have researched and proudly put forth to my colleagues?
Now the party system also protects itself - they will weed out any voices who may call it as they really see it - and stick to either weak or partisan fanatics who cannot see anything good in the other party's platform. Parties also discourage independents by telling us that if you are an independent - you will not be heard and you will be placed in the wilderness. This is of course not true - and some of the best work done by Yvonne Jones is when she sat as an independent - after the party system chose Danny Dumeresque and not the real choice of the people of Cartwright - L'Anse Au Clair.
Quebec is a good jurisdiction to look at - and examine how the wishes of Quebecers do come first and they are prepared to cross the floor - sit on their own - create a new party if they are forced to tow a party line contrary to interest of Quebecers.
Most other provinces have a strong 3 party system and some of them more to ensure that no one party or two become complacent and arrogant toward the needs of their constituents.
So when I hear some people lambaste Fabian or John or Loyola or Joan or Charlene - I can only conclude they don't really mean it. There are no consequences to these people because either - the party they represent have a savior as their leader (meaning they will get re-elected anyway) or the party will convince the particular member that the party will take care of them if their voters boot them out.
It is time for the voters of Newfoundland and Labrador to get more savvy when it comes to elections and political parties - and it's time for those parties to worry that the same old system won't protect their entitlements.
