PC Party spending taxpayer $$$?

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?

Tory Turmoil Continues - Legacy of Williams?

Here we go again. Back to square one. A new leadership process for the Tories begins as it did the last time.

Same group of people who may run.

Each day brings word of one of the list saying no.

Each day brings another Kent musing.

Media covering the same nonsense once again with almost the same panting breath.

The best we have so far is John Ottenheimer has announced he is running. Whoopee!

Is he how we describe renewal? Is he how we get new ideas? Is he the definition of fresh?

Nice fellow - John - despite his agreeing to do many things we have problems with. Is this the result of the Danny Williams leadership legacy?

Surround yourself with weak followers - surround yourself with obedient "colleagues" and voila you get leadership potential deficit.

A real leader surrounds him/herself with strong people - those with ambition and drive - those who strive to learn - listen - and lead.

One would figure there would be clamouring to get the top job after Williams left. He appointed Kathy Dunderdale to be an "interim" leader - while all other potential "new" leaders came to the for. Who did we get? We got lots of mumblings, whispers, and speculation. We had Brad Cabana try to run - but was determined "ineligible". So after all the fumbling, bumbling, and mumbling - Kathy was appointed.

Then Kathy the "interim" left - we should have expected the door to the candidacy locker to be kicked down - charged - and jammed with leadership hopefuls.

I woke-up one day and the media had a dozen or so waiting to come forward. Inside caucus - outside caucus - a retired army general, retired politicians, defeated politicians, a lobbyist, a retired fellow from the west coast, a fish merchant, and a grocer.

Day by day - the media plucked one off the list. We were down to three. Coleman, Bennett, and Barry. Danny did not like Barry and declared who he would not support. Delegate meetings were taking place before the actual campaign started. Bennett was thrown out of the race - Barry was procedurally crippled by the process and all we had left was one. No race again.

So the Premiership was Coleman's - the party had a leader and an election should have been called. Marshall stood in the House of Assembly and basically said his good-byes as he prepared to move over and let Frank take the helm. Sure before the handover occurred the Premiers Office staff went through a gutting putting Coleman's people in before he himself arrived.

Joan Shea quit so there was one seat open. Nope - Frank was not taking that one - so it became obvious that Tom Marshall was leaving his seat and Coleman could run at home.

Before a by-election could be called in St. George's - Stephenville East - the Premier appointed was gone - as quick as he came - with all his staff at the ready in the office he would never take over.

One clear sign of a good leader is that he/she has a reasonable succession plan. Draw your own conclusions.

Regardless, call an election now - your party mess is not our mess and is not the mess of government.