Premier takes big political gamble
Premier Dennis King took the biggest gamble of his political career this week and the reviews to date in the court of public opinion have been less than favourable.
P.E.I. has one of the most successful records in the country when it comes to controlling the spread of COVID-19. Community spread has been nonexistent (all 27 recovered cases related to travel) and that is due in no small measure to the fact Islanders have largely bought in to the plan laid out by the premier and Dr. Heather Morrison, the chief public health officer.
The decision to allow seasonal residents into the province on June 1 will make that buy-in a much tougher sell. With the exception of resident of the United States (the two countries have agreed to keep the border closed to non-essential travel at least until late June), non-resident property owners will be allowed to return to their summer homes.
They will have to show proof of their travel and property ownership when they arrive at Confederation Bridge or Charlottetown Airport and will be forced to self-isolate for 14 days. It didn't take long for social media to light up with reaction — virtually all of it negative.
It is all too understandable. For the past two months and counting, Islanders have generally followed the rules. They have stood in line and followed arrows in stores, peered at their ill and sometimes dying relatives through windows at hospitals and nursing homes, forgone family celebrations, worked from home while trying to take help their children with virtual learning and the list goes on and on and on.
Virtually every activity that would draw a crowd from Old Home Week to Confederation Centre has been cancelled. Now many Islanders are starting to ask if it has all been worth it when the premier is allowing anybody from anywhere in the country who contributes to the provincial coffers at the non-resident rate to "come on down" as Bob Barker used to say on The Price is Right.
To add insult to injury, Islanders can't go anywhere nor can friends and family from other provinces who don't own property come here this summer. There was talk of forming a "bubble" with New Brunswick where residents of the two provinces could travel back and forth without the need to selfisolate. However, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs told media in that province he was caught off guard by King's announcement and is rethinking that idea.
If the government loses the needed buy-in from Islanders, it is a virtual certainty there will be community spread of cases and many Islanders will likely lay the blame at the premier's feet.
The other likely result of the decision is that much of the anger now being directed at the premier will be turned on the seasonal residents, which will hardly be a ringing endorsement for the not too distant future when we will hopefully want them to come back and bring their friends.