In defence of the premier’s logic
Just when the premier and the PC Party think they are on a roll with the return of Felix, cabinet minister “kiss me while you can” Keith Russell, a politician in a class by himself, took to the mike to answer some questions. If there is any time to feel sorry for Mr. Davis, that time has truly come. Now I completely understand and appreciate the premier’s logic in appointing the recently dismissed and intelligent Ms. Manning to her many posts.
Obviously, when he went looking for cabinet material within his collective caucus, he came to the conclusion that there was absolutely nothing there except splintered wood, which he found his caucus members were using to clean their teeth and scratch their brains while sitting docile on the backbenches. As the doctor in charge, what was he to do, except run screaming through the corridors of his political sanctuary, smash open the bolted doors which protected him from the outside hordes of critics and rush down to Water Street as fast as the RNC could chase him and hire one brilliant mind of the hundreds of lawyers struggling there and secure her unelected talents to the upper chambers of the people’s gallery for untold months.
Unfortunately, Ms. M. sits in the gallery no more, a minister dismissed, forgotten for now and sorely missed by her recent gallery acquaintances. Too bad, too. Had she remained lodged in the gallery for another few weeks, she could have met the new resident leader of the third party, the duke who is about to take his rightful, unelected seat in the same aforementioned loft where he will be perched for the forseeable future squinting at the political elite below him while pondering: “Here I sit with the people in the finest gallery section there is, even better than at an Ice Caps game. One day I will sit not looking down, but looking up at the great strides I will make for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians everywhere and they will raise me up once more.” Suddenly awakened by a gallery attendant: “Sorry, sir, could you move your ass over a seat or two? You seem to be hogging the whole row. Thank you. The common people would like to sit and watch the debates below.”
The premier indicated that dismissing Ms. M. was to save the province some much-needed money.
Right decision, reasoning not so believable. If the premier really wanted to help the province out financially and, at the same time, keep face, don’t ever allow the minister of Labrador to stand before the cameras and speak on behalf of the government. Mr. Russell is not an asset. His most recent performance on camera clearly shows the gentleman is in way over his head as a cabinet minister.
It’s a wonder the people are not outside jumping on the snowbanks of the Confederation Building with placards raised, chanting: “God help us, bring back Ms. Manning, bring back Ms. Manning. We don’t care that she’s not elected, bring her-r-r back, bring her-r-r-r back, bring her-r-r-r back!” It’s too late, isn’t it? Poor Mr. Davis, what a quandary. Maybe it’s time for the premier to turn the other cheek, kiss Mr. Russell goodbye and return him to the backbenches where he is seen, but not heard. I can hear the chants now: “Backbench Russell, out with Felix, bring back Mann-ing, bring back Mann-ing, Ju-dy, Ju-dy Ju-dy!”
Sometime in 2015, the electorate will, once again, have the delicate task of sending a whole bunch of refreshing, newly elected candidates to the sanctuary on the hill, and once again the people will find it just as difficult to swallow a red pill as they have done for so many years a blue one, sometimes choking in the process. Choice? Colour? Empty promises? Empy heads? Swallow hard. P.J. Dwyer Gander