Decline and fall of the PC party

It is with regret that I witness the decline of a Party I have voted for more often than not. This is a party without strong leadership.

Premier Tom Marshall has chosen half measures on Bill 29 and Muskrat Falls oversight.

He is spending money we just do not have, like a drunken sailor, none more wrong than $600 million plus for a new hospital in Corner Brook, even a new court house for Stephenville when there are so many other higher priorities.

Only a weak premier would tolerate public infighting by cabinet ministers. It seems that Steve Kent is setting himself up to cross the floor and join the Liberals, as he almost seemed ready to do before being appointed to cabinet.

The leadership contest has turned into acclamation for a man who entered the race reluctantly, most likely pushed by Danny Williams, in the evening of the day before nominations were required to be filed.

Very few know this man, who did not even bother to establish a website to promote himself.

What we have seen of him is less than impressive.

What is less impressive is that no cabinet minister entered the race. Why? We can only surmise, with most of the view expressed by Bill Barry that the leadership was preordained.

Barry is a man of great passion and intelligence.

John Crosbie also called him fearless and I am told by people who do business with him that he is tough and honest.

His building of a formidable company in an export industry such as the fishery is certainly more impressive than running a grocery business and a chain of liquor stores in Alberta.

We now have a weak finance minister running deficits, a resources minister taking his orders from Ed Martin and an ex-teacher education minister about to cave in to the militant demands of a teachers’ union whose pension is only 20 per cent funded.

Soon the PCs will have a new leader with zero political experience who thinks our government is doing a wonderful job.

It gives me no pleasure to anticipate a cabinet with Jim Bennett and Eddie Joyce on the front benches but that is where our province is heading for the lack of choice. Lorraine Michael and her rump are no more credible than the party that Danny Williams has destroyed. Jim Williams Bay Bulls