Why I am voting for....
As the 2014 New Brunswick election draws to a close in just 4 days, I think I have finally made a choice of who I think the next premier should be...but it has been a very hard decision. I think this is a very important election in NB, as we are at a turning point in the provinces history. We have unprecedented debt and deficit, and without major changes we are going to drop off a fiscal cliff. There is a potential answer to our problems, but it requires development of our natural resources which we need to do carefully to ensure we do not mortgage our kids future.
Our government (as with many democratic governments around the world) is in need of streamlining and innovation. We need to trim the fat and become more efficient with service delivery; and citizens need to adjust their service expectations, if we are to get out of the mess.
So how does one vote in hopes of getting the right leadership to guide us through this "righting of the ship"? If you believe development of shale gas in the province is a life line we need to grab, the choice seems easy at first. The PCs are the only party who are campaigning on full exploitation of our natural resources in a responsible way...so if you agree with that, it should be an easy choice. BUT...the PCs have a history in recent years of inactivity and too much reliance on public consultation. Until about 12 months before the election, they were a bit lethargic with their actions.
Further complicating the choice is the fact that both the NDP and Liberals have left the door open for shale gas development going forward. Both have said they would put a moratorium in place "until they can further study the practice and ensure it is safe". Any savvy voter can see through that...we can see how easy it will be to look over the current data once they get into office and say "OK, now that we look this over, what do you know, the PCs were right, it can be done safely".
I expected so much from Brian Gallant when he got elected leader of the Liberals. I thought we might have a bright young man who could grab the reins of the party like Frank McKenna did in the 90's and do what needs to be done to right the ship. Unfortunately, he seems to have been dragged down into the opposition trap of simply opposing everything the party in power does without offering alternatives. Now in the election he is making promises of spending that I think are irresponsible with the provincial finances in the shape they are in. I have watched throughout the election waiting for glimmers of the potential I think he might have as a leader to shine through, but my gut tells me I am seeing a puppet for the back room of the Liberal party; not a true leader of change.
To be fair, David Alward doesn't strike me as a dynamic leader who is grabbing the reins either; but at least his team is making a stand for something. I admire that they seemed to have made a decision that development of natural resources is the way out of the mess, and they have stuck to that message, regardless of pollsters and protesters. I am not impressed by the lack of leadership in enforcing the law on a couple of key occasions. Negotiating with the shale gas protesters who were illegally blocking a provincial highway and damaging private property should never have happened. And the lack of access to abortions. Regardless of moral feelings on abortion, the supreme court of Canada has deemed it the law since 1988, so the government of NB should be complying.
Dominic Cardy of the NDP has intrigued me since he took over the party. I have long watched the NDP to see if they could become a viable 3rd option as a governing party. Like many observers, I was pleasantly surprised by his intelligent choice to bring the party closer to the centre. He is a good speaker and his policies are well thought out. He makes sense on government efficiency and seems to have a realistic handle on the role of government in business development. A respected friend of mine made the interesting observation at one of his speeches early in the campaign; she said "imagine if he was the leader of the Liberals". This hit to the core of the issue with Cardy; he is a strong leader with a vision for the province, but he is leader of a party who is not quite ready to govern yet. And in a province that may not be ready to think outside the 2 party box. My thought is that the Liberals would win in a landslide if Dominic Cardy was their leader.
So based on all this, who do I think should run the province? I have struggled with this for months, and basically it comes to a gut feeling. My gut tells me that Brian Gallant is a sequel to Shawn Graham, and I fear his plan to save the province includes too much spend and not enough revenue. I just don't feel like he is going to be a strong enough leader to guide the province through this rough patch. I feel like he is saying whatever he needs to to get elected, and I don't like it. The Liberals need to lose this one to see that they need to change their messaging away from the political barbs and towards more solid, detailed policy.
I have considered voting NDP; but beyond Mr. Cardy and his immediate entourage, I don't think that party is ready to run the province yet. I think they need to build up to it; get some seats this time, show us they are legitimate contenders, and then maybe form a government next time. I like their platform, and I think we need intelligent leadership, which he could bring to the table. I have had the opportunity to meet Dominic and speak with him on the issues and I think he has what it takes; but his party is not ready yet. I could be wrong, and boy will it be interesting if I am and he wins a surprise mandate!
So I am left with the PCs. I respect David Alward and I have no doubt he wants the best for the province. I think he was a bit surprised to be premier 4 years ago, and unfortunately it took him 2.5 years to get things going. That put us 2.5 years further into the fiscal hole, but we have begun to dig out now. Supporting a well regulated natural resource based economy makes good sense for New Brunswick. I have faith in Blaine Higgs to streamline the government and balance the books. I think it would be further along at the moment if the PC caucus would get out of his way and do what he wants to do. I am going to vote PC because I want to give them 4 more years to finish the job; although I have more faith in Blaine Higgs and the rest of the caucus than I do in the leader. If Mr. Alward will listen to his team, they can fix our province.
Unfortunately, once again I am voting for the lesser of two mediocre offerings; maybe I should be more bold and go for the new kid on the block?
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