Nothing is more interesting than provincial politics. No endeavour is more volatile. During the past week or so the ship that is the Liberal Party has come perilously close to the rocks.
It isn’t on the rocks, but they had better watch out. There are rocks out there. First, there was the Carla Foote problem. Ms. Foote is a well-connected Liberal staffer who happens to be the daughter of Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote.
Opposition’s Dream
Carla Foote was given a nice job at The Rooms with a salary over $130 thousand dollars. It isn’t that she doesn’t have the qualifications.
It is just that there was no competition for that job. She was just given it. Well that is a dream for the Opposition seeking issues.
The optics of the Foote appointment is not good. It may not break any laws. Carla Foote might be the right person for the post, but it looks so bad.
Another big problem for the Liberals in the week past is the question of who is in and who is out of the Liberal caucus.
It is their “Gordian Knot” so to speak. Gordius was the ancient king of Phrygia who tied a complicated knot that could only be undone by the person who would rule all of Asia (the Gordian knot).
The Liberals have a real caucus issue. Who is in and who is out of caucus? This following the release of reports into the activities of Eddie Joyce and Dale Kirby.
Weed Smoking Buddy
An investigation cleared both of nearly all allegations, but their activities put them at odds with a couple of their own caucus colleagues.
Mr. Joyce says he can’t serve in cabinet or caucus if his accuser Sherry Gambin-Walsh is there. He says it isn’t an ultimatum to the premier, but it sure sounds like one.
Dale Kirby now has to make decisions regarding Pam Parsons, his accuser and weed smoking buddy. He has also brought another MHA into the fray in the person of Colin Holloway regarding leaked reports.
Can Dale Kirby be in the same caucus as Pam Parsons and Colin Holloway? Is he welcome there? Watching all of this is Ches Crosbie, the newly minted PC leader. He has indicated there have been talks with MHAs (unspecified by name) over entering the Tory fold. What an interesting development.
Here is my free advice to Dwight Ball. Send out a note and see if you can get everybody (except Crosbie) into the same room. They are still allowed to sit with one another. Get a couple of buckets of chicken and get this thing sorted out.
The Liberals have lost the by-election that allowed Crosbie into the House. They will soon be facing another by-election following the resignation of Paul Davis.
They don’t want to let anything like momentum get started. It will take wisdom from Dwight Ball to cut the Gordian knot his party is snarled in.
NTV’s Jim Furlong can be reached by emailing: [email protected]