Roger Grimes, the former leader of the province’s Liberal Party, was the eighth Premier of Newfoundland Labrador from February 2001 until November 2003. As such, he knew his way around elections – both federal and provincial. We asked the former premier what’s his first thought are any time an election is called.

VOTER TURNOUT

“Well, it’s always an unbelievably exciting time for those that are involved in the process; candidates, their supporters, their workers, their staff that are out there that really believe in the individuals that are running and they are trying their best to get them elected,” he began. But beyond being an important time for individuals, there’s a much larger piece as well, he added

“It’s a very important time for the country. I’m always a little disappointed with numbers in terms of voter turnout, which are lower than I would like to see them be. I’m one of those people that if I get a chance to vote for the next dogcatcher, I’m going to because I’m given a chance to have my say.”

We ask Grimes what he felt the top issues are as they relate to NL this go-’round.

“There’s the continuing COVID response … with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians very much buying into the public health advice and respecting what Dr. Fitzgerald recommends in a large way, but that’s not the case right across the country where there are still some pockets of resistance to mask-wearing and vaccination, so the COVID response is still a huge thing,” he said.

The second issue is financing, he continued. “There’s the economic recovery coming from (COVID) … you hear issues now about not enough staff in restaurants, clubs and bars because they’re short-staffed, or people are not going out because they got used to not doing that … The whole getting back to the new normal stuff.”

The next issue is one that always comes up, and it relates to health care.

“Always in Canada, health care funding is a huge issue. You’ll never get away from it.”

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MUSKRAT SCABS

One thing Grimes stayed clear of was Muskrat Falls. Why?

“I think everyone’s tired of it. The assumption is that whomever wins this federal election will honour the general nature of the commitment that was made on mitigation to keep the rates down … We still have delays, there are still issues. I think it was one of those things, like a scab on your finger. After a while, you just ignore it. So I don’t think people have (Muskrat Falls) as a front of mind issue in terms of what this election is about,” he said.

We reflect back to the Danny Williams days when there wasn’t much love for the feds, especially for then Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Is it healthy for premiers to get involved with federal politics, and are things like the ABC (Anything But Conservative) campaign-wise?  “I didn’t think that the whole notion (of ABC) was healthy, though it was fairly typical of our premier at the time, Danny Williams – whom I consider a good personal friend, but have had huge political differences with. But he felt that the province was sort of poorly done by Stephen Harper at the time, who happened to be a Conservative Prime Minister. So, his way of getting back was to say, ‘OK, people, vote for anybody but those darned Conservatives.’”

A HEAVY HAND

Such a heavy hand when it comes to voting simply isn’t wise, in his opinion.

“You should vote for the people that can get the best job done. And there’s always that open question, about whether or not it’s better to be on the government side or not; to be aligned with Ottawa fully and completely like we were a couple of elections ago with every single seat being the same as the federal government.”

Even as a card-carrying Liberal, Grimes added that it’s healthy to mix things us. “At least this last election, we had Jack Harris as a lone outsider who could speak from a different point of view, if it was necessary, and if he thought it was in the best interest of the province. A balance is always good and people make their own judgments.”

We ask Grimes, when it’s time to cast a ballot, if he votes for the person of the party.

“I’ll vote for the party unless I have issues with the person. I’ve been voting since I was 18 years old. I’m in my 70s now. I’ve never missed the chance to vote on anything and everything, and I have voted for all parties in that period of time, but predominantly Liberal, because my view on liberalism is that it’s sort of the middle of the road, a group that tries to find a way to get things done for the betterment of the province or the country and tries to avoid extremes on either side, the far left or the far right. So that’s where my comfort zone is.”

But he supported Brian Peckford back into the 80s, he added.

“Even though I was basically a Liberal, I thought that the Conservative government of the province was doing the right thing at the time and why wouldn’t you vote to support that?”

On who he felt would make a better Prime Minister this go ‘round, Grimes politely takes a pass.

“I’ll leave it there. Everyone has their own opinion. I’m more of an observer and a bystander now and I’m not trying to sway anybody else’s vote or opinion.”

His thoughts on Justin Trudeau?

“I think he’s performed admirably under the circumstances he’s had. He’s gotten himself into some trouble a couple of times over personal issues, but not over big policy issues that define what kind of country Canada is. So, I’m not dissatisfied with Trudeau’s performance at all.”

We ask if, in his lifetime, there’s been a top Prime Minister.

“Jean Chrétien comes to mind for one because of the fact that he was so down to earth. He was a real person in a very important job and I think that he did some remarkable things over a 10 year career. And back earlier than that,   when I was a young fellow finishing high school and starting university, I was impressed with Lester Pearson as a great statesman and an internationally acclaimed leader. I think he gave the country credibility on the global stage and I was impressed with that as a young fellow back in the day.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Grimes reflects on some of the past individuals we’ve sent to Ottawa.

“Someone like a Jack Pickersgill. It was obvious that he took his role as the provincial minister in a federal cabinet very seriously, and engaged in all of the discussions about every topic that might have some impact on Newfoundland and Labrador. Don Jamieson too. John Crosbie, I think, would be the cream of the crop in terms of having so much influence in a cabinet with Brian Mulroney. Newfoundland and Labrador is a changed place because of the offshore oil and the kinds of things that John Crosbie was in a position and had enough wits about him and had a lot of support built up that he could deliver for Newfoundland and Labrador at the federal level. He punched way above his weight.”

Most importantly this election, vote!

“Most people didn’t even bother to get excited enough or weren’t concerned enough or didn’t have the opportunity, to vote for whom they wanted to lead the province for the next four years. And I hope that doesn’t happen federally, because it can make a difference.”

To learn more about Seamus O’Regan, click here. To browse all of our election 2021 coverage, including extended versions of our magazine features, click here

Jack Harris, the current New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for St. John’s East, admits he still harbours some shock at his loss in the 2015 election in an upset to Liberal candidate Nick Whalen. That unplanned four-year sit-out was tough, he shared honestly.

“I wasn’t prepared. I wasn’t done,” he said as we chatted on a bench in Bannerman Park.

In May 2019, Harris successfully sought the NDP nomination for St. John’s East for that year’s federal election and defeated Whalen, regaining his old seat. He was, he shared, back in his comfort zone once again.

Now, as Mary Shortall prepares to take over the reins, Harris shared it’s the right time. “I’ve decided that I’ve had an active political life. I’ve done 26 years if you total up the cumulative federal and provincial time. I think that’s a good run and I’ve made my contribution,” he said with a grin.

’A NICE CHANGE’

As for what he’s planning? Maybe a book if he feels up to it when the time comes to reflect, or maybe he’ll just take some time to smell the roses, he said.

“I’m at a time in life that it’s time to let me look at other things that I would be interested in doing or things that I had put off. Or maybe I’ll just enjoy what people called retirement. I suppose not having the obligations that come with an active, fully engaged political life might be different for me, but it also might be a nice change.”It has to be asked. Does he feel like he’s accomplished what he set out to do back in the early days? Any thoughts as he reflects on how the NDP never made stronger gains in the province?

POSSIBLE PRIME MINISTER

“It’s all very interesting. When you look back to when I was first considering running in 1987, when I ran for the first time, the New Democratic Party had only ever won one federal seat before and that was in the West Coast. So the prospect of that kind of success (being the first NDP premier) or even the prospect of having a long term political career as a New Democrat in Newfoundland and Labrador wasn’t an obvious solution to long-term employment,” he offered, again with a grin.

Considering the full political career he has had, it’s quite telling. There obviously was a place for Harris – and the NDP – in NL politics.

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“When you think about it and I think anyone who knows and understands politics and political thinking, most New Democrats actually think like the most Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. What they see government being, what they feel the role of government and the importance of government is and the kind of things they want government to provide.” But, he continued, NL’s political history with Confederation and the things that came with it via the ruling Liberal Party; the social programs, for instance, led to the landscape we have.

We ask who he felt the best NDP leader was that he’s worked?

“I worked with great leaders. When I was first elected in 1987, Ed Broadbent was the leader. Then when I was elected again in 2008 federally, I was with Jack Layton. Jack was a great friend of mine and he was a great leader of the party, and we just had the tenth anniversary of his of his death on the 22nd of August. I think many would say and others would agree that if Jack Layton had lived, he very possibly could have become Prime Minister.”

PARTY OR THE PERSON?

But there’s been many strong leaders, he continued.

“Under Thomas Mulcair, we were … the official opposition. He was a great opposition leader. But we heard the true goal in 2013 while on the campaign was for voters to get rid of Harper, essentially. So that’s what got Trudeau in.”

And now? Jagmeet Singh is “coming into his own,” Harris says.

“He’s reaching people. People understand the great authentic empathy that he has. I think that’s a very big asset and he’s very focused. I think he’s got a lot of great qualities and he would make a great Prime Minister.”

We ask, traditionally, if Newfoundland & Labradorians vote for the person or the party. Both, he answered. “Speaking for St. John’s East, they want to see somebody who’s engaged at the national level, who speaks out for the province. Someone who has something to say. And I think that’s important. But the party is important, too in terms of the values.”

How important is it to have different voices at the federal table, a mix of all parties?

“We now have six Liberals representing Newfoundland and Labrador and one New Democrat. If we were to have seven of any one party, even seven New Democrats this time out, it would not be a good thing. When you have people on the government side, who can speak out?” The “good thing” about those elected from this province, he added, is that they make their voices heard.

UNFAIR NL TREATMENT

Harris mentions the vote in The House surrounding his private members’ motion on a federal dental care plan. Some of our provincial Liberal MPs voted to support the plan, essentially voting against their own party’s stance.

“The Liberal caucus voted against it. The Conservative caucus voted against it … but there were four out of the six Newfoundland MPs that voted for it. That signals how important it was to our province, and it didn’t matter what the party’s stance was.”

Harris reflects on “some of the greats” in federal politics. “John Crosbie’s ability to work within the federal system to get things going – he was a great politician. When we dealt with the disaster in 1992 of the cod moratorium and the need for a TAGs program, John Crosbie was able to be there and that wasn’t a favour from the government of Canada. We needed someone strong in Ottawa to help deliver that. Jack Pickersgill, of course. Joey (Smallwood) was smart to get Jack because he knew how the system worked. But no government of Canada has treated Newfoundland fairly, in my view.”

As we prepare to leave the park, one last question. Now what? “I’ll be unwinding a little bit. When you’re involved in politics at any level, really, you’re on call. You respond to people’s needs and respond to requests for comments. I was on Bell Island yesterday helping out our candidate, Mary Shortall, and I had to pause at the end of a busy day and sit on a park bench in front of the ferry to do an interview with someone in Vancouver for a national news report.”

So, once the election is over, he’s ready to rest, he added. “I’m of an age where most people do other things instead of being … on your game all the time. I see other things that I can do more of in terms of hobbies or pastimes or maybe I’ll sit down and trying to figure out whether I should write something about this life I’ve lived. But I don’t know.”

But he’s not really ever going to be done with politics on some level, he admitted with a somewhat sheepish grin.

“I see myself still being very interested in all things political, even if at a distance. Like, say from this park bench.”

To browse all of our election 2021 coverage, including extended versions of our magazine features, click here

Lorraine Michael took the pandemic lock-down in stride, she shared when we sat in her home to talk federal politics and election 2021.  With the Confederation Building steps away, and a glorious garden beckoning through the glass, it’s easy to see how Michael could enjoy some downtime.

‘I FELT PRIVILEGED’

After a long career in politics, with many ups and downs – from a cancer battle to caucus revolts to being named the most preferred political party leader in Canada – Michael said she enjoyed walking and talking to people who, while she was an in-demand politician and party leader, never gave her the time of day.

“I felt privileged. I have all the resources I need. I had nothing to worry about, except that I wanted to be very strict about not getting COVID because at 78 years old that would not have been good. But I was fine, and that’s the difference between having resources and not having resources. For a lot of people I know it was a horrible time.”That’s why elections, be they federal or provincial or municipal, matter, she added.

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She’s a little worried that there doesn’t seem to me much interest – yet.“I think the majority of people whom I’ve spoken with, even casually, are saying we shouldn’t be having this election.”

Looking at what’s happened in other provinces with low voter turnout – from British Columbia to Nova Scotia – Michael fears the same will happen federally.

“Delta’s (COVID variant) going crazy so I think it’s going to affect the overall vote in the country. I think the change in the poll that’s happening right now (drop in Liberal support) might be an indicator that people are not happy with the decision to hold an election.”

‘WONDERFUL LEADER’

While Michael added she hoped some of the NDP upswing was due to federal leader Jagmeet Singh, for her, there’s little doubt he is ready for the big job.

“I think he’s a wonderful leader. He’s a caring person. He comes across as someone who certainly understands people’s lives,” she said.

Still, it always seems that voters sway between red and blue.  “People insist on this thing that it’s either Liberal or Conservative, even though Liberals don’t deliver on what they say they’re going to deliver and the Conservatives right now are the most right wing Conservatives we’ve ever had. So I don’t know where people’s heads are … I wish people would really think about where their vote is going.”

‘THE SILENT SIX’

Do voters want labour issues raised in the House of Commons? Do they want the concerns of workers raised in the House of Commons? If yes, then there’s one choice, she added.

Always a straight shooter, Michael is forthright in her stance on politics, and politicians. On the six Liberals currently elected to represent the province?

“Oh, I think they’re proving to the province that not having political diversity is a bad thing. I think they’re called the silent six, aren’t they? And the silent six, I think, is exactly what they’ve been. When it comes to the needs of the people of this province and speaking out for the needs of the people in this province, six Liberals are not doing it.”

Strong voices are needed, she continued. “Historically, when a Prime Minister is paying any attention to us, it’s when we’ve had a strong voice in Ottawa, whether a Liberal or a Tory. John Crosbie, for example, comes to mind. When Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister and we got the Atlantic Accord, it was because the premier (Brian Peckford)we had and the people in Ottawa were supporting our premier. Brian Peckford was like a bulldog and he wasn’t going to give up and Brian Mulroney finally did deliver.”

So having a strong voice in Ottawa is really important, she continued.

“The silent six are showing that they’re not effective for us. I think Jack Harris has shown that having him in Ottawa has been good in terms of raising issues that we’re concerned about. But it’s not healthy having just one party represented from a province. Opposition is really important in our democratic system.”

Of course, Michael is respectful of anyone who answers the political calling, she added, but you don’t have to be on the government’s side to make an impression. “It’s important for all voices to be heard. And we, I think, have to move away from believing that you only have a voice if you’re a member of the party with the majority.”

THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

If a minority government is the will of the people, let it be so, she continued.

As for the polls, Michael shared she’s skeptical. “In recent times, we see that the polls are not being accurate so from that perspective, they’re less important. While they can be indicators they have to be taken with a grain of salt.”

We ask if any Prime Minister, in her opinion, has been fair to Newfoundland and Labrador. “Brian Mulroney because of the pressures from Brian Tobin. I am not sure anybody else has been really kind to Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Michael brings up Muskrat Falls. Even the fact that the feds supported that was poor politics.

“Ottawa agreed to the loan guarantee without seeing red flags that were clearly there. Now, some would say that wasn’t Ottawa’s responsibility … but … I think Ottawa had a responsibility to really study what they were saying yes to. Ottawa, in my books, is a partner in what’s happening in Muskrat Falls.”

Michael had an interesting time in politics, of that there’s little doubt. When times were tough, support got her through. “I’m a strong feminist and I know how to surround myself with the support that I need and that support was always there even at the hardest of times.”

Michael has been helping Mary Shortall’s campaign, making calls and doing what she can to assist. There’s a personal and a political reason to that. Besides helping a fellow NDPer, there’s also the woman factor as well.

“I want to encourage women to go into politics, but also, when we go into politics, be ourselves. Continue being what we believe in.”

Michael added she will remain positive that voters will get out on election day. She also shared she hopes to see a few Newfoundland New Democrats heading to Ottawa.

‘WE NEED INTEGRITY’

“I’ve known Mary for over 30 years … and she’s a woman of integrity. And we need integrity in Ottawa. We need integrity in politics. Amy Norman in Labrador, she is another amazing young woman and it would be very interesting to see what could happen there. Amy is a person who has principles and she, too, is a person of integrity.”

Michael thinks back to the moment she herself decided to run for the leadership of the provincial NDP. Jack Harris had just announced he would be stepping down, and right there, in the midst of his press conference, she made the decision.

“I literally said, ‘I think the time has come. Who’s going to run? I’m going to run,’ and just like that, I became a politician. So that was that. There was no looking back.”

To browse all of our election 2021 coverage, including extended versions of our magazine features, click here