Before the legislature opened for the current spring session, Premier Robert Ghiz set the bar low by telling reporters little would be accomplished.
He said his government planned no substantial legislation. Three weeks into the session that is a promise he has so far kept. The premier said the main purpose of gathering at Province House for 20 days or so was to pass a budget. The premier indicated in advance that wouldn’t be a usual election style document with few “goodies” being handed out. Again, he delivered on that score, even raising taxes on the tobacco and alcohol.
Opposition Leader Olive Crane bristled at the suggestion the session would essentially be a “make work” project for the 27 MLAs. As far as she and Montague-Kilmuir MLA Jim Bagnall were concerned, there was plenty of work to be done holding the government’s feet to the fire.. Her caucus was cut by a third just prior to the house session when Michael Currie resigned his Georgetown- St Peters seat to run against incumbent Lawrence MacAulay in Cardigan.
So far, each Question period has followed a predictable script. The Tories resurrect a Liberal promise from one of the two campaigns the premier has wagered so far (he lost to Pat Binns by a 23-4 seat count in 2003 and won by the same margin four years later). Then they ask the premier what has happened on this issue so far, claiming it is simply another in a long line of broken promises. It’s getting to the point now where you expect Crane or Bagnall will soon ask the premier why he broke up with his first girlfriend.
The political landscape does not improve when the premier gets up to answer each question. He maintains his government has met every promise it has made --- in most cases going beyond what they set out to do. He then tells Islanders they have a choice October 3. If you want the good times to continue to roll with a chicken in every pot and an oyster in every stew, he needs to be returned to office. Instead, if you want the rivers to all dry up and a plague of locusts to descend, then vote Tory. Obviously, that is an exaggeration of what the premier is saying, but only a slight one.
Such political wrangling could perhaps be expected since this is the final session before an election. It has certainly happened before, with the only difference being the government of the day always claimed an election was the further thing from their mind right up until the day the writ was dropped.
Question Period is intended to be an opportunity to debate issues of importance to Islanders. If both sides can’t do better, they should pass the budget quickly and head out on the campaign trail early. Islanders may pay less per capita than any other Canadians to run their provincial legislature, but right now they are not getting good value for their money.