Those in the personal employ of the premier are in jobs with an expiry date of September 2015.
(As food companies occasionally explain, an expiry date is not the same as a “best before” date. Paul’s best-before date passed before he was even packaged.)
The PCs are headed for certain defeat in the next general election, whether it is held in fall 2015 or spring 2015 or the day before Christmas 2014.
But that can’t be the worst part of being in the premier’s employ. The worst would be when he asks you, “What should I do now?”
There isn’t anyone on the planet — let alone in Newfoundland (or Labrador) — wise enough to give Davis advice that could save his sorry destiny of electoral decimation.
Davis has said his administration will listen to the people. This is yet another extremely bad move — not that he’s going to listen to the people, but that he needed to say he would listen to the people. Governments say they are going to listen to the people only when they haven’t been listening to the people.
He can’t like what he’s been hearing. Since June 2013, there have been seven byelections in the province. The Liberals have won all seven. Apparently, the people don’t want to be governed by the Tories anymore.
Paul? Paul? He’s not listening.
Fast Ball
The Liberals’ 7-0 streak in recent byelections gives them unofficial status as government-in-waiting. It doesn’t matter when Davis calls an election. He will be out and Liberal Leader Dwight Ball will be in.
Davis underlings must dread being asked advice by the premier.
“When should I call the election?”
“Doesn’t matter, boss. You’re horsemeat.”
Anyone who doubts the demise of the Tories need only look at the numbers. The 0-7 PC record in those byelections is instructive, and even more so is the percentages of the total vote garnered by each party.
Of the total votes cast in those seven byelections, the Liberal party received 53 per cent.
It is an amount eerily similar to what the Tories received in the 2011 general election that kept them in office — 56.1 per cent.
The Tories’ share of the total vote in the seven byelections was 35.3 per cent — a whopping 20.8 per cent drop from their 2011 general election numbers. Ask any student — a 20 per cent drop means there’s going to be big trouble when you get home.
The challenge for the PCs isn’t retaining power. Their challenge is to avoid being wiped out, and elect enough members to be a respectable opposition (and in that single regard, the Tories’ interests and the people’s interests coincide).
Cop out
Any Davis devotee pondering better pastures should bypass the NDP. It’s no party over there, either.
Employees of NDP Leader Lorraine Michael must also dread being asked, “What should I do now?”
“It doesn’t matter, boss. You’re …” etc.
The NDP’s share of the total vote in the seven byelections was a dismal 11.7 per cent. Contrast that with the party’s share of the general election vote in 2011: 24.6 per cent.
Three years ago, the NDP seemed to be a realistic alternative, if not to the Tories as a government, at least to the Liberals as an official opposition.
As is often the case with lefties, they couldn’t enjoy a good thing without wrecking it, in this case with last year’s ill-advised caucus revolt via email.
Ball and the Liberals aren’t boasting. Of course they’re not. Say nothing and take office — an astute strategy. Only when the Liberals take power will the people find out what Ball is thinking.
Brian Jones is a desk editor at The Telegram. He can be reached at [email protected].
