Rating the Party's Election Platforms.
Well folks, the Newfoundland and Labrador election is underway. Who knows what the next few weeks will bring but one thing is clear from a quick web search today.
The Williams (PC) team seems the most organized and on the ball with addressing key election issues. Everything from Culture to Education, Energy to Elder Care, Labrador Issues to Health. All in all there are some pretty good intiatives peppered throughout their platform document, if they are implemented that is.
As I mentioned, a quick web scan today led me to a crisp new copy of the PC Blue Book:
http://www.pcparty.nf.net/blueprint2007.pdf
The Reid (Liberal) team looks to be playing catch up and scrambling for anything to grab onto. That perception wasn't helped by seeing Gerry Reid on a fishing boat yesterday. Maybe he was looking for a life preserver.
The Liberal "Red Sheet of Paper" appears to be little more than a press release that promises to reduce licence renewal fees from $180 to $140, something also identifed in the PC Blue Book.
Also, as a quick aside for the folks running the Liberal web site, you might want to update some of your outdated links and actually put someting under the link that is supposed to direct someone to your platform document. Well, for what it's worth, here is the Liberal one pager:
http://www.liberal.nf.net/News_Releases_2007/sept_17_reid_drivers.htm
The Michael (NDP) team has only one player and little chance of scoring. Why do I say this?
On the NDP site I found absolutely nothing. Apparently the last update on the party's site was on the 14th. Nothing since.
Oddly enough the description of the site when I searched Google still says the party is led by Jack Harris. Might want to fix that folks.
No Link provided (Nothing to really link to)
Well, that's how things look on the first full day of the Campaign. With the PC's at an over 70% approval rating and a broad platform firmly in place this could be a long hard few weeks for the Liberals and NDP unless they can get their act together, something they don't seem to be able to do.
It makes me wonder how well these folks might run a province if they can't even run a party or campaign efficiently.
In closing, just as a reference to my previous post (see below), thus far none of the parties have directly commented on the potential for becoming a major part of an Atlantic Gateway Initiative, though some cryptic references to economic diversification and the like were made in the Blue Book. I guess we'll have to wait for Gerry Reid and Lorainne Michael to find a printing press and a webmaster before we find out if they have something to say about that.
By the way, if the Liberals or NDP actually have online copies of their platforms and I missed them, please let me know. I went to the web sites of all three parties and had no success finding anything Red or Orange to present.
Sad but true.
3 comments:
Way to go Patriot!
Right message again.
Sent from my Blackberry Wireless.
Thanks for the comment EM.
The only message intended is one person's veiw of the election to date. Personally I am not a longtime supporter of any particular party, having voted Red, Blue and Orange over the years.
All I can say from my own observations is that the NDP and Liberals really need to get on the ball if they don't want to be wiped out. They cannot (and should not) expect people to vote for them just to provide opposition. That's a ludicrous idea on so many levels.
As for the Atlantic Gateway reference, personally I'd love one of the parties to jump all over that. It has the potential to turn this province around permanently in a way that will benefit people both rural and urban.
Liberal Party Platform can be found at http://www.nlliberals.ca/press/platformchapters.pdf
I found it with Google - typed "Liberal Party of NL" - it was the first hit.
Similarly, the PC Party Platform can be found by typing in "PC Party of NL"
Side by side, my nod goes to the Liberal platform. The tax and fee reductions will impact my family's well being significantly, and there seems to be a real concentration on enabling job creation.
The PC platform seemed to be very general in nature and does not hold anything for me personally, although others (particularly those starting families) may find differently. Current policies of the standing government over the last four years have been very tough on my family with two moving west. I do not see anything in their platform that will stem that tide.
There was no platform from the NDP so I cannot form an opinion.
Everyone is different, decide for yourselves.
Regards
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