Wishing John Efford a Fond Farewell

John Efford, Canada’s representative in Newfoundland and Labrador, announced publicly yesterday afternoon that he will not be running in the next federal election. The dishonorable member also stated that this decision was open to change if his health improved over the next few months, which is double speak for determining if his popularity rating can be improved in the province during that time.

Who does Mr. Efford think he’s fooling? It’s quite clear to anyone who has any interest in politics in Newfoundland and Labrador, that John Efford, who has never lost an election, is running scared. He knows that his total sell out of the province while in Ottawa has not gone unnoticed and that his chances of winning in the next election are 50 /50 at best.

It’s time for Mr. Efford to do, for once in his life, what he has said he will do. If his intention is to retire then he should do it. Many in the province would love him to do it, not the least of which are members of the provincial Liberal party, which has been divided and weakened ever since a rift developed during the Efford/Grimes leadership campaign a few years ago.

One member of the local party has even been quoted as saying the party would never heal until both Grimes and Efford were out of politics forever and the feeling is that with the retirement of Mr. Grimes it was “one down and one to go”.

Mr. Efford, like many of his counterparts today and during the history of this province’s life in Canada, has done nothing to represent this province. Once elected, they have become Ottawa’s representatives in Newfoundland and Labrador rather than the province’s representatives in Ottawa.

In all honesty, it would be just as well if the voters of this province boycotted the next election altogether and didn’t send a single candidate to Parliament. We wouldn’t get any less representation and at least it would send a clear message to the federal government that we have had enough.