The Search for Intelligent Life Continues

I sincerely hope that if aliens ever launch a probe searching for life on this little planet of ours they don’t accidentally scan the Liberal party of Newfoundland and Labrador. If they do I doubt they’ll find anything even resembling intelligent life there. I live in the province and even from this close vantage point I can’t find any, not lately anyway.

I know the Liberals are far more accustomed to holding power in the legislature than they are to sitting on the opposition bench but is that any reason to give up all sense of reality? As things now stand, the Williams government is enjoying a solid majority that's likely to become even more solid after the next election. There may be many reasons for that but I’m starting to believe it’s at least partly due to the ramblings of Liberal leader Gerry Reid and the severe mental breakdown happening inside the Liberal party.

Whether you support the current PC government or not, the fact of the matter is that a strong government, of any stripe, needs strong opposition. An opposition that can ensure things are done properly and that nothing slips through the cracks. Unfortunately the Liberals have abdicated that duty. They’ve effectively left the real job of opposition up to the only sane voice around these days, the understandably lonely leader of the provincial NDP party, Ms. Loraine Michael.

Ever since accepting the leadership of the Liberal party from an inept and aging Roger Grimes, Gerry (cry me a river) Reid, has done nothing but bitch and moan about anything and everything the government is doing. There are those who will say, “…but Myles, that’s the job of the opposition party to “Oppose” right?” Wrong.

The job of an effective opposition is to ensure that the government of the day is held accountable for its actions, that the best possible results come from legislation under consideration and, where possible, to move its own agenda forward under difficult conditions. It isn’t simply a matter of taking a contrary stand whether it makes sense to do so or not. That approach to debate is best left to the kids in the school yard.

The latest example of Liberal idiocy came last week when the provincial government rejected a proposal by Hibernia management to move forward with the so called “South Hibernia” oil field. Never mind that government hasn’t squashed the idea of development but is simply asking for clarification on some issues, Gerry Reid once again saw this as an opportunity to spout off anyway.

One of the answers government is looking for is whether or not the companies involved intend to pull oil from this new area at the expense of the existing Hibernia well. As the level of available oil in the existing Hibernia field dwindles it becomes more troublesome and expensive to extract and the government is looking for assurances that the intention is not to leave that valuable oil in the ground while going after the cheaper oil in the south, a reasonable question in my book.

Even putting aside whether or not government’s decision is the right one, from a purely political perspective Gerry Reid and the entire Liberal party has become suicidal and hell bent on destroying any chance of holding onto the few seats they have left. The saddest thing is that neither Gerry nor his merry band of grits seems to see the harm they’re doing to themselves.

It’s clear that most people of the province support the government’s move with Hibernia. Right or wrong, they support it. A recent “question of the day” posed by provincial radio station (VOCM) asked this very question and (though not a scientific result) the answers received show that about 90% of respondents agree with the stand taken by government. In fact NOIA, a group made up of companies supplying the offshore oil industry itself doesn’t have any issue with the move. Why then would the Liberals, under Gerry Reid’s watch, continue to shout from the rooftops that it will send a bad message to the poor mistreated oil companies?

Not only is Gerry showing a total lack of intelligence from the perspective of protecting provincial interests he’s also displaying a complete lack of political savvy. Here’s a lesson for you Gerry, if you oppose a stand that 90% of the population supports it's highly unlikely to translate into a lot of votes when the polls open in October. For heaven’s sake, I know you guys are disappointed and maybe even a little dejected about losing the last election but that was then and this is now. There’s another election looming on the horizon. It’s time to get over yourselves and get on with doing the job you’re being paid to do. Show at least one grain of sense before it’s too late.

By all means speak out when you feel something is going wrong. Speak out when you have an agenda item that deserves attention, but also work with the current government when the stars align and you agree on specific issues. Finally, for the good of the province get over this idea that if it comes from Danny Williams mouth you have to no option but to oppose it. Life’s too short Gerry and the window of opportunity we have in this province to ensure our collective survival is narrowing more with every passing day.