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EVASIVE RODNEY AND THE GREEN SHOWBOATS |
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Written by By Alex J.Walling
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Saturday, 03 June 2006 |
On the evasive Rodney and those Green Party Showboats.
By Alex J.Walling
 Sorry, Mr. Premier but your failure to talk or to avoid the Ernie Fage fiasco is going to cost you what you want, a majority and maybe the election.
Mr. Premier, the public pays your salary and that of Mr. Fage and has the right to know what happened? Your refusal to deal or even acknowledge the question shows contempt to the public.
That Fage issue, for me, was the most poignant part of the TV leader’s debate the other night. And I wish Francis MacKenzie hadn’t butt in when NDP leader Darrell Dexter had the premier on the ropes. That could have been the knockout point everyone was looking for.
Perhaps I’m wrong but I want my leader to lead. I want him to be effective and I certainly want him to answer questions not show me his skill in avoiding or evading them.
By the way, why do we have only one debate? And why was it so short, a simple one hour? Shouldn’t we at least get a decent chance to hear the views on the major issues that affect us? And that cannot be done in 60 minutes (less than that if we take the time for the beginning, the rules, etc).
I spoke to Darrell Dempster the morning after the debate (on radio station Seaside FM) and even he wasn’t overly pleased with the format. “You are asked to sum up the province’s economic picture in a minute and that is not enough time,” is what he told me.
Nova Scotians should understand that we only have a single debate because that is what the man in charge, the avoid-the-questions-premier MacDonald wants, and since he calls the shots, that’s the way it goes, regrettably. And after watching him waffle for the past few months, I am sure, if he could, he wouldn’t have any.
There is a glaring weakness to this man’s game and it is becoming more visible daily. He simply won’t take a stand and leads the nation in generalities and platitudes.
Yea, yea, yea, I know you’re for families, sir. Please tell me, what politician isn’t?
And after the debate we know the premier is ‘proud’, proud of this and that but I don’t know about any specifics. I don’t know what you stand for. I expect more from my leader or do these guys really think Nova Scotians are that dumb and will vote in a guy who says nothing but simply smiles.
But getting back to the evasiveness bit; I caught CBC reporter Paul Withers on the Rick (Howitzer) Howe open line show CJCH radio on Friday. He was one of the two people, Marilla Stephenson, of the Herald being the other, who questioned (grilled?) the leaders in that debate or was it debacle.
Howe asked the CBC veteran about the premier not directly answering questions and I found his answer very interesting when he said: “I’m accustomed to not having my questions answered by politicians but the average person isn’t.”
It was the ‘average person’ who watched Rodney MacDonald, time and time again refusing to answer the question on ‘why did Ernie Fage resign’? I don’t think the average person was impressed. How can you be when the guy who wants to lead the province can’t answer a direct question?
Why don’t politicians answer questions? I know why but I don’t like it and the longer I stay in this business the more I detest it. As one very media savvy person told me on the day of the debate, as the backroom boys were ‘training their boys’, especially the premier on how to handle the questions.
The answer this person told me is ‘you train or coach your candidate to answer in the way that gives you the best advantage’. Not the answer, not the truth but to the best advantage of the person answering the question.
That’s how it’s done.
Answering the question is no longer important. In fact the real good ones will acknowledge the person asking the question, may even talk about it for a few seconds, before they hit their ‘message track’.
Here’s an example: If you asked a finance minister ‘Why are we so much in debt?” You are apt to get the following: “Thank you very much for your question and it is very important to Nova Scotians and I understand your concern on the debt. You’ll be glad to know that our party is making plans to alleviate that by doing such, and such.” Bottom line is, your question never gets answered.
In some cases the person refuses even to deal with the subject such as MacDonald and the ‘why did Ernie Fage resign’ bit and his stand pat answer is ‘I’m here to talk about the future not the past’.
Sorry, Mr. Premier, that is not good enough. I want leadership not excuses and I don’t expect you to be perfect but would like honesty. So if Fage blew it, say so, and you’ll be forgiven as it was not on your watch but on John Hamm’s. Honesty, not evasiveness wins votes.
Mr. Premier the public pays your salary and that of Mr. Fage and we have the right to know what happened? Your refusal to deal or even acknowledge the question shows contempt to the public and I believe they will reciprocate come June 13.
I want to be impressed by the man who leads my province, the person who will be the showcase in national if not international conversations with other political and world leaders. I’m sorry but all I’m getting is some pretty boy, (John Kennedy type of look a like) with a blazer look but no substance.
I repeat no substance! A lot like Brian Mulroney who had tons of style but little substance and I believe had the lowest approval rating when he left (something like 9%).
Yes, Rodney MacDonald is young and very youthful looking. Is that enough to have the top job in the province?
Most who run for this high office talk about their ‘experience and accomplishments’ as a minister of the crown.
I don’t hear this guy talk about his accomplishments in those portfolios of tourism and immigration. Apparently there was not much success in those portfolios or you would be hearing the message. Heck, we never had a chance in the debate to discuss those two portfolios. I am sure Rodney was pleased.
Right now Rodney MacDonald is the man in charge and we know so little about what he is about. He says he wants his own mandate but gives us nothing of substance to judge him buy.
I don’t buy it and this started when he told us about a budget but wouldn’t pass it. So in other words he used the budget as a political tool for his purpose and that is not right. And he is still doing so as the main points of his ‘un-passed budget’ are plastered as a campaign promise on his website.
Is a premier allowed to use the legislature and table a budget for election purposes? Isn’t that an unfair advantage?
He blew it by not passing the budget which had NDP support and was therefore guaranteed to be approved.
Why didn’t he?
As I said, elusive, avoiding questions and evasive. I believe Nova Scotians expect more from their leader.
GIVE UP THE GREEN!
I think I like the Green Party. I say that because I really don’t know what they stand for. Who does?
They show up, both federally and provincially, just around election time and then make news because the TV networks don’t allow, federally and provincially, their leaders to participate.
Of course they should be denied a spot on the debate. Denied, until they can show some form of consistency. Where are they once the election is over? Where were they when the Tories had their leadership race and elected MacDonald? Where were they some 18 months ago when Francis MacKenzie was crowned to replace Danny Graham?
Where are they when the government is debating in the house? Even though they don’t have a seat in the Legislature they can make their comments known to the media? They have not.
Other than Kyoto where and what do they stand for?
God knows but the rest of us don’t.
Nick Wright, the Green leader, went moaning and groaning, bitching and complaining to the media that his democratic rights were being violated in not being allowed to get in on the leaders debate.
What a hot dog?
I’m sure Nova Scotians remember that other great party, the Nova Scotia Party? Whatever happened to them as they were here, or so I was told, ‘for the long run’?
I want to learn more about the Greens but all I see and hear about them is around election time.
In fact their platform comes out in a few days. The election will be over in around a week and these Green birds haven’t got their platform yet!
Get organized and get serious before you are taken seriously.
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