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Topsail – Paradise hopeful talking ‘Alliance’

By Mark Squibb | Vol. 32 No. 7 (May 1 2019)

Lori Best-Moore said that she herself was skeptical of the NL Alliance party at first.


“I was skeptical before I even read the guidelines. Because I am traditional, and I have been ping-ponging back and forth between the Liberals and the PC’s myself, in my voting history,” said Best.


“I had a look at it, and I felt like there was an alignment there. I do like the idea of not having to tow the party line and I like the idea of including the people of Newfoundland in the decision making.”


She admitted that she briefly toyed with the idea of running for the PC Party this time, and even discussed a couple of possible districts in which to run, but that the campaign would have been too cost prohibitive for an average, blue collar worker.


“They were talking about $20,000 to $30,000 to run a viable, successful campaign. I don’t have money like that,” she said.


Instead, Best-Moore finds herself running against one of the PC party’s new heavyweights, Paul Dinn, who won the seat just three months ago in a by-election, going on to quickly establish himself as one of the party’s better performers in the House of Assembly. But she doesn’t sound daunted.
The administrative assistant at the Health Sciences Centre, said her first foray into politics was helping to arrange a 2016 rally at St. John’s Confederation Building to protest the controversial 2016 Liberal budget, a rally attended by members of CUPE, NAPE, and former PC Premier Paul Davis.


She told The Shoreline she is not the typical candidate.


“I’m not a politician, I’m a blue collar worker,” she said. “When I go door to door, I let people know I’m the best person for the job. I’m aggressive, I’m outspoken — sometimes to my detriment I’ll give it that… I have to decrease my social media time because I have opinions, and I’m not afraid to express my opinions.”


She has also protested library closures, Muskrat Falls costs, and rate hikes, and assured that she would represent the people over the party.
“If my constituents say they want me to vote a certain way, hey, that’s what my constituents say. And if it’s against what my party agrees with or wants, then so be it,” said Best-Moore.


“I’m not going to lie to you. If there is something that I don’t know, I’m going to tell you.”


She said the newly formed NL Alliance, which was recognized as an official party on April 12, just a month before the May 16 election, is like no other political party in the province.


“It’s not a party per se,” she said. “It’s an alliance. It’s a bunch of people working together for the betterment of Newfoundland and Labrador and Newfoundland and Labradorians.”


In less than two weeks since it’s April 12 recognition as a registered party, it had managed to field nine candidates for this month’s election. The Liberals have a full slate of 40 candidates, while there are 39 for the PCs, 14 NDP candidates, and nine independents.


“We might be newer, but we’re not fewer,” said Best-Moore.


She thinks success for the NL Alliance lies with voters who have grown tired and disillusioned with both the PC and Liberal parties and are looking for change.


“For 70 years we’ve had the PC’s and the Liberals, and what has that done for us?” said


Best-Moore. “I’m not going to split the vote, I’m winning the vote.”


Best-Moore is the Executive Director of Newfound Foundation, a pediatric charity, since 2005, and has served as secretary — treasurer with the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association.


Other NL Alliance candidates have stepped forward in St. George’s – Humber, Baie Verte – Green Bay, Terra Nova, Harbour Main, Mount Pearl North, Conception Bay South, Cape St. Francis and Mount Scio.
squibb@theshoreline.ca

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