Battle of the blands

By Ivan Morgan

What’s a John Hogan?
A clever person asked me this the other day, only half in jest. Funny? Sure. Perhaps a little disrespectful too, but her question underscores what I see as one of the few problems the new Liberal leader faces.
We have a new premier, if anyone was noticing. No one knows him.
When Furey resigned for whatever reason (does anyone actually care?) the provincial Liberals held a lacklustre leadership race, and they overwhelmingly chose Hogan as their new leader, and possibly ours.
As usual, I watched the “debate” between Hogan and contender John Abbot hosted by CBC TV, so you didn’t have to.
I have been watching political debates for decades. I have prepared candidates for debates. I have written detailed briefing books for candidates to use in debates. I have grilled candidates before debates to get them up to speed.
But never, in the 40 plus years I have been involved in these things, have I ever, ever seen a more boring, colorless, bland – dare I say pointless – exercise. The moderator, Carolyn Stokes, was her usual fabulous self, but armed with the most insipid questions, and flanked by those two, what was she to do? She’s a moderator, not a magician.
Hogan was certainly prettier than Abbott. Nice suit. Good hair, blah blah. Pretty shouldn’t matter but it’s why I am a print journalist – you don’t want to see my mug while you’re trying to eat your supper. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. Hogan was clearly more polished, but we learned nothing about him.
When the Liberals had their convention, Hogan cleaned his opponent’s clock. Eighty percent of the 14,000 participating chose him. He’s their leader. They seemed to like him.
His challenge? When to call an election?
Some may recall many years ago Roger Grimes’ nasty brawl with John Efford for the Liberal leadership after then Premier Brian Tobin quit to spend more time with the wife and kids. Grimes won, but that racket split the party.
Grimes ruled as premier with no electoral mandate for almost three years. Then Opposition leader Danny Williams was forced to sit in opposition seething. So pissed was Danny at Grimes for not going to the polls that when he eventually won, he passed legislation forcing newly elected leaders of any governing party to call an election within a year. Not, however, during the last year of a four-year mandate, which is where Hogan finds himself. The legislation also fixed an election date every fourth year, which happens to be October 14. So, Hogan is not legally obliged to call an election yet.
What’s a lad to do? He can immediately call an election – which is what I would do – and what I think is the honourable, if not prudent, thing to do.
He can call it after the budget, all ready to go this month.
Or he can wait for the date already fixed in legislation, claim he is only following the rules, and reap some free press from the budget and the Canada Summer Games. That would give us all a chance to get to know him – which may or may not be a good thing.
What he doesn’t have to worry much about is the Opposition. There’s no Danny Williams waiting in the wings. Back then Grimes watched Danny get more popular every day, while he just kept putting off the inevitable – waiting for a miracle which never came.
It was clear that when the writ dropped, Danny would win big, and Roger would be tossed out. Grimes eventually called an election. Danny won big and Grimes was tossed out.
Today’s Opposition poses no such threat. Regular readers know I have no great love for them. Not because they are Tories, but because they are boring. Predictable. Unimaginative.
The Progressive Conservative party of this province owes us more. Passionate opposition is good for the process. It’s good for the Liberals. It’s good for all of us. It’s nowhere to be found.
Williams and his gang had fire in their bellies. There was outrage in the air every time the House was open, every time a camera was pointed, every time an issue arose. They were chomping at the bit.
This crowd? I doubt they are keeping Hogan awake at night. Not enough fire and a little too much belly.
Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com