Where is Rick Mercer when you need him?

By Roger Bill

Feeling underwhelmed by the choices in this year’s provincial election? You’re probably not alone.
If you want to vote for the Opposition, then maybe you should vote for the journalists reporting on provincial affairs. For example, on September 12 Patrick Butler of Radio-Canada reported that the provincial government’s 10-year education action plan contained sources that don’t exist. The provincial PC Party website says, “Tony Wakeham and the PC Team are Ready to Work,” but it looks like Patrick Buter did all the work.
Another example? On September 2, Renell LeGrow of the business news service allnewfoundlandlabrador.com reported that one of the members of the Churchill Falls independent oversight panel, Michael Wilson, had quit in May. Mr. Wilson claimed the panel’s independence was “impaired.” LeGrow had gotten a heavily redacted copy of Michael Wilson’s resignation letter via an access to information request. PC Leader Tony Wakeham was silent. It fell to the Deputy Opposition House Leader to say, “The people of Newfoundland and Labrador are tired of secrets.”
Another example? There is no shortage. In July Rob Antle and Terry Roberts of CBC reported that the Liberal Cabinet had voted to give outgoing cabinet members a “transitional allowance” beginning in April. Neither Members of the Cabinet nor the Executive Council said when the decision was made, but Premier John Hogan said he wasn’t at the cabinet meeting (whenever it was) where the additional severance was approved. In the lead-up to the provincial election Premier Hogan cancelled the Cabinet Members’ parting gift. PC Leader Tony Wakeham said it was, “scandalous.” But we didn’t learn about anything “scandalous” from the PCs. We learned about it from a couple of CBC reporters.
One more example and that’s it.
The Liberal government claimed its shirt sponsorship of a professional British football team triggered about 50,000 daily visits to the government’s Home Awaits immigration internet site. In November 2024, The Shoreline reported that the Liberal government’s claim was bull poo. The real number was about 700 daily visits and only, on average, about 27 a day originated in the U.K. The Shoreline story was the result of a simple freedom of information request. PC Leader Tony Wakeham called the sponsorship “ridiculous” when it was announced in July 2024, but it took the initiative of this community paper to prove it.
What is consistent in these illustrations is that it was Patrick Buter, Renell LeGrow, Rob Antle, and Terry Roberts who were doing the work, the heavy lifting, that one would expect from the Opposition Party in Newfoundland and Labrador. What has Tony Wakeham’s party told you that you didn’t already know? Did the PCs discover that the travel nurses’ program was a $241 million mess? No, that was the office of the provincial Auditor General.
THE CHOICES?
One choice in this election seems to be an ambitious former cabinet minister who claims he doesn’t know his colleagues secretly voted themselves an exit bonus. John Hogan would also have you believe he did not see the resignation letter of a disgruntled member of the Churchill Falls independent oversight panel. The disgruntled former member of the oversight panel, Michael Wilson, has asked Mr. Hogan to release the resignation letter. So far, Mr. Hogan has refused to release it while all the time saying he is committed to transparency.
The other choice is the Leader of the PC Party whose team of PC Members in the House of Assembly seem to have been more spectators than players when it comes to holding the government accountable.
Or, the NDP? Many find the NDP to be a welcome voice in the legislature, but a win for them is holding St. John’s Centre, Labrador West, and recovering St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi.
Don’t like the choices on the menu? Where is Rick Mercer when you need him?