rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

Stopping Harper - Newfoundland style

By Dave Coles

The key to blocking a Conservative majority can be seen here in Newfoundland, where I have been for the past two days.  It is a straight forward strategy – challenge Stephen Harper on the issue of trust and leadership, and make it clear to workers who are on their side on the jobs issue.

In Grand Falls, Newfoundland, AbitibiBowater has a restructuring plan that will cost another 170 jobs.  The union opposes this plan, so does Danny Williams and the provincial government.  They have told the company that protecting jobs is the cost of doing business in Newfoundland.

I just left a VOCM radio interview where I took delight in telling Newfoundlanders that Stephen Harper’s position is that there will be no government support for the newsprint industry, and that people who lose their jobs can go to Fort McMurray.

Meanwhile Danny Williams says that he has 43 of 44 provincial Conservative MLAs signed on to his “anything but Conservative” position on the federal election.

I am not a pollster, but talking to our members, there is no choice between Harper and Williams.  They know who is on their side, and it ain’t Steve.

The Conservatives have 3 seats in Newfoundland.  The way it looks to me, you can strike most or all of them from the Tory column.  One of those Tory seats – St. John’s East – could go to labour lawyer and former NDP provincial leader Jack Harris who is coming out of retirement to challenge for this seat that he held in the 1980s.  The buzz I am hearing is that Harris has a lot of support.