Watching While It Walks Away?

Like many people I positively glowed at the June swearing-in ceremony of Nova Scotia’s first NDP government. I was proud to have been a part of what got us there, and proud of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians for having chosen to turn the page so decisively.

Many NDP activists had to varying degrees seen the ruling out of any deficits and tax increases as a rash and unwise election promise given the seriousness of the provincial government’s fiscal situation. And it was a little disconcerting to see how quickly that came home to roost.

Thankfully, just as quickly there developed a charitable consensus- Nova Scotians seemed ready to hear the case of the need for tax increases, and to forgive the government for having overpromised on that account. The trust offered was gratifying in its own right, and it gave the new government vital manouvering room.

For NDP activists, this was gratifying testimony to what we had long appreciated: that the rise in fortunes of the Nova Scotia NDP was built on the trust and hopes of Nova Scotians.

But the last couple of months have brought out a relentless string of revelations that have gone beyond just straining that fragile trust of the people in their new government.

Nine months is too short a time to expect to see results from a new government- least of all one that faces such constraining challenges. But nine months is too long when the fundamentals are moving in the wrong direction, and with no recognition from our government that it has rapidly dug itself into a hole.

This editorial on the same day as the release of the latest poll results sums it all up:

"People are rightly unhappy that their shiny new government has been tarnished by the scandal of MLA spending habits and the party’s failure to repay an illegal campaign contribution after Mr. Dexter had ordered it to be done.

Though the government has since moved to clean up MLA expense rules, it always seems two steps behind common sense and an angry public and clearly isn't going to have a fully credible overhaul in place before Nova Scotians are whacked with service cuts and tax hikes in the budget. So no wonder dissatisfaction with the government has soared - from 19 per cent in November to 41 per cent now.

The evaporation of public confidence has been dramatic. More people (54 per cent) were satisfied with Rodney MacDonald's doomed government a year ago."


The time for patience and silence from NDP activists has passed.

A four year mandate until another election is enough time for a government to reflect before moving forward. But it is too short a time to allow for being engaged in more than the briefest period of holding all the cards close to the chest while fumbling away your credibility. And there is NO time at all for retreat into defensive control mode.

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