New Brunswick has had a good run of premiers: Louis J. Robichaud, Richard Hatfield, Frank McKenna and Bernard Lord all earned respect on the national political scene.
But when Sean Thompson tuned into the provincial election debate last week, the political junkie and former STU student, did not see that quality of leadership on the stage.
“[Shawn] Graham’s … trying to run on his government’s record, which is like running through the forest with fresh meat strapped to your back.”
And Thompson, now a UNB Law student, was not exactly inspired by the Progressive Conservative leader‘s performance either.
“David Alward came in to the debates with perhaps the simplest goal – don’t screw up,” Thompson said. “He then proceeded to screw up. He really turned me off by seemingly trying to shout over everyone at all three debates.”
Thompson’s reaction seems to summarize how many are feeling about the 2010 election campaign. The issues, the advertisements, the visions and especially the leaders, are more likely to turn them off politics than turn them on. How did the bar for New Brunswick leadership suddenly get set so low?
STU political science professor Patrick Malcolmson said one reason for the decline of leadership and increase of apathy in young voters is that today’s leaders offer too many unrealistic promises.
“Political leaders today are held to a different standard than they were 30 years ago in the sense that they have to make grand promises,” Malcolmson said. “Transformational change! Self-sufficiency! The best education system in Canada!
“Their problem is that if they were to run on a platform of offering ‘good government and sound administration,’ they would never win the leadership of their party – nor the election. So the electorate demands ‘a new vision’ each time out and hence are always disappointed.”
What then develops, says Malcomson, is a kind of cynicism born out of disappointed, but unrealistic hopes.
“New Brunswickers are not happy with the Graham record but they continue to be unsure of...David Alward”: political science professor Jamie Gillies. (Tom Bateman/AQ)
Front-runners not likely to be next Robichaud, Hatfield
Jamie Gillies also teaches political science at STU. He says the two main party leaders simply “lack the charisma and vision of their predecessors.”
“The two front-runners are not likely to be the next Robichaud or Hatfield,” Gillies said. “I believe this is not entirely their fault but partly a reflection of the political times in which we are in.
“New Brunswickers are not happy with the Graham record but they continue to be unsure of what David Alward and the PCs will do after the election.”
He says New Brunswick might be the biggest loser in this campaign because none of the leaders are talking honestly about real issues, like the province’s debt load.
Gillies says the vision thing, as George Bush Sr. once called it, rings hallow when everyone knows it’s unrealistic.
“You cannot promise great change when there are few resources to work with so the job of New Brunswick premier becomes about hard choices rather than visionary leadership,” Gillies said.
“On the other hand, perhaps this perceived void of leadership in New Brunswick will lead to more young people getting involved.”
