A couple months ago the polls had Hugh McFadyen ready to move into his new digs at Room 204 of the Legislative Building.
Well, today a fresh poll released by Probe Research shows that Hugh may be stuck on the Main Floor for another four years.
According to CKY, Probe notes that the NDPs popularity has skyrocketed by 12 points since March.
Before anyone gets excited, we must all always remember that, “the only poll that counts is the one on election day”, and “there’s still 97 days left till eDay”, and “it’s a rogue poll.”
True all that.
However, what would account for Hugh McFadyen’s sudden reversal of fortune?
Well, Hugh has been asking us, “Where have the NDP left us after 11 years?”
I guess Manitobans have been asking themselves that question and figured out that we have it really good here. Our disposable income is up, our net worth is up, we can find jobs, we can get Health care, education is first-class and affordable, and in spite of the “plane landed safely effect” – crime is down. All of this directly attributable to the actions of Gary Doer, Greg Selinger and Today’s NDP.
Nine straight balanced budgets with tax cuts for individuals and business, coupled with an attitude of “how can we do this”, the inclusion of Labour, business and education in issues of strategic importance, have instilled a confidence that the NDP government of today put’s the needs of the greatest segment of the population ahead of personal ambition or personal belief.
Let’s be honest here, the Jet’s would not be back had it not been for the Province stepping up to the plate and working with a group of business people lead by Mark Chipman. People know that while Hugh McFadyen is prone to adolescent histrionics and is a damn good drama queen, it is that NDP that got the job done.
People have also gotten to know Greg Selinger more, and they like what they see.
***pun alert**
The flood has been a trial by fire for the Premier, and he has proven that he can handle a crisis, lead and make the tough decisions. He’s not one to shrink from the responsibility and throw a shit-magnet out front as the face of the government.
Ditto for BiPole III. We know that BiPole III can not go down the East-Side of Lake Winnipeg and find customers at the end of the day. The legal challenges would delay such a project by decades and provide volatile fuel for US based energy lobbies to crush attempts by Hydro’s customers to get the import licences they require.
Selinger has gone with the business case as opposed to just drawing a straight line and that has resulted in the signing of a $4 Billion deal. BiPole III will be constructed down the West-Side and this will lead to more deals, thousands of more jobs and Billions more for Health, Education and Policing.
Meanwhile, we have Hugh McFadyen claiming that he can just tear up the current deal and plough BiPole III down the East-Side. Not only that, but he can do it in less time, for less money, with greater reliability, and if you order in the next ten minutes – he’ll throw in a vegtable slicer that’ll make any meal seem like it was done at a five-star restaurant!
Seriously. The bottom line is that we know that if given the chance, Hugh wouldn’t tear up the agreement. He wouldn’t have the power to because he would sell Manitoba Hydro and the new owners would have to make that decision. Personally, I think a private sector owner would also choose the West-Side because they would recognize the that business case leads, the solution is then engineered.
No matter.
The actions of Selinger and Today’s NDP, past, present and planned, prove that the interests of the people come first and this administration can execute.
