Do political platforms even matter at this point? Some former politicians think not

It had been a point of wonder, and some concern, for nearly three weeks. 

Many voters eagerly awaited the drop of varying coloured books — in this case political platforms — ahead of what some have called an important election in the province's history.

Now that everything is on the table, with each of the province's three main parties showing their cards, will that actually mean anything to voters?

We already know there has been a mad dash to apply for special ballots, which is likely due to the ongoing pandemic. Elections NL said Saturday it has sent out 26,000 special ballots, and by midday on Saturday about 10,000 votes were cast in advance polls. 

Many votes were cast before the political parties released their platforms. The provincial Liberals released their platform on Thursday afternoon, and the provincial Tories released their plan on Friday, with promises and plans to fix Newfoundland and Labrador. The NDP released their platform on Wednesday. 

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Welcome to another weekend edition of the Election Notebook.

'Nothing really changes'

We've heard from the veteran political panel before. Former NDP leader Gerry Rogers, former Liberal MHA Colin Holloway and former PC cabinet minister Sandy Collins dissected what the province's current political leaders should have been focusing on ahead of throwing down their platforms and the silence from the province's parties as Newfoundland and Labrador crawls toward election day, which is now only a week away.

The group joined Here & Now again on Friday to discuss exactly what the platforms mean for voters. 

Rogers said each of the party's plans have some interesting ideas, but the whole situation feels like déjà vu.

"Nothing really changes," Rogers said.

"Nobody is really talking a whole lot about that huge deficit that we're dealing with and the economic situation that we have. What happens once the election is over and we have a new government? I'd say that the platforms will remain on the shelf somewhere."

Rogers said none of the parties are talking about where cuts will take place to get a handle on spending, or if there will be any made at all.

The Liberal platform pledges an extra $55 million in spending, while the PCs tabled an extra $93 million. The NDP released an uncosted platform.

"The platforms, are they really significant in this election right now? I don't think so," said Rogers.

Watch the full panel discussion below:

Will the party platforms change voter preferences?

4 years ago

Duration 8:19

Peter Cowan convenes Here & Now's panel of political veterans: Gerry Rogers of the NDP, PC Sandy Collins and Liberal Colin Holloway.

Collins said the PC platform has "a whole lot of progressive and not a lot of conservative" in it, but agreed with Rogers, saying there are good ideas in each party's book. 

Still, he called the late announcements of each platform "ridiculous" in that they came so late into an election, and accused the parties of using "clever language." 

"For all three parties to come forward with their ideas on how to meet the challenge that's before us without talking at all about savings, they use clever language that's been used in elections past. 'Smarter spending, finding efficiencies, consolidating loans,' that's the stuff that goes on 12 months of the year in the Department of Finance," Collins said.

"That shouldn't be a creative idea that comes to the forefront during an election."

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Holloway said all three platforms have similarities in terms of programs and services the public would like to see. But, he said, they all talk about making new investments and there's no notion of where the money will come from. 

He said that's where the NDP platform falls short, while the Liberal platform is filled with "jargon" that the average voter wouldn't understand. As for the PCs, Holloway said every grievance the party has had in the last decade is inside their blue book, along with fighting Ottawa and tax incentives for businesses. But while that looks good on paper, said Holloway, there's a piece that's missing. 

"It doesn't talk about what are those trade offs, and in order for us to move forward as a province and be sustainable there has to be some tradeoffs. Neither party has put that forward," he said.

There's an A-word in N.L. politics

That would be … amalgamation. 

For whatever reason, no one has the political will (or maybe the mental energy) to take on amalgamation. Maybe it's because of the hurt feelings (or maybe the scorched earth) from when the government of former Liberal premier Clyde Wells pushed hard on amalgamation as a way of saving money. The province got some of its wishes, but the project was largely stalled with compromises and the most ambitious proposals (hey, northeast Avalon!) parked in the political deep freezer. 

Since then, you just don't hear politicians — including the ones running in this election — talk positively about amalgamation. 

But that doesn't mean that towns cannot work together, share costs or regionalize services.

Take the case of four small towns in Conception Bay, which have come together on their own accord. The communities are Avondale, Colliers, Conception Harbour and Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview.

"The thing about municipalities is that we have a lot more in common than we have different," said Mike Doyle, the mayor of Harbour Main-Chapel's Cove-Lakeview. All four need to deal with things like garbage, road salt and engineering work. 

The CBC's Jane Adey caught up with Doyle and Conception Harbour Mayor Craig Williams for a conversation about co-operation, efficiency and saving taxpayers money. 

Here's how these Conception Bay towns are teaming up to save money

4 years ago

Duration 7:15

Jane Adey reports on how four small towns are breaking down barriers to eliminate waste

PCs committing to lab services in central N.L.

Meanwhile, the PCs are "sounding the alarm" — according to a media release — after a letter from senior medical staff at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor warned of cuts to services.

In a letter to government officials on Thursday, staff outlined the problems with cutting the processing of non-urgent laboratory samples for seven rural facilities in the Central Health region that instead will be processed at the "hub lab" at the James Paton Memorial Regional Health Center in Gander. What's more, nine laboratory tests will no longer be processed at CNRHC at all and will be analyzed solely at JPMRHC.

Staff say the move could affect clinical services, and are requesting it doesn't happen. 

Chris Tibbs, the PC candidate for Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans, told CBC News on Saturday it's been a battle with the Liberals for the last year, who he said have committed to making the move.

"It's going to have a horrible effect on the people in my district. I know it's going cut jobs, it's going to cut vital services out families here at home," Tibbs said. 

PC Leader Ches Crosbie issued his own letter in response to the concerns raised by medical staff on Saturday. In it, Crosbie said a PC government would "immediately reverse the Liberal decision to redirect lab samples to Gander."

"We will maintain the full laboratory service in Grand Falls-Windsor," he said.

When asked, nobody from the Liberal party was made available to speak with CBC virtually on Saturday.

However, in a letter Liberal Leader Andrew Furey wrote to Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor Barry Maneul, the Liberals also committed to addressing the problem. 

"I assure you that I will not allow an erosion of services.… We will review past decisions and ensure that specimens in your region are equitably distributed," Furey wrote, adding that Central Health committed $9.6 million for lab development at the CNRHC.

Where in the world?

On Saturday NDP Leader Alison Coffin spent her time canvassing her own district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi, but also made a quick stop at an advance polling station to cast her vote. 

Coffin told CBC News it's been an "excellent election" so far, and the reception has been good at the doors. And while many feel the election is winding down, Coffin said "I thought it was ramping up." She said there could be more announcements coming this week. 

PC Leader Ches Crosbie canvassed his district of Windsor Lake, while Liberal Leader Andrew Furey made stops in the districts of Burin-Grand Bank, Bonavista and Terra Nova with candidates.

Elsewhere, former premier Dwight Ball spent his day driving people to the polls. 

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