Someone stopped me in the street yesterday and asked me if I had an opinion on why the media in New Brunswick (mostly the Irving papers) are so enthralled with Premier Graham. There have been a litany of stories gushing over Graham in recent weeks.
He called it ‘yellow’ journalism. The T&T really liked former Premier Lord but they really love Premier Graham.
I don’t have much of an opinion on this. My opinion is that reasonably intelligent newspaper editors would rate a Premier’s performance on actual ‘activity’ and ‘results’ or on the ‘hard decisions’ they have had to make.
In fact, the only ‘hard’ decision that Graham made since being elected was the raising of taxes which was roundly savaged by all three Irving papers.
So, why the love in? Is there some Irving need to butter up the Premier? Maybe. But it’s more likely that Premier Graham is still in the honeymoon phase promising editorial boards he’s on the side of their community. Conference centre for Moncton? No problem. Petitcodiac river rehabilitation? No problem. Er, assuming the Feds plow in $10s of millions of dollars. Refinery for your city, sir? No problem. Second nuclear plant? Why not?
You get the point.
Let’s see if the love in holds after there is no funding for a convention centre for another 2-3 years (like the last eight years of promising). Let’s see if it holds after the Premier has to make actual ‘hard’ decisions.
He may succeed. He may become the best Premier in New Brunswick’s history.
But, in my opinion, already electing him as the best Premier ever, will actually hurt his chances. If the media doesn’t hold the Premier’s feet to the fire, who will?
Torys owed an apology
On another point, I see the Torys want an apology from the Liberals over Orimulsion. In a way they are right. But there is something untoward about saying “Hey, Tories, you were right on this”. Getting $100m cash and a small discount on fuel costs when you were asking for $2.2 billion is not exactly a huge win.
‘Have faith in the future,’ premier tells Miramichi
This is a headline in the TJ. The obvious question is have faith in what or whom?