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Canada National Ubrary Biblioth8Que nationale 1+1 of Canada duCanada Acquisitions and Direction des acquisitions et Bibliographic Services Branch des services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellinglon Ottawa, OOtario Ottawa (Ontario) K1AON4 K1AON4 THE AUTHOR HAS GRANTED AN VAUTEUR A ACCORDE UNE LICENCE lRREVOCABLE NON-EXCLUSIVE IRREVOCABLE ET NON EXCLUSIVE LICENCE ALLOWING THE NATIONAL PERMETT ANT A LA BffiLIOTHEQUE LffiRARYOFCANADATO NAT!ONALE DU CANADA DE R.E~RODUCE, LOAN, DISTRIBUTE OR REPRODUIRE, PRETER, DISTRIBUER SELL COPIES OF IDS/HER THESIS BY OU VENDRE DES COPIES DE SA ANY MEANS AND IN A.NY FORM OR THESE DE QUELQUE MANIERE ET FORMAT, MAKING TillS THESIS SOUS QUELQUE FORME QUE CE SOIT AVAILABLE TO INTERESTED POUR METTRE DES EXEMPLAIRES DE PERSONS. C~ITE THESE A LA DISPOSITION DES PERSONNE INTERESSEES. THE AUTHOR RETAINS OWNERSHIP L'AUTEUR CONSERVE LA PROPRIETE OF THE COPYRIGHT IN HIS/HER DU DROIT D'AUTEUR QUI PROTEGE THESIS. NEITHER THE THESIS NOR SA THESE. NI LA THESE NI DES SUBSTANTIAL EXTRACTS FROM IT EXTRAITS SUBSTANTIELS DECELLE­ MAY BE PRINTED OR OTHERWISE CI NE DOIVENT ETRE IMPRIMES OU REPRODUCED WITHOUT HIS/HER AUTREMENT REPRODUITS SANS SON PERMISSION. AUTORISATION. ISBN 0-612-06119-1 ,' Can ad~ POLITICAL INFLUENCE ON THE FUNDING OF MUNICIPAL CAPITAL WORKS IN NEWFOUNDLAND 1973 TO 1988 BY CPETER FENWICK A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the .. requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Political Science Memorial University of Newfoundland 1994 St. John's Newfoundland This · to authorize the _Rean of Graduate Studies to eposit two copies of my thesis/report entitled L I A--L , N /.E 0 11//)JA/6 0 AI c. IlL in the University Library, on the following conditions. I understand that I may choose only ONE of the Op­ tions here listed, and may not afterwards apply for any additional restriction. I further understand that the University will not grant any restriction on the publication of thesis/report abstracts. ft\fter reading tbe explanatory notes at tbe foot of this form, delete TWO of (a), (b) and {c), whichever are inapplicable.) The conditions of deposit are: ~ that two copies are to be made available to users at the discretion of their custodianS.:. OR . lbl lcl that access to, and quotation l.IUI:ftr-.11;0 for.a period of----------:- [c;~-nu for the award Signed et:~ Witnessed~~{l ~ ctJ:uu._/ NOTES 1. Restriction (b) will be granted on applico.:ion, without reason given. However, applications for restriction (c) must be accompanied with a detailed explanation, indicating wby tbe restric­ tion is thought to be necessary and justifying tbe length of time requested. Restrictions required on the grounds that tbe thesis is being prepared for publication, or that patents are awaited, will not be permitted to exceed three years. Restriction (cJ can b~ permitted only by a Committee entrusted by the university witb tbe task of examining such applications, and will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. 2. Thesis writers arc reminded that, if tbey have been engaged in contractual research, they may have already agreed to restrict access to their thesis until the terms of tbe contract have been fulfilled. ABSTRACT Information drawn from the Legislation guaranteeing municipal capital loans in the Province of Newfoundland passed between 1949 and 1988 is used to demonstrate a pronounced bias on the part of the Government to fund two to three times the dollar value of capital works in districts represented by the governing party as opposed to those represented by Opposition party members. The study concentrates on the 17 year period of Progressive Conservative rule from 1972 to 1989. The average amount guaranteed by district is calculated for each year and an index of bias is formulated using the ratio of average loan guarantees in Government districts compared to the Opposition districts. A further analysis is performed on individual districts that changed representation during the study period. In general districts that passed from Government representation to the Opposition received fewer loan guarantees, and districts that switched to the Government side received increased loan guarantees. The author argues in conclusion that this persbtent bias has perpetuated the long- standing reputation of Newfoundland politics as a system in which "the victor may claim the spoils." ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis was a long time coming. What was originally supposed to be a one year sabbatical in 1983-84 was interrupted by first, a federal election campaign in the summer of 1984, then a successful by-election in Menihek in the fall of 1984, followed by my re-election in April of 1985. It wasn't until I returned to teaching in the spring of 1989 that I was able to resume the work that my political career had interrupted. To the faculty of the Political Science Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland who put up with these goings on, I owe my deepest gratitude. To the electors of Menihek whose confidence in me led to five years in the House of Assembly, I extend my thanks. To the civil servants and politicians who spoke candidly to me about the way in which the municipal capital works program was executed, my grateful appreciation. And finally enormous thanks to Mark Graesser, my advisor who went well beyond the call of duty in helping to mould my thoughts into what I hope is a coherent whole. In addition to putting up with my rushed prose, he had to systematically edit out the "bon mots" that my newspaper puts up with, but would not pass muster in an academic work. What coherence there is in the paper is his, the rest I claim. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • ii ACKNOWLEDGEI\fENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii 1r~~~~~ ()~ (:()~~~1r!) • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . iv LIST OF TABLES . • . viii FIGlJRES . • • . • . • . • • . • • . 4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ix PREFACE . ..• . xi 1. IN'TRODUCTION . • . 1 A. The Research Question: What is the Influence of Partisanship on Capital Funding for Municipalities? . 1 B. Specifying the Question . s C. Review of Newfoundland Studies . 7 D. Review of Other Studies on the Same Question . 12 E. Methodology . ~ . 17 iv F. Description of The Data Collection Method • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • 22 G. Description of the Interview Methow Employed • • • • • • • • • • • • 27 2. CAPITAL WORKS FUNDING - IDSTORICAL OVERVIEW • • • • • • • • 29 A. Historical Attitudes to Taxation and Local Government • • • • • • • 29 B. The Smallwood Government's Approach • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • 32 C. Overall Funding From 1972 to 1988 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 35 3. THE MOORES ADMINISTRATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 A. The FU'St Moores Administration: 1972-1975 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 B. The Second Moores Administration: 1975-1979 . 42 ,. ' •:i 4. THE PECKFORD ADMINISTRATIONS . .. 45 A. The First Peckford Administration: 1979-1982 . • • • • • • • • • • • • 45 B. The Second Peckford Administration: 1982-1985 • • • • • • • • • • • 50 C. The Third Peckford Administration: 1985-1989 • • • • • • • • • • • • 53 5. VARIATIONS IN THE DISTRICTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 56 A. Rural Swing Districts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••• _. • • • • • 61 1. Terra Nova . • . 61 2. Baie Verte - ~Vhite Bay • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 64 v 3. Twillingate . 65 4. Bonavista North . 65 5. Lewisporte . 67 6. Port au Port . 69 7. St. Barbe . 70 B. Urban Swing Districts . 70 1. Carbonear . 72 2. Gander . 73 3. Menibek .. 75 C. Government Districts . 75 1. Green Bay . • . • . • . • . 76 2. Harbour Grace . 78 3. Humber Valley . 78 D. Opposition Districts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •