Candidatewindsor Lake

WARNING: Some Politicians Won’t Like This Report WARNING: Some Politicians Won’t Like This Report …But a lot of people in Windsor Lake district will love it HOW WINDSOR LAKE VOTERS CAN CHOOSE TRUE CHANGE

I wrote this report to help people in Windsor Lake understand the unspoken AND WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRUST ME – FOR A YEAR! game of government and empower them to make the best political decisions for themselves, their families, and this province.

Inside this report you’ll discover shocking and useful information, including:

• What great government means and how it can change our lives • Why I’m “different” than most other politicians • What makes democracy the worst form of government (except for all the others) • How to test whether someone will be a great political representative, and whether party matters • The biggest political issues this province is facing, and what we can do about them • How you can put me on probation and ﬁre me after one year

The contents of this report can make a direct impact of your life, the lives of your loved ones, and everyone in this province. I look forward to hearing what you think about it.

PC Party CandidateWindsor Lake

PC PARTY LEADER PC PARTY LEADER WHY DID I WRITE THIS REPORT?

My father Hon. John C. Crosbie likes to tell a story about our love of place.

“How can you tell the Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at the Pearly Gates?” Because when St. Peter answers and invites them in, “they’re the ones who want to go home.”

This report is not about me. It is about the dreams and aspirations of people who live in Windsor Lake and in Newfoundland and Labrador and want a prosperous future. It is about finding true change and trust in government for this place we all love.

Like all who meet the challenges of life in this place, I have a love of Newfoundland and Labrador. My aspiration for our province is that it be the place to which each Newfoundlander and Labradorian at the Pearly Gates wants to go home. Good government can make the difference in helping the residents of this province make ours a home to envy. Good government can partner with us to realize our potential as a self-reliant, proud and prosperous province. Good government requires great democratic leadership, with a grip on the crises that assault us, and a plan to win through to prosperity. Great leadership, because you as a resident of a great province in a great country should not settle for less. Good government creates the best conditions for all of us to reach our potential, but great government inspires us to achieve our potential. You should aim high, and you should hold your political leaders to the highest standards of true change.

Our elected politicians strongly influence our destiny, either toward opportunity and prosperity, strength and independence -- or toward weakness, dependence and despair. And you the voter determines who the elected politicians are, and toward which destiny they may lead us. If you’re like me, the destiny you want for this province is one of opportunity, prosperity and independence. And to achieve that vision, you need great leadership and great government, and leadership you can trust.

This by-election is about Windsor Lake. But it is also about the search for great leadership for Newfoundland and Labrador. Our challenge is to find a leader to vote for who doesn’t make whatever promises he or she thinks will win election without solemn intention to implement those promises, and when in office play whatever political games seem likely to win re-election. Our challenge is to find a leader who means to deliver on promises made and if elected, sets about implementing those promises. A leader we can trust.

Our challenge is to find candidates who want more than to keep their jobs. Our challenge is to find candidates who want to make a difference. Candidates who have respect for the truth.

Candidates who stand for true change and reject the status quo.

I’ve written this report to give you the tests to judge for yourself which candidates might deserve your support and why. I have written this guide to empower you, the Windsor Lake voter – to give you the tools to decide for yourself how to attain true change and great government.

Why should you believe me when I promise true change? I’ve had a good career as a lawyer, helping people find justice against government and big corporations. I don’t need a job. I’m doing this for one reason – to make a difference. So judge for yourself. I care so much about Newfoundland and Labrador that I wrote this report to help you as a Windsor Lake voter in your quest for a better political representative, better government and a better life. I hope you find it useful in choosing a representative in the House of Assembly, one who will speak up with an authentic voice for you and for this place we love. A representative you can trust.

WHY SHOULD ANYONE VOTE?

If you – or more precisely your demographic group – don’t vote, politicians will ignore your interests and concerns. The 18-35 age group historically tends not to vote and therefore tends to be ignored by government. If younger voters get politically active, then government will pay attention to their needs too. Unless this province is successful in attracting and retaining young people, our long term future is bleak. Do get active and assert your vision of the future.

The great British wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill said that “Democracy is the worst of all possible systems of government – except for all the others”. Democracy is messy and imperfect, but we paid in blood for the right to govern ourselves democratically, and we owe it to those who have sacrificed to preserve our rights to make it work.

The answer to the destructive effects of “politics as usual”, is for us – political office seekers and voters alike – to stop accepting that politics as usual is the way politics should be and must be done. Political candidates and political office holders have a role in bringing about this change, but the voters who reward political game playing, who enable success by politics as usual, have the determining role. That voter is you. Only you can bring about change.

Money and resources are limited, and politics is about making hard choices for the public good. For the long term public good. For the good of our children and grandchildren. The answer to the destruction of good government caused by politics as usual, is for you the voter to demand the truth, and stop rewarding politicians for political game- playing. Find politicians who don’t play by politics as usual and vote for them. The politicians who don’t play politics as usual are the politicians who will give great representation of your interests, true change and great government. Politicians you can trust. The great irony is that while some politicians are busy preserving their jobs and playing politics as usual, our most admired political leaders are people who took stands, risked defeat and sometimes suffered defeat, and showed the resolve to lead through short term pain to long term gain. Leaders of resolve like Sir Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. More recently, perhaps like my own father John Crosbie.

The 25th anniversary media coverage of the Cod Moratorium brought in by my father as federal Fisheries Minister featured well-known video of angry fishermen pounding on the doors at a news conference in 1992 – and interviews with some of these gentlemen 25 years later, in which they said John Crosbie did the right thing! But in 1992, the right decision was not the popular decision, and required resolve.

TESTS TO CONSIDER

I’ll put my cards on the table. Character is the primary quality you should look for in a political leader. It is character that delivers true change, tackles crises, and leads a course to a prosperous future. It is character that creates trust. Character is defined by core values, and one of those core values is respect for the truth. Core values establish how a person acts. Core values are shown in what a person actually does, just as a government’s real policies are shown not in what they say but in what they actually spend money on. Character is built around core values. Character is what enables us to deal with the adversities of life and the unexpected. It gives resilience, enables us to resist demands and pressure, and helps us to make good life-affirming choices for ourselves and others. It enables us to succeed, to inspire, and to leave a legacy. It is founded in the courage to face down adversity, and enables us to live a life of significance, with no regrets. The people we know who have character are the people who make a difference in the lives of everyone in their circle of influence.

Character enables us to provide for the financial and emotional wellbeing of our families. Character also enables us to be heroes to our communities, to be people who contribute more than they take. We see many examples of ordinary people who are heroes in their communities because they give without expecting anything back. From a political leader, should you accept anything else? Why should you believe me when I promise true change? I’ve had a good career as a lawyer, helping people find justice against government and big corporations. I don’t need a job. I’m doing this for one reason – to make a difference. So judge for yourself.

After character, there are some aspects to look for in a candidate that involve knowledge and skill. Good government is, after all, a tricky ideal and requires dedication to professionalism from politicians to attain it. Here is my list of tests for you to consider in choosing a political leader. I don’t say that this is an exclusive list or that any political candidate must or even can meet all of them, but these are tests to think about in deciding who to vote for. You may have some of your own to add.

• Character - as above. ‘Nuff said. And passionate vision. • A commitment to community and to giving without expectation of getting back is a requirement for a good society. Look for this in a candidate for political office. • An ability to relate to people with diverse backgrounds, understand their concerns, and speak truth to power on their behalf. • Member of the House of Assembly is one of those jobs where attitude is more important than previous experience. There is no job description for MHA, and the successful candidate is left a wide field over which to apply his or her talents and life experience on behalf of constituents. Look for a willing and can-do attitude. That said, there are some aspects of candidate skill and experience to consider. • A history of success in tackling entrenched interests on behalf of vulnerable people tells you that a political candidate may be willing to use the powers of government to do the same in office. • Good government requires some knowledge of law and finance. While attitude may be the most important job qualification for a would- be political leader, educational and career accomplishments that create knowledge and skill relevant to the business of government are assets in a candidate. • Good government at the political level requires a diverse skill set which a political representative develops on the job, so willingness to learn and master new skills is important. • A big part of a legislator’s engagement is constituency work to help individuals and areas within the district to resolve problems with government. A desire to help people resolve their problems is an important quality in a legislator. • The ability to get publicity and focus public attention on constituency problems and the problems of individual constituents is an important skill which can be very effective. • A talent for mediation. Politics has been called the art of compromise for good reason. Many people think that Newfoundland and Labrador has a great need for mediation and compromise, with the government in Quebec and with Quebec Hydro, with the federal government and with indigenous people. • A willingness to prepare and know the brief in favour of the constituency. It is said that location, location and location are the three things that define value in real estate. If so, then preparation, preparation and preparation are the three things that define success in representing a political constituency. • The ability to navigate complex decision- making processes at the political and civil service levels and to identify and persuade the real decision-makers, is essential to effectively make the case for a political constituency. • Trustworthiness is essential in a political candidate, and if you are satisfied the candidate is a person of integrity who is dedicated to good government and effective representation, then you can make the necessary leap of faith and entrust him or her with political office. All political leadership requires this leap of faith. • Great political leadership requires a willingness to defy Politics as Usual, including a willingness to speak the truth and be unpopular in order to do the right thing and make a difference. This is what my father Hon. John C. Crosbie meant when he told me the most important characteristic of a good politician is the ability to resist pressure. This is an all-too-rare quality in a politician. Support ability to resist pressure and the desire to make a difference when you find it. WHAT IS GOOD GOVERNMENT?

Good government is easier to recognize when contrasted with bad government. Bad government results when those who hold power are unaccountable and use power to pursue their own interests, rather than the public good. The United Nations sees bad government as a root cause of evil in society. It often leads to failed states in which anarchy reigns and personal security evaporates. Good government, by contrast, is a work -in-progress never fully achieved, founded in practices like the rule of law, respect for minorities, and the democratic accountability of those who govern. And respect for truth is a root cause of good government!

THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL PARTY

George Washington, first US President, left office warning Americans against evils of forming political parties. They formed political parties anyway. Political parties are probably inevitable. The one I lead, the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, has a long and distinguished tradition of upholding democracy. I don’t pretend that the PC Party and its leadership has never erred – that would be foolish. Parties are made up of humans and humans err.

After 11 years in office, the tide went out for the PC Party, and voters chose in 2015 to elect a Liberal government under Premier Dwight Ball, on a promise of change.

This year, the PC party chose new leadership and a new direction. The PC Party chose a leader who has no connection with previous government policies. That leader is me, Ches Crosbie.

I am a party leader who spent the last 30 years of a career in the law winning cases for people against big government and big corporations. My motto has been “To comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable”. So you can see that I may not be a “politics as usual” kind of leader. The problem with all those factors to consider in choosing a candidate that I have given you, is that they focus on the individual candidate and not on the party. And the party, and the leader of the party, can be everything.

Cathy Bennett was Liberal MHA for Windsor Lake before she resigned, causing this by-election. Bennett resigned because the party she belonged to, the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador under Premier Dwight Ball, threw her under the bus. Threw her under the bus on what she tried to do as finance minister, and threw her under the bus again by unleashing bullying and harassment against her.

People generally don’t trust the Liberals under Premier Ball. They think the Liberals don’t keep their promises, don’t inspire trust, and don’t inspire confidence in their competence.

Many think that if the Liberal candidate in Windsor Lake were to be elected, and stick to his principles, he would be thrown under the bus just like Cathy Bennett. And that is why you may want to consider not just the candidate, but the party, and the past record of the leader of the Liberal Party – Premier Dwight Ball. FINDING A GREAT POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR WINDSOR LAKE

How do you find a great representative for Windsor Lake? You can study the news, of course. You can discuss current events with friends. You can also look for information direct from political candidates and ask them questions. Going online makes it easy to do your research. You can engage with me by going to www.ChesCrosbie.ca and telling me what you think are our issues with government.

And one of the ways you can find a great representative for this district is by looking for candidates who provide resources that help voters to decide for themselves what is important in a political representative – like this report. Admittedly, this report is outside-the-box in terms of the way politics is normally done, and some politicians won’t like it. Maybe it is a reason for you to give me a chance. If you decide to trust me and vote for me, then I am honoured and will not let you down.

And let’s be frank. You aren’t risking much! The general election is only one year away. If you hire me, you are hiring a representative for the Windsor Lake district and the Leader of the Opposition, whose job it is to not only oppose the Ball Liberal government, but to form a government in waiting. If at the end of a one year probationary period you don’t like the job I am doing, you can fire me!

THE ISSUES AND YOU

I am running for election in Windsor Lake by-election to give us true change and the future prosperity that we deserve. I know that this province can be a better place in which to live, with a brighter future; a place where willing men and women can get meaningful, well-paying jobs; a place where families and vulnerable people have access to quality government services; a place where government respects the dignity of indigenous people; a place that unleashes the power of innovation to build a thriving rural and urban economy; a place where entrepreneurship is encouraged and promoted; and a place where young people have the confidence to claim fulfilling futures.

But I also need to know more about your priorities and goals and how you think we can achieve them.

Now that you know something about my core values and my mindset toward politics and government, let’s discuss three issues. Issues that I have heard people in Windsor Lake and all over this province talk about:

• The impact of rate increases to pay for expensive Muskrat Falls power when it comes to the island in late 2020, and how to mitigate the blow. We can’t allow electrical rates to double – but how to prevent this? • The need for tax relief – especially disliked are the gas tax, the 15% tax on insurance, and the levy on income, which people describe as a tax on residency! And we need tax incentives to encourage our educated young people to stay here and build careers and have families. • The need to create confidence among women that politics is not a hostile work place, and to restore honesty in government.

The need to restore confidence in our democratic institutions and trust in our politicians is the reason I propose an Honesty in Politics Act, which would hold politicians legally accountable for promises made which voters reasonably take as solemn and intended to be relied on. One way of removing doubt from whether a promise is subject to accountability under the Honesty in Politics Act, is to provide for politicians to expressly opt their promises into the Act. If a politician fails to opt an important promise into the Act, then voters can draw a negative conclusion as to whether the politician has a serious intent to implement the promise.

My plan for lower taxes includes getting government out of the game of picking winners and losers by giving corporate handouts to big business like Canopy Growth. It is far better to keep taxes low and attract business that way. And I am committed to eliminate the 15% insurance tax, the levy, and the extra gas tax, and the carbon tax, which are driving families to leave the province.

My plan to negotiate a solution to Muskrat Falls power rates is pretty clear. Use the Public Utilities Board to recommend an affordable rate for electricity. When we know what ratepayers are able to pay toward the cost of the power dam, we will know the shortfall. Until we know the shortfall in our ability to pay for the power dam, statements from Premier Ball and federal MPs telling “Don’t worry, be happy”, are just fluff. When we know the shortfall, then we negotiate with the federal government, which holds a $7.9 billion guarantee on the financing of the dam. The federal government are our co-adventurers and partners. Who do you want to negotiate our way through this mess, Ches Crosbie or Dwight Ball?

In order to give your issues and priorities a strong voice in government, I need to hear from you. Tell me what your issues and priorities are for Newfoundland and Labrador by going to www.ChesCrosbie.ca and filling in the form. You can also email [email protected] or call (709) 552-2437.

I believe that we have difficult challenges to tackle over the next 5 years or so, but with decisive action we can master those challenges and establish the basis for the prosperity which lies ahead.

My tours around the province and weeks on the doorsteps of Windsor Lake, have convinced me that at this stage of our journey as a province, teetering on the financial brink, voters are not just ready but longing for mature political leaders who treat voters as adults, and give us straight talk about our challenges and a credible plan to meet them. My meetings with the voters of Windsor Lake district on their doorsteps, prove to me that Windsor Lake district wants the same thing.

Without decisive leadership, this province will reach a point of no return, during the term of government which will start after the general election in fall 2019.

If you want political leadership in a time of crisis – if you want lower taxes to rebuild confidence, affordable power rates and honest government, vote for me as the PC Party candidate in the Windsor Lake by-election. If you don’t like my performance after a year, then fire me!

And if you want to rebuild confidence in our political institutions and revive the PC Party under my leadership as a force for democracy – go to www.chescrosbie.ca to become a member or supporter of the PC Party.

If you say Yes for Ches in the Windsor Lake by-election, you get a year to decide whether you trust me to help you make this the place Newfoundlanders and Labradorians want, not just to go home to, but to never leave. I respectfully ask for your vote – a vote for our place in a better future.

For your convenience, maps and descriptions of the boundaries of Windsor Lake electoral district is available at: https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/ elections/Voters/PDF/District.Maps/2015/ Windsor%20Lake.pdf.

Together, the voters of Windsor Lake can defeat apathy and inspire other voters at the general election in 2019, with a new, honesty-in-politics approach to providing true change and great government for Newfoundland and Labrador! WARNING: Some Politicians Won’t Like This Report WARNING: Some Politicians Won’t Like This Report …But a lot of people in Windsor Lake district will love it HOW WINDSOR LAKE VOTERS CAN CHOOSE TRUE CHANGE

Inside this report you’ll discover shocking and useful information, including:

The contents of this report can make a direct impact of your life, the lives of your loved ones, and everyone in this province. I look forward to hearing what you think about it.

PC Party CandidateWindsor Lake

PC PARTY LEADER PC PARTY LEADER