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MONDAY “AUGUST 3, 1959,

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Thoughts On Election

And Its Possibilities

Now that Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip are safely back at home after their Canadian Tour during which millions of Canadians had the opportynity and privilege of attesting their love and devotion to the Crown, it is appropriate that

|we turn our attention to the con- ‘sideration of more prosaic but:

‘pevertheless, important questions having to do with the management of our local affairs.

And in view of the fact that ru- mors persist that we are to have an early provincial genera] election in this province, it is fitting to consider a possibility that could soon become a reality.

From a ‘onatitinticnad’ standpoint,

there is no legal compulsion for an election this year. The five-year life expectancy of the present legis- lature does not expire until May of 1960. Indeed, able constitutional lawyers have argued that any Can- adian provincial government could, if it. were so minded, prolong its tenure of office for a considerable time after the expiration of the five-

year period.

Whether or not this be true, no —

Canadian government has ever at-

vempted to hold on to the reins of

power beyond five years.

Certainly, there is no reason why the Matheson government in this province should attempt to do so. Only those politicians who fear the verdict of the people ever hold to power until the last moment. They realize that, by doing so, they mere-

. ly make their defeat more certain,

but since they regard their defeat as certain anyway, they feel they have nothing to lose, and possibly something to gain, in putting off the day of decision as long as possible.

The situation is wholly different as it affects the present provincial government. It has been in power during years in which the four At- l.ntic provinces have endured trying

times and from which it has pmerg-

ed_much more successfully than any. of the three other - provinces. Only

P.E ole. Liberal Assooist ion

{

ene serious problem confronts It at present—that of assured and ade- quate transportation facilities across Northumberland Strait._-On this question, Premier Matheson has en- deared himself_to the thoughtful men

‘and women of this province by the

courageous one-man _ fight he _has waged against the indifference, or

lat Jeast_the apathy, of the federal

ernment.

' It is, therefore, ‘most significant that our fedgal Conservative repre- sentatives have not only pooh- poohed all the Premier's suggest- ions concerning transportation but have continued to leave the people of this province largely in the dark respecting any improvement in our transportation service. Why?

The reason, of course, is obvious. Should the Premier decide to make an election announcement soon— and rumor has it that such an an- nouncement may come at any time— the federal government, anxious to defeat our ‘provincial government for purely selfish reasons, is almost certain to make a grand stand gesture by an announcement on our trans-

portation problems. That announce-. ment may be a double-barrel one. It: may ‘give details concerning the pro-i posed new ferry and may also in-,

clude a carefully worded statement on the causeway question. The pur- pose, of course, wil] be to induce the voters of this province to forget the courageous efforts made over the past year by Premier Matheson to stir the federal government to some action.

There is one consolation, however, that the supporters of our provin- cial government have. That is that the day has gone when any politician, even though he be of federal stature,: can fool the voters of this province, They are as-intelligent as he is. They know they have a good government, Not a perfect government, for per- fection is not given to Man, but a government which, all things con- sidered, has served this province and its people well.

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REPRINTED FROM THE EVENING PATRIOT (Monday, August_3rd,_1959)

- P.Eole