Читать книгу That Wasn’t the Plan - Reg Sherren - Страница 28

After seventeen years of Tory rule, Clyde Wells swept to power, taking thirty-one of fifty-two seats in the House of Assembly. But his own seat wasn’t one of them. Wells had decided to run for the seat in Humber East against another lawyer, Conservative Lynn Verge. Verge had been one of the first women elected in Newfoundland to become a cabinet minister, and she had survived Brian Peckford as his justice minister. She also survived Wells, defeating him in the election. Mr. Wells had to run again in a by-election in another district where a successful Liberal candidate agreed to resign to make room for him. This time he was unopposed and took his place in the House of Assembly. The Clyde Wells era had begun, and it wouldn’t be long before Newfoundland’s premier was firmly in the spotlight of the entire country.

While all this was going on, another politician quietly came to town, one who would also play a large role on the national stage. His name was Jean Chrétien, and he showed up on the south coast of the island to pay back MHA Dave Gilbert. Gilbert, the member for Burgeo–Bay d’Espoir, was a huge supporter of Chrétien and helped him secure many delegates during Chrétien’s federal leadership drive.

So for a couple days it was just me, Jean Chrétien, cameraman Lloyd Pennell and a chopper pilot flying right across the south coast from Burgeo to Ramea to François and eventually to Bay d’Espoir. On a personal level, Chrétien was a soft-spoken and engaging character. He praised and encouraged me for trying to speak French with him, told me the story about working to get Gros Morne designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and impressed me with what seemed a genuine affection for Newfoundland and its people.

But what really impressed me were his skills as a politician and the quick lesson he gave a young journalist. As we were flying into Bay d’Espoir I mentioned to him that it was kind of ironic. In French, Bay d’Espoir means the Bay of Hope. But here the unemployment rate under twenty-one years of age was close to 50 per cent. I mentioned there wasn’t much hope in a number like that. Chrétien exited the chopper and walked into the community centre, where about 150 people were waiting. He got up on the platform and in his endearing Québécois accent began, “You know, in my language dis is Bay d’Espoir, da Bay of ’ope, but since the Mulroney government has come to power in Ottawa, dis is truly Bay Despair!”

His other favourite saying on that trip was, “You know, da biggest difference between me and Brian Mulroney, is dat I only talk out of one side of my mouth.”