Dear Progressive Conservative:
My original plan in the days ahead was to provide you with an update from our just completed 2010 annual general meeting. Recent events have overtaken that, but I will provide that report later this month.
The past week has been quite a rollercoaster.
From the news coming out of the Auditor General's report related to MLA expenses last week, to the excitement of a wonderful annual general meeting where our party put in place some of the building blocks for renewal and reform, to the events leading up to the resignation of Yarmouth MLA Richard Hurlburt, I expect many of you have questions, complaints and suggestions.
Some party members have taken the time to call or email me on this issue and as the provincial president, I appreciate them doing so.
The MLA expense issue affecting all political parties - and our party's own response to it - has been a subject of conversation in the coffee shops, by the office water coolers, over community suppers and at the rinks. I know many Nova Scotians are angry and I'm sure - like me - many PC Party supporters are upset too.
As our interim leader Karen Casey noted in her letter emailed to party members on Friday and read to delegates at the 2010 annual general meeting:
"As Progressive Conservative members and Party ambassadors in your communities, I regret the position you have been placed in and I ask for your understanding and continued support."
As the news about Richard Hurlburt's resignation was announced yesterday, I had the privilege to participate in a meeting and conference call with the eight remaining PC MLAs.
In that meeting, there was agreement that our caucus - with the support of the PC Party - must do a better job on this issue, with greater transparency (for example, the MLAs told me that the Speaker of the Legislature has not disclosed all of the information on the Auditor General's report, despite requests from Karen Casey and other PC MLAs to do so) and a leadership role in bringing forward better solutions.
This is consistent with Karen Casey's statement on Friday that:
"The PC Caucus also recognizes the need to bring the [MLA expense] regulations up to a higher standard."
The caucus also respected Richard Hurlburt in his decision to resign. While it was his decision alone to do so, it's important to note that he admitted his errors in judgement in this matter and has repaid to the taxpayer in full both expense claims - a position that not every MLA identified by the Auditor General has adopted. None of this takes away from the 10 plus years of service Richard Hurlburt delivered to the people of Yarmouth, which earned the following tribute from Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney:
“He worked hard for 10 years and if he wants to call it a career, he’s done a lot of good things in Yarmouth and I wish him well.”
It's a sentiment I echo in wishing Richard, his wife Nancy and their family all the best.
I have been in touch with the Yarmouth PC Association through their president Trevor Cunningham and we will support our local grassroots PCs in that constituency in preparing for a by-election that could take place as early as the end of March and as late as mid February 2011.
As a party, we have faced tough times before and we have successfully overcome them. That's what has made the Progressive Conservatives the party of fiscal responsibility and social progress in Nova Scotia for the last 150 years.
We have a lot of exciting things on the horizon this year for our party, including a leadership convention October 29-30, which will bring new members, new ideas and new energy into our fold.
In your important role as a party supporter, I respectfully ask you to stick with us as we work harder to better reflect the values as outlined in our vision, mission and values adopted by party members three years ago:
• Responsibility – defining good government as one that lives within its means and whose leaders spend a tax dollar as if it were their own
• Accountability – expecting governments at all levels to answer to the people for the decisions they have made
Keep in touch. I can be reached at info@pcparty.ns.ca
Robert Batherson
President, PC Party of Nova Scotia
