Premier is main issue for Tory

Published Saturday November 1st, 2008

Deck head

QUENTIN CASEY
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

With the Liberal government now looking to cut spending to escape deficit territory, it is clear the global economic slowdown is having a local impact.

But Jack Carr says New Brunswick's financial difficulties are compounded by another factor: the province's premier.

"We would be in a better position if we didn't have Shawn Graham," says the Conservative candidate in Monday's New Maryland-Sunbury West byelection.

"He squandered money by over-promising and under-delivering."

Carr, a former private radio reporter and public relations worker for the Tories, points to the Liberals' across-the-board tax increase in 2007 and their $60-million bailout of the Caisse Populaire de Shippagan credit union and the New Brunswick Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corp.

"I don't blame all of New Brunswick's potential deficit on the state of the economy," said the 33-year-old.

"Shawn Graham had choices to make and he made poor choices. He was reckless."

Carr says he'd make better choices if elected, like on the issue of rural access to high-speed Internet.

Carr, the twin brother of Oromocto MLA Jody Carr, sparked debate on that topic when he filed a complaint with the province's Human Rights Commission, calling for equal access to high-speed service.

He is also pledging upgrades to Route 101, a moratorium on uranium mining and exploration and new water towers for Fredericton Junction and New Maryland.

Yet his approach has bordered on gimmicky - and not just in the case of the human rights complaint. One of Carr's handouts asks residents to vote for him so he and his brother can be the first set of twins elected to a North American legislature.

"Vote Jack Carr and make history!" he states.

Regardless, Carr hopes local residents retain a Conservative MLA. The byelection was triggered when Conservative Keith Ashfield decided to jump into federal politics.

But Carr has been defeated before in seeking entrance to legislature. He lost to Eugene McGinley in the riding of Grand Lake-Gagetown in 2006.

Carr, who has a 10-year-old son, doesn't live in the New Maryland-Sunbury West riding, but is now trying to sell his home in Upper Gagetown so he can make the move.

As a former military brat, Carr's childhood saw a number of moves. Though raised mainly in the Oromocto area, Carr and his two brothers also spent time at CFB Suffield in Alberta.

As a young boy he did live in the riding for a few years. He recalls when his mother, raising three boys on her own, couldn't afford to send the twins to kindergarten in Fredericton Junction.

An anonymous donation from the community eventually made is possible. Carr says he now wants to return the favour.

"I haven't forgotten that - the community was there for me."

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Shawn Graham and his government has been a huge disappointment for many who supported him, including yours truly. There was mention during the election campaign of a raise in taxes, neither was there any indication he was going to scrap the rebate of the provincial portion of the HST on heating costs for the people of the province, but he did raise taxes, and cancelled the already budgeted for rebate. He raided the Environmental Trust Fund to fund normal government operations, and that tells me that Victor Boudreau failed to provide an adequate budget for the Environment Department. Now we find out that instead of increasing the heating supplement for low-income NBer's as was recommended, he cancelled it altogether. This should illustrate to the voters that Shawn Graham could care less about those NBer's who will have to decide whether to pay their hydro bill or put food on the table. David Hay has already arrogantly stated that how people pay their energy bills is not his problem.