A compromised Judy Foote? Let's talk about Ches Crosbie, hyperbole and selective memory

Ches Crosbie's assertion that Lt-Gov. Judy Foote is "constitutionally compromised" is a serious exaggeration, and overlooks the fact that Crosbie's own father often ignored the non-partisan expectation of the Queen's representative in Newfoundland and Labrador when the senior Crosbie held the post.

There, I've said it.

Now to explain.

Crosbie and the Tories finished second in Thursday's provincial general election, winning 15 of 40 districts and turning in a vastly improved result from four years ago, when the PCs were evicted from government by Dwight Ball and the Liberals and reduced to just seven seats.

Crosbie can take a lot of the credit for the turnaround. He fought for the party leadership at a time when many high-profile PCs were jumping ship, or keeping their heads buried deep in their political foxholes. He had every reason to hold his head up high Thursday night, thank the voters who supported his party, and humbly guarantee that he would lead a very effective opposition in the House of Assembly.

Crosbie less than courteous

But Crosbie's reaction to the result was less than courteous, bordered on anger, and saw him refusing to concede defeat to the Liberals, which finished with 20 seats and enough to form a minority government.

In effect, Crosbie was refusing to accept the wishes of the voters, who decided to seriously punish the Liberals, though not even to kick them from power, and give a signal to the PCs that their time in the political wilderness was softening, though not enough to forgive them for a legacy that includes Muskrat Falls.

And when that wasn't enough, Crosbie proceeded to slag Judy Foote, continuing an attack first launched earlier this week by Bill Matthews, the PC candidate who went down to defeat in Burin-Grand Bank.

Foote was sworn in last year as the province's 14th lieutenant-governor since the province joined Confederation in 1949. It's largely a ceremonial, non-partisan role.

It was a political appointment by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following a long career by Foote, a Liberal, in provincial and federal politics, no different than when John Crosbie was put forward as lieutenant-governor by then Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper in 2008.

'There is a legitimate concern'

With three seats for the NDP and two independents, Crosbie hinted to reporters that an alternative to a Liberal minority if those five newly minted MHAs would join the PCs. Even if such a long shot possibility existed, and it doesn't, such a challenge would require the co-operation of the lieutenant-governor.

That's when Crosbie unloaded on Foote, saying her behaviour during the election campaign, along with Foote's attendance at a dinner in Ontario on May 3 honouring the career of a long-serving Liberal MP and friend, meant the lieutenant-governor had "put herself in a constitutionally compromised position." [Foote says she paid for the trip herself.]

He went on to say "there is a legitimate concern of apprehension of bias on the part of Judy Foote. She has not managed to divide her role as a non-partisan representative of the Queen from her recency as a political member of the Liberal Party."

Hollow words

Very strong words from the PC leader. But they're rather hollow.

Here's why.

Matthews, hungry for any advantage he could get in his quest to unseat Liberal incumbent Carol Anne Haley, went screaming to the media this week after learning Foote was on the Burin Peninsula during the election campaign.

Matthews complained that it was inappropriate for Foote to have left Government House and travelled to Grand Bank, her hometown, during the campaign, especially since her presence could give an edge to Haley, who once worked as Foote's political assistant.

Initially, officials at Government House issued a statement, saying the purpose of Foote's visit "is mainly of a personal nature," and that she would also be reading to students at Lake Academy in Fortune, fulfilling an invitation that had been made in October.

A further statement said Foote is "very much aware of her constitutional role and her requirement to be apolitical and goes to great lengths to ensure such. She has no meetings or any sort of activity planned with any candidate with any party during the election anywhere in the province, including Grand Bank."

But in an unusual move, Government House issued another statement on Wednesday, saying it was necessary to provide further details of Foote's visit because Matthews had "questioned the integrity of the office and that of the lieutenant-governor."

So why was Foote in her hometown?

Judy Foote became an orphan at age 3, and she was raised by her aunt, who's now 88 years-of-age. Sunday was Mother's Day, and it's tradition that Foote visit the woman who raised her.

She also oversaw long-planned repairs to her home, helped another aunt move into a personal care home, and read to students.

No campaigning. Period.

"Mr. Matthews' accusation is unwarranted," a statement read.

Sounds like Foote had some very important family matters to attend to, and went to lengths to avoid the political spotlight.

It's also a stretch to suggest Foote overstepped any boundaries by attending a dinner in Ottawa for MP Judy Sgro.

John Crosbie known for political stands

So you have to wonder what John Crosbie might have been thinking when his son was criticizing Judy Foote Thursday night.

After all, John Crosbie was probably the most political of any sitting lieutenant-governor in our post-Confederation history.

He was a champion of the seal hunt, for example, and most famously, he publicly endorsed the highly controversial Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project 2012, just months before the Tory government sanctioned the project at a cost of $6.2 billion.

At the time, politicians, pundits and the public were already bitterly divided.

Meanwhile, the price tag for Muskrat has since ballooned to an all-in cost of $12.7 billion, and the project is now the subject of an ongoing public inquiry.

I'm not here to defend the office of the lieutenant-governor, or justify the money required to maintain it.

I do want to point out Ches Crosbie's hyperbolic rhetoric, and his selective memory.

Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador