A VERY VERY tired Blogger and Cleveland J. Allaby gives a update at P.C. Leadership Convention!
Junior minister left to defend Lord's comments
One of Bernard Lord's newest cabinet ministers is defending his boss in the midst of a political firestorm that has left New Brunswick with a minority government.
A prominent Fredericton lawyer and long-time Tory supporter who found himself caught up in the story is also demanding a personal apology from the premier.
Lord refused to comment on the situation Monday, but left his newly-minted minister of post-secondary education and training, Jody Carr, to tell CBC he's proud of his leader.
Carr says he supports Lord's decison to hold a press conference about a conversation he had with outgoing Conservative member Michael (Tanker) Malley.
"What Tanker said publicly is that he went Independent because the Miramichi wasn't getting its fair share, and the premier felt that that was contradicting the truth, and he wanted to lay the facts out."
Malley quit the party Friday night to sit as an Independent, frustrated that he was left out of cabinet and claiming that his riding hasn't received enough support from Lord's government.
Lord's Conservatives now hold 27 seats, the Liberals hold 26, with two Independents – Malley and Frank Branch.
- READ MALLEY'S LETTER OF RESIGNATION: 'I will no longer be taken for granted,' Malley writes
Lord responded to Malley's decision by holding a news conference on Saturday, saying he had no regrets about the loss. Lord told reporters that Malley demanded a number of unreasonable favours, including the appointment of lawyer Cleveland Allaby to the bench as a provincial court judge.
"The first item on his list was to appoint his friend Cleveland Allaby as judge of the province of New Brunswick," Lord said.
But that was news to Allaby, who says he couldn't believe his ears when he heard Lord had mentioned his name in connection with Malley's defection. He says he never asked Malley to try to get him a judicial appointment and is insulted at the suggestion.
"I did not ask him to do that, and for him to assume that I'm behind some nefarious plot – if indeed that's what they talked about at the meeting because we don't know – I have real difficulty with that."
Allaby, a staunch supporter of the party who once ran for the leadership, admits Malley is a friend but says when he asked Malley about this list of demands, Malley told him his conversations with the premier were confidential and he couldn't tell him anything.
Allaby says the premier could learn a lesson from Malley. "Let me know what you're saying. Rather than this pot-shotting, this cheap-shotting, this behind the backs, sneaky business that's going on. Stand up and be a man."
Allaby says he wants an apology directly from Lord, in person, face to face and not over the phone.
Liberal house leader Kelly Lamrock admits the turn of events has left his party feeling like a hockey team that skates onto the ice to find its opponents in a bench-clearing brawl, but says his caucus will focus on the issues facing the province – and getting ready for the next election.
He says if Lord is dumb enough to blurt out Allaby's name to the media and air his party's dirty laundry he'll enjoy the show. "I certainly think when we vote in the upcoming [session of the] legislature we will find there is little to be gained by letting a tired government, ripped apart by infighting and not focused on the province, carry on."
- FROM FEB. 18, 2006: N.B. premier downplays loss of majority in legislature
The Lord government could fall as soon as April 7, when the house is expected to vote on Finance Minister Jeannot Volpé's spring budget.
Malley denies allegations of blackmail
Miramichi MLA Michael (Tanker) Malley insisted he didn't demand anything from Lord in exchange for staying with the Progressive Conservative Party.
- FROM FEB. 21, 2006: Plot thickens as Liberal points fingers at new ministers
Malley met with reporters on his way into an education committee meeting in Fredericton. He confirmed meeting with Lord on Friday, but denied that he requested special favours from the premier. "In all honesty, I never had a list of demands. That's his version. My version. I never had a list of demands. No, I didn't make any demands," he said.
Malley quit the government last Friday, claiming to be frustrated that the concerns of his riding are being overlooked by the premier and cabinet. That decision turned a fragile majority government into a minority.
Saturday morning, Lord held a news conference and alleged that Malley made five demands to ensure he stayed in the Tory caucus.
Among other things, the premier said Malley asked for more money for his constituency office, more funding for an idled paper mill, and that Fredericton lawyer Cleveland Allaby be appointed a provincial court judge.
But Malley says none of that is true is surprised that Lord would hold a press conference based on their conversation. "The discussion that I had with the premier Friday was supposed to be between him and I. And it shouldn't have been out in the street the next day. I'm very hurt, sad, I've always been loyal to the premier and he's also my friend but having been a private discussion I never thought that it would have been out on the street."
Malley says his priority now is to represent the interests of Miramichi in the legislature. "Miramichiers are very hurt, they've been bypassed four times to be heard in cabinet."
Late Tuesday, the rift between the rogue MLA and the government appeared to be widening as yet another senior Tory waded into the fray in defence of Lord.
Terry Andow – former executive director of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick who is now chief of staff for government members – said he also met with MLA Malley on Friday. Andow says Malley told him about a series of requests he wanted to present to the premier. But Andow admits he never saw the list Lord talked about on Saturday, and didn't attend the meeting between the two.
"I'm a little concerned somehow that the premier's word is being cast against Michael Malley's," Andow said.
"I guess whether you call them issues, or demands or requests, if someone comes to you and says 'I would like to have these things accomplished by no later than 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon,' how would one interpret them?You could only interpret them as a demand."
Rogue N.B. legislator becomes Speaker, giving Lord a budget buffer
An Independent politician has been named Speaker of the New Brunswick legislature, all but guaranteeing that Premier Bernard Lord's shaky Conservative government will survive for a while longer.
Michael (Tanker) Malley, who represents the provincial riding of Miramichi Bay-du-Vin, was the only member of the legislative assembly to let his name stand for the Speaker's job when the spring sitting opened Tuesday.
The Speaker's job gives Malley an office staff, a cabinet minister's salary and greater prestige than that of a lonely Independent.
Malley's new job means he will not vote except in the case of a tie, and tradition dictates that the Speaker does not defeat the government on a budget motion.
Such a motion will be voted on late next week. The Lord government brought down a balanced budget just hours after Malley's appointment Tuesday.
- RELATED STORY: Tory budget spends big, with tax cuts
It racked up spending of $6.2 billion as it distributed corporate tax breaks and funding for energy bill relief, education and health care.
Liberals cry foul over Malley's new job
Liberal House leader Kelly Lamrock bitterly accused Lord of buying Malley's co-operation on the pending budget vote by not allowing any of his own caucus members to seek the Speaker's position. Traditionally, the Speaker is chosen from the government ranks.
"The premier told us that he was too ethical to offer any position to keep his government [alive]," Lamrock said.
"Obviously I'm reminded of the old quote, 'We know what he is, and now we're just dickering over the price.' "
Currently, the New Brunswick legislature has 27 Progressive Conservatives, 26 Liberals, one Independent (former Liberal Frank Branch) and the Speaker.
Even if all the Liberals and Branch vote together, they don't have the numbers to defeat Lord's minority government.
- FROM FEB. 18, 2006: N.B. premier downplays loss of majority in legislature
Malley was first elected in 1999 and sat as one of Lord's Progressive Conservatives until mid-February.
He left the Tory caucus after a mid-term cabinet shuffle, sparking a furious and public debate among prominent members of the party.
Malley told reporters he quit because he disagreed with the direction of the government, but the premier told a different story.
- FROM FEB. 21, 2006: Malley denies allegations of blackmail
Hours after Malley resigned from the party, Lord held a news conference claiming Malley had threatened to walk unless Lord met a series of conditions.
One was a judicial appointment for prominent Tory lawyer Cleveland Allaby, a friend of Malley's.
Malley denied the premier's version of events; neither man has backed down from his story.
Former Tory speaker Bev Harrison, who was appointed to cabinet during the last shuffle, said Tuesday that Lord had nothing to do with Malley getting the Speaker's job.
Harrison said he'll be glad to help Malley settle in: "He wants to know the protocol of the job, and how things work, and I'm prepared to help him in any way I can."
Tanker Malley plots political comeback as an independent
Malley will run in the riding of Miramichi against PC MLA Robert Trevors and Liberal MLA Bill Fraser
Michael (Tanker) Malley was a school bus driver until he was elected as a Progressive Conservative MLA in 1999. He briefly served as the Speaker until he was defeated in the 2006 provincial election.
After eight years on the sidelines of provincial politics, Malley will put his name on the ballot in the riding of Miramichi as an independent candidate in September's election.
Malley is joining the race in the newly merged, city-wide riding of Miramichi, which already featured Miramichi Centre Progressive Conservative MLA Robert Trevors, a cabinet minister, and Miramichi-Bay du Vin Liberal MLA Bill Fraser.
Fraser was the Liberal who defeated Malley in 2006.
But this time, Malley said he believes voters want to see more independent voices in politics and not candidates parroting party talking points.
"You know I think people now want their elected officials to be able to speak freely," Malley said.
This isn’t the first time that Malley has stepped away from party politics.
Malley quit the Tory party in 2006 to sit as an independent and claimed at the time that he was frustrated by the way his riding had been ignored by the Tory government.
Malley became Speaker shortly after he bolted the party,only to rejoin the Progressive Conservatives prior to the 2006 provincial election.
That episode is one reason he said the province needs more MLAs without party ties.
"There's lots of things I wanted to say, but couldn't say things or even sometimes get up and debate in the House,” Malley said.
"In my heart, I'm better off going as an independent and that way there, I'm not loyal to any political party, that way there I'm not loyal to any leader. I'd be loyal to the constituency and the people I represent,” he added.
Malley isn’t the only one talking about opening up the legislature.
The People’s Alliance of New Brunswick has supported more free votes and other accountability measures intended to give MLAs more influence in the legislature.
Party systems can help, Trevors says
While being an independent may have some advantages, Trevors said that limits an elected official's ability to influence policy decisions that can help constituents.
"I'm very comfortable that I could represent them better within the structure of a government and as we're well aware, an independent candidate would probably not be represented within government," the Tory cabinet minister said.
Malley’s path back to the legislature is also complicated by the fact that political history is not kind to politicians who try to win elections when running as independents.
There were seven independent candidates in the 2010 provincial election. Only two of those candidates received more than 250 votes.
Dale Allen finished in second in the Woodstock riding with 995 votes but he finished well behind Premier David Alward’s 4,672 votes.
And Jean-Marc Nadeau finished in third spot running as an independent in Madawaska-les-Lacs with 644 votes.
Further, Malley’s political stock also took a hit in 2012.
Malley won a seat on Miramichi city council in 2008. There were 10 councillor-at-large positions in that election and Malley finished in ninth position.
Four years later, Malley did not make the cut. There were eight councillor-at-large positions in 2012 and Malley lost his seat when he finished three votes behind the eighth-place candidate.
Blogger Charles LeBlanc charged with assault
Miramichi Police Force is investigating the alleged assault involving Charles LeBlanc
LeBlanc, who is defending himself, appeared in court on Monday and is facing a charge of assault.
The charge was filed the day before the six-month cut-off for charges to be laid.
The alleged assault happened on July 3.
The Miramichi Police Force is handling the investigation due to the strained relationship between the blogger and the Fredericton Police Force.
"I find it ironic that this was filed one day before limitation. The limitation is six months. I totally forgot about this. So this was squeezed through the courts on Jan. 2, one day before the six-month limitation," LeBlanc said.
He was told to send the request to the Crown prosecutor in writing.
He will return to court on Feb. 16.
LeBlanc, who writes a blog on politics and social justice issues, has had repeated run-ins with the Fredericton police.
In 2012, LeBlanc was charged with criminal libel charges for allegedly damaging the reputation of a city police officer in a blog post in the summer of 2011.
But the Office of the Attorney General later said it would not be proceeding with the prosecution because that section had been deemed unconstitutional in other jurisdictions.
The city hired Bernard Richard, former ombudsman, to investigate the city police force’s handling of libel charges.
In 2014, the City of Fredericton said it was behind a complaint that resulted in the blog being shut down.
Chris MacPherson, the city's chief administrative officer, said he asked Google to shut down "charlesotherpersonality.blogspot.ca" because it contained inaccurate and hurtful content about Fredericton police.
The blog was resurrected, however, after an anonymous donor sponsored a new domain name, which has only a minor spelling change in its name.
I don't know who you know, but 30,000 roomers and tenants now have basic housing rights thanks to Charles leblanc, and countless people have had their small businesses advertised for nothing, had their organizations given free publicity, and countless nbers have seen interviews with major politicians outside the irving, cbc filter.
Not only that, but numerous public interest stories have only been covered on his blog, and thanks to him the city actually has a virtual day by day photo history from the past ten years. It would have much more, except the city complained and now most of it has been 'disappeared'.
And this has zero to do with me, it wasn't 'new brunswick' that has been harassing charles, they welcome him to their protests and you can see them smiling at him in their pictures, so they are hardly harassed by 'incivility'.
It sounds more like you've been dealt a bad hand and are lashing out at charles because he has actually gotten some results. Not everything in this world is accomplished with civility. And one thing about Charles-if you are nice to him, he always returns the favour.
Media never talked about, but Charles made it central on his blog, even campaigned for a liberal in saint john. That law was finally changed after about six years of struggle. That is 30,000 people who had no rights, and now do have rights. And that is worth all the slander and crazy blogs in the world. Maybe not to new brunswickers who couldn't care less about the poor, but for those who actually champion human rights, it is the greatest accomplishment in new brunswick by a civilian that I've ever heard of.
And finally, I am a constant critic of Charles on his blog. Yet sadly its usually only when he is 'extreme' and crazy that he actually gets results, and maybe he knows this. But Charles would have long ago stopped blogging about the police had they simply had the decency to apologize to him personally, something they have never done. In fact, I and others were critical of him for being way too nice to Brad Woodside and David Alward simply because they were 'nice' to him. Its no surprise that when you treat people with respect, they return the favour, something that politicians and police haven't yet learned-Charles used to be the fredericton police's biggest fan, until they targeted him for taking that video.
New Brunswick premier expected to call early election after delay rejected
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