Matt and Jen recently expressed in a recent podcast the very valid concern that the federal conservatives might become fixated on the wrong thing, such as punishing CTV for their editing fiasco, when concerns of much greater importance loom. It seems this is a feature of conservative politics, which is very, very unfortunate considering the very real potential for positive change. I hope the feds don't squander their lead or make a hash of their newly formed government by resorting to petty arguments.
This problem of the fringe capturing political parties on the right and the left is a problem at the federal and provincial levels. It is a very large problem. I don't know Susan Holt, or have any familliarity with NB politics, but I'd advise her to shift to the centre and fight the urging to whiplash hard left. If anyone at the PMO is listening, that advice appliies to them as well. If they're not, and the next election sends the LPC to the woodshed as polls suggest, I'd extend this same advice to PP and his PMO.
Here in Alberta, the recent move to move to allow (encourage?) political party affiliation to the municipal level is not encouraging.
I'd like to see an abolishment of party politics altogether - unrealistic, I concur, but the current structure and behaviour of political parties in Canada is absolutely toxic to representative government. We are increasingly returning to a tribal/clan system where blood loyalty is all that matters, and reasoned consideration of all issues and all perspectives is not only discouraged but often actively punished.
I used to love municipal politics because the politicians used to actually care about their communities and were decidedly non-partisan. But in the last 15 years or so, it's been dominated (in BC) by NDPers trying to gain control and a few outsiders trying to get in. And it's become a mess. I want potholes fixed and garbage collected. I don't want calls for ceasefires in faraway lands and I don't want them to think they can stop global warming at the municipal level. Sure encourage people to use close lines, plant trees, yada yada, but don't go flying to Dubai for climate conferences or otherwise thinking you're going to change the world.
I live in NB and I don't see Susan Holt as being hard left in any way. Very little of that nauseating virtue signalling that the federal Libs spout all the time, for example. I see her as the quintessential centrist, which is exactly why she did as well as she did here. The broad centre is where most fellow NBers see themselves, it seems.
I really believe it to be so. The big issue for her will not be a right-left thing but rather being able to meet heightened expectations, with 48.5% of the popular vote. Everyone who voted for change will be expecting something, and sooner rather than later.
No argument there. I lived in Alberta for 40 years - rural Alberta for the vast majority of it - and was quite involved in municipal and provincial politics.
Alberta is changing quite quickly, both rural and urban. Changing into what is still up for debate. Edmonton has almost nothing in common with the rest of the province and Calgary is becoming it's own thing, the metro area literally doubling in population in under 20 years,
New Brunswick is interesting, and often has politicians that cross the grain of the expected if they see it as the right thing to do. A fair argument could be made that PC Richard Hatfield was one of the most (socially and fiscally) liberal premiers NB has had, and his successor, Liberal Frank McKenna, was one of the most (socially and fiscally) conservative.
We hear about the phenomenon of the "third rail." Blaine Higgs managed to find a fourth rail, and a fifth rail, and grabbed onto all of them. The surprising thing is that - despite the caucus revolt and the flood of resignations from the front bench - Higgs still had some game even in the final days. Pundits were timid about writing him off completely, because none of us really knew the extent of the fundamentalist vote hidden under the polling radar.
But now we do know. He lost ground but managed to hold rural Anglo regions and still had some weight in Fredericton, but fell far short in Saint John. The loss of his own seat in Quispam should serve to accelerate the turnover and rebuild, if enough PC's follow Chisholm's advice and get involved after being left on the shoulder of the Higgs highway in the last few years.
In her first few interviews as premier-elect, I thought Susan Holt acquitted herself very well. She has some much needed self-awareness, wisdom and maturity to help heal some divides. All NBers (and ex-pats like me) should wish her well.
This is what conservatism has become; social not fiscal. The issues facing the country are not how people choose to live their lives. It's the same garbage that has the US on the brink of an evangelical dictatorship. It's a cancer within the movement; in many case's by white people petrified about not being the majority anymore. Minority rule has never benefited anyone. It's time for conservatives to re-join reality. I doubt it will happen any time soon.
“Social transition” of troubled students abetted by activist teachers under the guise of protecting children from the boogeymen of violent intolerant parents whom they don’t know is not a benign act. It is not at all like teachers forbearing to out students seen to be exploring homosexual attraction with each other. It means recruiting other students to lie when the parents of the child being secretly trans’ed are present. “Now remember, class, Jessica’s parents will be attending the concert this afternoon. It’s really important that we all refer to her as Johnny when they are around. We will go back to calling her Jessica tomorrow.”
Trans is harmful to children. It is not the new gay. This may not be an issue that enough New Brunswickers care enough about to vote on, given all the rest of their problems, fine, that’s up to them. But it is not a hate question.
What exactly is the danger to the child in this situation (other than making themself a target for bullies)? The teachers aren’t providing hormone blockers or anything that will physically alter the kid. They are agreeing to call the kid what the kid wants to be called. It’s words. This seems about as dangerous as a kid wishing to go by his/middle name at school without telling their family.
Why are words “violence” when they are words we disagree with but are protected speech, “just words”, when we when want them celebrated? (Then silence is violence.) A child who uses an alternative name *that communicates that s/he thinks s/he is the sex s/he she is not* is severely disturbed. This is not a nickname. What you think it “seems” is not correct. The schools ought not to be abetting this in secret. They are not psychologists. They have no training but Ed. School activism.
Different people have different opinions, so yes, sometimes words are wind and sometimes words are violence depending on who you’re dealing with. I lean free speech. Nice to meet you.
Are you a psychologist? If not, you can recognize the hypocrisy in arguing that teachers are not equipped to make a decision on this because they are not psychologists, while immediately declaring the “correct” response, while having zero training of your own, right?
As Dr Hillary Cass noted, social transition is not a neutral act but a major psychosocial intervention that may affect whether a child’s gender distress disappears or becomes long-lasting. Of course parents should be made aware of such a change!
So Trans kids didn't exist in 2014? No one was concerned about it then. Now, just for fun, imagine you're a Muslim boy who feels that they are actually a girl. Why don't you lay out all the dangers of that kid being a girl at school as opposed to the school telling his parents. How do you see that playing out? No kid in school is getting prescriptions from their teacher, nor; despite Trump's idiotic comments, are any kids going off to school boys and coming home girls.
So go ahead and make up as many imaginary stories about teachers recruiting other kids to lie, but don't forget tot attend the funeral of the kid who suffers an honour killing for bringing shame to their family.
This is an incredibly complex issue. Nothing life-altering happens until they're 18 or earlier through a doctor with parental involvement. The GOP told you who to be afraid of. You weren't before. What changed?
No, it's not the new gay, but it's been around forever. Recall the Tom-boy......
Tom-Boy girls are not trans. They know perfectly well they are girls. Most of them are lesbians, or are just attracted to more stereotypically male pursuits. (I knew one who went into geology. Her sexuality is no business of mine but she is still a woman after all these years of breaking rocks with hammers.)
Talk about making up imaginary stories: secretly trans-ing Muslim kids to protect them from honour killings. Muslim honour-killers kill homosexuals. In Iran, they forcibly trans them—the ultimate gay conversion therapy. Is that what you want?
Don’t condescend to me by telling me that I believe something only because the GOP told me to. That’s the pot calling the kettle a utensil of colour.
Oh Susan. That's the most naive thing you've ever said. I know three personally that are in their 40's living their lives as men. Ask any of them, they'd tell you they were Tom-boys in school.
As you say, they kill homosexuals......how do you see trans playing out at home? Last time I checked, Canada is not Iran. Want to revisit the Shafia family story?
While many evil things have been and will continue to be said about former President Trump, “evangelical” is a bit of a reach. If anything, “Godless” would be a more appropriate insult. FWIW.
Wow. It's right in front of your face and you don't see it. Whoa re his principle cult backers? The bible thumpers. The evangelicals have all forgiven him because he's offering what they want; a Christian fundamentalist white dictatorship; much the same as what Orban has imposed on Hungary, and what Russia has always been.
Now, Trump can almost be dismissed as he has devolved into a drooling incoherent mental midget. Who gets to the keys to the big house? Vance, a rabid misogynist evangelical bought ad paid for by Peter Thiel.
There is no question that Trump is a godless megalomaniac. He's arguably the worst person to come out of the US since the Civil War. The base have set that detail aside for what he promised them. So while he's not, they are devotedly pretending he is.
Higgs' commitment to "parental rights" in the election brings to mind John Tory in the 2007 Ontario provincial election, where he was completely fixated on his plan to provide funding to all religious schools, not just Catholic ones, an issue nearly no one else cared about. They think that if they just explain it one more time, everyone will suddenly get it.
The issue isn’t that the population didn’t agree with Mr. Higgs. Mr. Higgs’ view on the subject is actually the majority view. It’s a minority who wants teachers to be required to lie and keep secrets from parents.
But while the majority agrees with Mr. Higgs, it wasn’t their big issue. They care a LOT more about other things and Mr. Higgs lost on those.
If you want to win an election, you have to be right on the issues voters care MOST about.
I wholeheartedly agree with the NDP on micro plastics. I wholeheartedly agree with the NDP on a lot of things in fact.
Sorry, I’m ignorant. What does the NDP want to do to save us all from the perils of micro-plastics being discarded by many countries much much bigger than we are? This sounds like just the perfect issue for them. Better than nationalizing a bank, I guess.
Property owners, not necessarily rich people. If you run your own hairdressing business or have $1000 in a mutual fund that buys the Toronto Stock Exchange, that would do. That’s the price of a couple of tattoos and a few cartons of cigarettes (if you buy them legally.). Anything that cures you from voting socialist is good.
You asked a question, I answered. Matt doesn’t want people bickering here so I’ll leave it at that. You should too.
I remember thinking at the time that I'd never seen anyone lose an election in one sentence before.
I imagine this was supposed to be a policy to appeal to those who send their kids to non-Catholic Christian private schools, but the implications of funding every religious school from every religion seemed to escape him.
Bingo. Steve Outhouse lost this one for the PCs. He's like the Navigator of campaign managers on the Canadian right. You don't get fired for hiring them even though there are much better out there.
Always wonder why so-called conservatives are always so determined to criticize their brethren. I found Premier Higgs very courageous on many fronts, had 6 balanced budgets & did many good things not even acknowledged in this column. Seems like the author has an axe to grind. Pity.
There seems to be a parallel between the NB Conservative fate and the Federal Liberal future here. Leading with sensationalistic issues that effect few people, ignoring real issues affecting peoples day to day lives, and continuing policies that go against changes in public option seem to be fatal.
Excellent piece. Here's to Conservatives agreeing to live in the same realities the rest of us. The trans panic is clearly an import from the US. Conservative leaders across the country have said to themselves I" know this affects a minuscule number of people but it seems to be working in the USA so let's go with it." As this author points out there are real issues out there. Please focus on those.
I dunno. When a BC nurse gets harassed, bullied, suspended, and dragged through the courts for putting up a sign saying she supports JK Rowling, it's a problem in Canada.
It is a big problem in Canada. We have weaponized niceness, as Bruce Pardy says. But ever more free stuff paid for by an ever shrinking number of taxpayers who aren’t themselves civil servants is what Canadians want, so that’s what we’re going to get.
Yup. You can’t be fiscally conservative in Canada without acknowledging that a lot of socially liberal programs cost a hell of a lot and don’t always lead to measurably good outcomes.
I agree with the core of your analysis Chisholm, although I am skeptical of the idea that there is a strictly finite number of issues that can be brought to the public's attention that are in zero-sum competition to each other. There is of course only a finite amount of content that can be put into a press release, and only a finite number of press releases that can be put out. However, debating Policy 713 would not have caused the PCs to plummet in popularity solely as a result of not being top-of-mind for New Brunswickers as an issue priority. Voters can have short attention spans, but they do not immediately forget the quality of the government's governance outcomes the moment the party stops talking about them, and they do assess policies in terms of underlying principles rather than just direct personal impact.
The Higgs PCs' stance on Policy 713 must have failed to fit in coherently within their larger policy agenda and tone, or been less popular amongst the electorate than polling suggested. But I am admittedly saying that as no expert on NB politics.
Chisholm, out here swinging. This was a very good read.
Matt and Jen recently expressed in a recent podcast the very valid concern that the federal conservatives might become fixated on the wrong thing, such as punishing CTV for their editing fiasco, when concerns of much greater importance loom. It seems this is a feature of conservative politics, which is very, very unfortunate considering the very real potential for positive change. I hope the feds don't squander their lead or make a hash of their newly formed government by resorting to petty arguments.
Don't worry, they will. They think right wing populism is how to bring the working classes on board the coalition
This problem of the fringe capturing political parties on the right and the left is a problem at the federal and provincial levels. It is a very large problem. I don't know Susan Holt, or have any familliarity with NB politics, but I'd advise her to shift to the centre and fight the urging to whiplash hard left. If anyone at the PMO is listening, that advice appliies to them as well. If they're not, and the next election sends the LPC to the woodshed as polls suggest, I'd extend this same advice to PP and his PMO.
Here in Alberta, the recent move to move to allow (encourage?) political party affiliation to the municipal level is not encouraging.
I'd like to see an abolishment of party politics altogether - unrealistic, I concur, but the current structure and behaviour of political parties in Canada is absolutely toxic to representative government. We are increasingly returning to a tribal/clan system where blood loyalty is all that matters, and reasoned consideration of all issues and all perspectives is not only discouraged but often actively punished.
I used to love municipal politics because the politicians used to actually care about their communities and were decidedly non-partisan. But in the last 15 years or so, it's been dominated (in BC) by NDPers trying to gain control and a few outsiders trying to get in. And it's become a mess. I want potholes fixed and garbage collected. I don't want calls for ceasefires in faraway lands and I don't want them to think they can stop global warming at the municipal level. Sure encourage people to use close lines, plant trees, yada yada, but don't go flying to Dubai for climate conferences or otherwise thinking you're going to change the world.
Thank you for brilliantly encapsulating the ‘why’ behind Alberta’s move towards Parties in municipal politics.
Calgary city council got taken over by a majority voting block in the last election, who were financially backed by the City worker’s Unions.
I think they hit every single one of the things you outlined above along the way, and our potholes have been left unpaved…
Municipal Parties will at least have to stand for something, and say so prior to getting elected.
I live in NB and I don't see Susan Holt as being hard left in any way. Very little of that nauseating virtue signalling that the federal Libs spout all the time, for example. I see her as the quintessential centrist, which is exactly why she did as well as she did here. The broad centre is where most fellow NBers see themselves, it seems.
That's encouraging!
I really believe it to be so. The big issue for her will not be a right-left thing but rather being able to meet heightened expectations, with 48.5% of the popular vote. Everyone who voted for change will be expecting something, and sooner rather than later.
Centrisism is subjective. I can assure you what is centrist in New Brunswick wouldn't be considered centrist in for instance Alberta.
No argument there. I lived in Alberta for 40 years - rural Alberta for the vast majority of it - and was quite involved in municipal and provincial politics.
Alberta is changing quite quickly, both rural and urban. Changing into what is still up for debate. Edmonton has almost nothing in common with the rest of the province and Calgary is becoming it's own thing, the metro area literally doubling in population in under 20 years,
Great analysis from Chisholm, as expected.
New Brunswick is interesting, and often has politicians that cross the grain of the expected if they see it as the right thing to do. A fair argument could be made that PC Richard Hatfield was one of the most (socially and fiscally) liberal premiers NB has had, and his successor, Liberal Frank McKenna, was one of the most (socially and fiscally) conservative.
We hear about the phenomenon of the "third rail." Blaine Higgs managed to find a fourth rail, and a fifth rail, and grabbed onto all of them. The surprising thing is that - despite the caucus revolt and the flood of resignations from the front bench - Higgs still had some game even in the final days. Pundits were timid about writing him off completely, because none of us really knew the extent of the fundamentalist vote hidden under the polling radar.
But now we do know. He lost ground but managed to hold rural Anglo regions and still had some weight in Fredericton, but fell far short in Saint John. The loss of his own seat in Quispam should serve to accelerate the turnover and rebuild, if enough PC's follow Chisholm's advice and get involved after being left on the shoulder of the Higgs highway in the last few years.
In her first few interviews as premier-elect, I thought Susan Holt acquitted herself very well. She has some much needed self-awareness, wisdom and maturity to help heal some divides. All NBers (and ex-pats like me) should wish her well.
This is what conservatism has become; social not fiscal. The issues facing the country are not how people choose to live their lives. It's the same garbage that has the US on the brink of an evangelical dictatorship. It's a cancer within the movement; in many case's by white people petrified about not being the majority anymore. Minority rule has never benefited anyone. It's time for conservatives to re-join reality. I doubt it will happen any time soon.
“Social transition” of troubled students abetted by activist teachers under the guise of protecting children from the boogeymen of violent intolerant parents whom they don’t know is not a benign act. It is not at all like teachers forbearing to out students seen to be exploring homosexual attraction with each other. It means recruiting other students to lie when the parents of the child being secretly trans’ed are present. “Now remember, class, Jessica’s parents will be attending the concert this afternoon. It’s really important that we all refer to her as Johnny when they are around. We will go back to calling her Jessica tomorrow.”
Trans is harmful to children. It is not the new gay. This may not be an issue that enough New Brunswickers care enough about to vote on, given all the rest of their problems, fine, that’s up to them. But it is not a hate question.
What exactly is the danger to the child in this situation (other than making themself a target for bullies)? The teachers aren’t providing hormone blockers or anything that will physically alter the kid. They are agreeing to call the kid what the kid wants to be called. It’s words. This seems about as dangerous as a kid wishing to go by his/middle name at school without telling their family.
Why are words “violence” when they are words we disagree with but are protected speech, “just words”, when we when want them celebrated? (Then silence is violence.) A child who uses an alternative name *that communicates that s/he thinks s/he is the sex s/he she is not* is severely disturbed. This is not a nickname. What you think it “seems” is not correct. The schools ought not to be abetting this in secret. They are not psychologists. They have no training but Ed. School activism.
Different people have different opinions, so yes, sometimes words are wind and sometimes words are violence depending on who you’re dealing with. I lean free speech. Nice to meet you.
Are you a psychologist? If not, you can recognize the hypocrisy in arguing that teachers are not equipped to make a decision on this because they are not psychologists, while immediately declaring the “correct” response, while having zero training of your own, right?
As Dr Hillary Cass noted, social transition is not a neutral act but a major psychosocial intervention that may affect whether a child’s gender distress disappears or becomes long-lasting. Of course parents should be made aware of such a change!
So Trans kids didn't exist in 2014? No one was concerned about it then. Now, just for fun, imagine you're a Muslim boy who feels that they are actually a girl. Why don't you lay out all the dangers of that kid being a girl at school as opposed to the school telling his parents. How do you see that playing out? No kid in school is getting prescriptions from their teacher, nor; despite Trump's idiotic comments, are any kids going off to school boys and coming home girls.
So go ahead and make up as many imaginary stories about teachers recruiting other kids to lie, but don't forget tot attend the funeral of the kid who suffers an honour killing for bringing shame to their family.
This is an incredibly complex issue. Nothing life-altering happens until they're 18 or earlier through a doctor with parental involvement. The GOP told you who to be afraid of. You weren't before. What changed?
No, it's not the new gay, but it's been around forever. Recall the Tom-boy......
Tom-Boy girls are not trans. They know perfectly well they are girls. Most of them are lesbians, or are just attracted to more stereotypically male pursuits. (I knew one who went into geology. Her sexuality is no business of mine but she is still a woman after all these years of breaking rocks with hammers.)
Talk about making up imaginary stories: secretly trans-ing Muslim kids to protect them from honour killings. Muslim honour-killers kill homosexuals. In Iran, they forcibly trans them—the ultimate gay conversion therapy. Is that what you want?
Don’t condescend to me by telling me that I believe something only because the GOP told me to. That’s the pot calling the kettle a utensil of colour.
Tomboys aren’t necessarily lesbians either. I was very much a tomboy as a child. Glad I am not a child in 2024.
Oops, sorry, Matt. Just saw your intervention now! Let me know if you want me to delete :-)
Oh Susan. That's the most naive thing you've ever said. I know three personally that are in their 40's living their lives as men. Ask any of them, they'd tell you they were Tom-boys in school.
As you say, they kill homosexuals......how do you see trans playing out at home? Last time I checked, Canada is not Iran. Want to revisit the Shafia family story?
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29832690
We can wrap this up, guys. You might have to both devote some personal time to being comfortable with people being wrong on the internet.
And if you find any success at that, let me know how.
CC: @susanmacmillan639812
I’m actually comfortable with that once someone steps in as moderator. I think that is the most successful way to do it. So thanks.
While many evil things have been and will continue to be said about former President Trump, “evangelical” is a bit of a reach. If anything, “Godless” would be a more appropriate insult. FWIW.
Wow. It's right in front of your face and you don't see it. Whoa re his principle cult backers? The bible thumpers. The evangelicals have all forgiven him because he's offering what they want; a Christian fundamentalist white dictatorship; much the same as what Orban has imposed on Hungary, and what Russia has always been.
Now, Trump can almost be dismissed as he has devolved into a drooling incoherent mental midget. Who gets to the keys to the big house? Vance, a rabid misogynist evangelical bought ad paid for by Peter Thiel.
There is no question that Trump is a godless megalomaniac. He's arguably the worst person to come out of the US since the Civil War. The base have set that detail aside for what he promised them. So while he's not, they are devotedly pretending he is.
Higgs' commitment to "parental rights" in the election brings to mind John Tory in the 2007 Ontario provincial election, where he was completely fixated on his plan to provide funding to all religious schools, not just Catholic ones, an issue nearly no one else cared about. They think that if they just explain it one more time, everyone will suddenly get it.
The issue isn’t that the population didn’t agree with Mr. Higgs. Mr. Higgs’ view on the subject is actually the majority view. It’s a minority who wants teachers to be required to lie and keep secrets from parents.
But while the majority agrees with Mr. Higgs, it wasn’t their big issue. They care a LOT more about other things and Mr. Higgs lost on those.
If you want to win an election, you have to be right on the issues voters care MOST about.
I wholeheartedly agree with the NDP on micro plastics. I wholeheartedly agree with the NDP on a lot of things in fact.
But I’m not voting for the NDP because I disagree
Sorry, I’m ignorant. What does the NDP want to do to save us all from the perils of micro-plastics being discarded by many countries much much bigger than we are? This sounds like just the perfect issue for them. Better than nationalizing a bank, I guess.
Aren’t you the lady whose political ideology is that only rich people should be allowed to vote?
Property owners, not necessarily rich people. If you run your own hairdressing business or have $1000 in a mutual fund that buys the Toronto Stock Exchange, that would do. That’s the price of a couple of tattoos and a few cartons of cigarettes (if you buy them legally.). Anything that cures you from voting socialist is good.
You asked a question, I answered. Matt doesn’t want people bickering here so I’ll leave it at that. You should too.
I gotta admit this is a great troll you’re doing. I mean, it’s not 4chan worthy or anything like that, but you’re pretty good at it.
I remember thinking at the time that I'd never seen anyone lose an election in one sentence before.
I imagine this was supposed to be a policy to appeal to those who send their kids to non-Catholic Christian private schools, but the implications of funding every religious school from every religion seemed to escape him.
The big mistake the Tories made was trying to import what works in SK and AB to NB via Steve Outhouse.
Bingo. Steve Outhouse lost this one for the PCs. He's like the Navigator of campaign managers on the Canadian right. You don't get fired for hiring them even though there are much better out there.
Always wonder why so-called conservatives are always so determined to criticize their brethren. I found Premier Higgs very courageous on many fronts, had 6 balanced budgets & did many good things not even acknowledged in this column. Seems like the author has an axe to grind. Pity.
There seems to be a parallel between the NB Conservative fate and the Federal Liberal future here. Leading with sensationalistic issues that effect few people, ignoring real issues affecting peoples day to day lives, and continuing policies that go against changes in public option seem to be fatal.
Have never heard of Chisholm but would like to hear more. Sanity.
Excellent piece. Here's to Conservatives agreeing to live in the same realities the rest of us. The trans panic is clearly an import from the US. Conservative leaders across the country have said to themselves I" know this affects a minuscule number of people but it seems to be working in the USA so let's go with it." As this author points out there are real issues out there. Please focus on those.
I dunno. When a BC nurse gets harassed, bullied, suspended, and dragged through the courts for putting up a sign saying she supports JK Rowling, it's a problem in Canada.
It is a big problem in Canada. We have weaponized niceness, as Bruce Pardy says. But ever more free stuff paid for by an ever shrinking number of taxpayers who aren’t themselves civil servants is what Canadians want, so that’s what we’re going to get.
Yup. You can’t be fiscally conservative in Canada without acknowledging that a lot of socially liberal programs cost a hell of a lot and don’t always lead to measurably good outcomes.
Well that's one person out of 41 million.
I agree with the core of your analysis Chisholm, although I am skeptical of the idea that there is a strictly finite number of issues that can be brought to the public's attention that are in zero-sum competition to each other. There is of course only a finite amount of content that can be put into a press release, and only a finite number of press releases that can be put out. However, debating Policy 713 would not have caused the PCs to plummet in popularity solely as a result of not being top-of-mind for New Brunswickers as an issue priority. Voters can have short attention spans, but they do not immediately forget the quality of the government's governance outcomes the moment the party stops talking about them, and they do assess policies in terms of underlying principles rather than just direct personal impact.
The Higgs PCs' stance on Policy 713 must have failed to fit in coherently within their larger policy agenda and tone, or been less popular amongst the electorate than polling suggested. But I am admittedly saying that as no expert on NB politics.
A very reasoned article. Nice to see.