Twice last week, provincial Conservative politicians offered unprompted endorsements of Kathy Dunderdale’s leadership.
Natural resources minister Tom Marshall praised her as a compassionate Iron Lady who had his full support. Here’s the story VOCM ran:
Natural Resources Minister Tom Marshall says the premier has his full and complete support. Kathy Dunderdale has come under fire for a tough, cost-cutting budget that includes widespread layoffs and funding cuts. On VOCM Open Line with Bill Rowe, Marshall used a label which came into prominence during the term of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher came into power in the UK in 1970s and developed a reputation of being tough and uncompromising during a time of economic recession, earning the title "Iron Lady". Marshall says Dunderdale is also an Iron Lady, but one with compassion.
Meanwhile, Steve Kent – noteworthy in the past for his lack of Dunderlove – had this to say [via CBC and labradore]:
"Premier Dunderdale is a compassionate and principle-centered leader. I remain inspired by her vision and strength," Kent wrote.
…
Kent added that Dunderdale enjoys the full support of the PC caucus.
These comments stand out for two reasons. First, the are unprompted and seem to come from nowhere. Second, they are conspicuously strong endorsements of a political leader who is doing crappily in the polls.
The idea here is the Rule of Opposites or, as labradore once described it, not ( x ) = x. You’ll see from those links that this is a concept we have been using to decipher Connie behaviour for some time.
With those ideas in kind, we’d be well advised to keep an eye out for signs of dissention within the Tory caucus. These two statements don;t mean there is a problem but they strongly suggest that some people are not overly thrilled with the generally sorry-assed state of the province’s Conservatives. People used to unquestioning love may have been living in a fool’s paradise but that doesn’t they wouldn’t feel hard done-by if they returned home over Easter and found people in the Shire were a wee bit pissy about the provincial budget. The whole crowd in cabinet might be responsible but the blame for the mess, in this case, would be visited on the head of the figurehead leader, the Parrot-in-Chief as it were.
Strange behaviour preceded the last departure by a leader supposedly beloved by all and likely to remain in office longer than one of the North Korean Kims.
Might be nothing.
Might be something to keep an eye on once the House gets back in session and the political heat goes back up.
-srbp-