PC Bill Matthews 'rises again,' insists he will take Burin-Grand Bank
Incumbent Carol Anne Haley, who took nearly 80 per cent of vote last election, confident in re-election
Veteran politician Bill Matthews positions himself outside a grocery store, shaking hands and exchanging words with the people he believes will vote him in next week.
"Mr. Matthews … rises again," a man says as he walks into Foodland in Grand Bank.
Matthews prides himself on recognizing faces: "I pretty much know everyone by their first name," he said.
That familiarity should come as no surprise.
He represented Grand Bank under the Tory banner from 1982 to 1996, then entered federal politics in the riding of Random-Burin-St. George's.
In 1999, Matthews crossed the floor from the Progressive Conservatives to the Liberal party after what he calls a "major disagreement" with former prime minister Joe Clark. Now he's back running for the provincial PCs.
"People just don't like Dwight Ball," Matthews said. "I sense here a great wind of change blowing."
And, ironically enough, the longtime politician, who retired in 2007, considers himself to be the fresh option for change.
2015 election saw big support for opponent
After serving as chief of staff for Tory Leader Ches Crosbie, Matthews said he was compelled to return by a lack of representation from Liberal incumbent Carol Anne Haley.
Haley, who was promoted to cabinet as minister responsible for the status of women last year, took nearly 80 per cent of the vote during the 2015 election. The PC candidate finished last.
She's campaigning on a record of job creation, such as the ones that opened up at the St. Lawrence Canada Fluorspar mine in 2017, and touts the success of aquaculture on the Burin Peninsula.
Matthews said voters have told him Haley is "practically invisible." Haley, on the other hand, says she has a "high chance of winning."
"I understand the PC party was trying for weeks to find somebody to run against me and they were unsuccessful," Haley said.
Not only is she Matthews' opponent, Haley said she also worked on his campaign — when he was a Liberal.
'This was not a debate'
Meanwhile, Matthews is calling out Haley for turning down an invitation to a meet-and-greet with the candidates arranged by the Burin Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
"It is very disappointing. People need to meet their candidates and hear what they stand for, and most importantly, for candidates to learn what the issues are with the constituents," Matthews said.
Haley declined the event for two reasons: she said she already knew the people attending and the event was scheduled on advance polling day.
"First of all, this was not a debate," Haley said. "It was to be a meet and greet, a venue where candidates could go and introduce themselves. Those are the people I had the privilege to work along with for the last 11 years."
"I can assure you, the good people of this district know who I am."
On the campaign trail, people's federal political views — a strong dislike for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — are creeping into conversations at the door, Matthews said, giving an edge to his political fight.
"[Haley's] campaign must be picking up what we are, and there's a strong mood for change in this district, I assure you."
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