Shameful kinds of elections

Tory MHA Roger Fitzgerald deconstructs the shameful 1999 campaign:

MR. FITZGERALD: The hand was placed on the shoulder, and it was said: Trust me. We are going back into government; it is obvious who is going to form the government of the day. Do you want to be on the government side or do you want to be on the Opposition side? Trust me and we will look after you.

I remember the Premier going down to my district. We have health care problems down there, many of them. I stand here many times and plead to have some of the health care problems corrected. One fellow - in fact it was a local doctor - approached the Premier at Discovery Collegiate in Bonavista. He said: Premier, we have lots of problems down here. One of the problems we have is trying to get ten health care beds open, ten long-term care beds, at the Golden Heights Manor. Tell me, when can we expect that to happen and when can we expect to see an improvement in our health care system here on the Bonavista Peninsula?

The Premier put his hand on his shoulder and said: If you elect this man - pointing to the Liberal candidate - we will look after your health care. He said: Uh-uh, Premier, that is not enough. You have had ten years already, Premier, and you have done nothing. I am hardly going to trust you now.

That is the kind of election that was carried out. It is shameful.