A subtle form of patronage?

 The Island may well benefit from the newly created 'Forever Anne' program to promote Anne of Green Gables, but it's no surprise that the recent appointment of a defeated Liberal candidate as its first executive director is generating criticism.

The appointment has the appearance of government looking after its own.

The Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I., which is not a government body but gets funding from the province, has created the Forever Anne program as a vehicle for promoting Anne of Green Gables for Island tourism and culture. The Forever Anne committee identified the need for an executive director and TIAPEI asked the province for funding.

Here's where it gets murky. The province has contributed $60,000 to Forever Anne, but according to a Forever Anne committee member, it's TIAPEI that makes the hiring decisions and determined the salary for the committee's executive director.

Islanders learned last week that Cynthia King, a former Liberal candidate in the last provincial election, landed the job, after being the only person to apply for it. In fact, the committee hadn't even begun looking for applicants when King's resume was sent. Who could blame Islanders if they suspect the long arm of government might have had something to do with the appointment?

Many haven't forgotten Premier Robert Ghiz's pledge on election night in early October, even before the votes were in, that he would find a spot for then-Innovation Minister Allan Campbell, even if he went down to defeat. Mr. Campbell was defeated and is now the premier's chief of staff.

It hardly needs to be said that Anne of Green Gables has been a mainstay of Island tourism and that anything that promotes and protects her status as a draw for this province is an investment. Forever Anne has clearly been identified by the industry as a useful pursuit. As well, there's no reason to think Cynthia King isn't up to the job of executive director. But her appointment, the second high-profile appointment of a defeated Liberal candidate, has all the markings of the Liberals interceding on behalf of Ms. King. This doesn't look good on a premier who began his first term pledging to steer clear of patronage. To his credit, Premier Ghiz didn't engage in mass firings, as previous governments have. But appointments such as this do nothing to dispel in the minds of many Islanders that patronage is at work in the province, even if in a subtle form.

More pressure on the province

The recent resolution passed by the National Liberal Women's Commission that provinces be financially penalized for failing to ensure complete access to abortion puts increasing pressure on the P.E.I. government to change its position.

In spite of recent pressure to improve access to abortion services in this province, the Island government has said it has no plans to change the status quo. Government insists there's no legal impediment to doctors performing abortions here, and points out that it pays for abortions on the referral of a doctor at off-Island hospitals.

But the federal Liberal women's commission says the distance to mainland hospitals and the costs of travel pose obstacles and result in an inequity that violates the Canada Health Act. The commission intends to push for financial penalties by Ottawa against the province.

The Ghiz government clearly thinks it's on solid ground. We hope it's right. If it comes to a battle with Ottawa, failing to successfully argue its case could potentially lead to court where defending the status quo could be costly.