Government needs checks and balances, says Crosbie

By Ryan Ross

Governments in Canada are gaining too much power, says former cabinet minister John Crosbie.
Crosbie, Fisheries and Oceans Minister under Brian Mulroney, spoke to a group of about 40 people at the Confederation Centre yesterday.
The prime minister has too much power because Canada doesn’t have the checks and balances of the American system, he said.
“That’s the trend today.”
Crosbie said Newfoundland has the same issue with Premier Danny Williams.
“Nobody dares disagree with him.”
And winning a huge majority, like Williams did, can be dangerous, he said.
“That puts you in a very tough position.”
Crosbie said former premier Joey Smallwood’s cabinet experienced it first hand.
“We would go into a cabinet meeting and Smallwood would talk for an hour and a half.”
It was a one-man show and no one had any influence, he said.
“I never should have run for him.”
Crosbie said in making the move to federal politics having a good staff was crucial to knowing what was going on.
“I couldn’t afford to be sandbagged.”
That knowledge helped in making good decisions and keeping some power, he said.
“If you don’t have any power who the hell fears you?”
Crosbie said he would never let the Prime Minister’s Office tell him what to do. That includes choosing who is on a cabinet minister’s staff, he said.
“What an insult.”
And Crosbie said he chose his cabinet post as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
His fate was tied to the fisheries, he said.
“I couldn’t have survived with another minister in fisheries and oceans.”
Crosbie said those were the two toughest years of his political career.
People were mad at him because of their situation, he said.
“They’re looking to you to save them.”