Interesting story in the TJ this AM:
McKenna opening doors for Graham
Politics Former premier helping Liberal successor identify business opportunities
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page A1 on October 20, 2006
FREDERICTON – Premier Shawn Graham is moving quickly to take advantage of doors to business opportunities that are being opened by former premier Frank McKenna. Graham is planning a trip to Toronto Nov. 15 “to follow up on the leads that Frank McKenna has provided,” the premier said Thursday. Since winning the election in September, Graham has been in regular contact with McKenna, the deputy chair of the TD Bank Financial Group who knows many of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs on a first-name basis.
I think this is great. I was always a little confused why McKenna’s rolodex didn’t lead to more economic development even after he was out of power. Why CanWest didn’t invest here – for example, when he was Vice Chair. Maybe Bernard Lord didn’t ask McKenna to chip in and help out – which, if true, would have been an incredible miscalculation on his part. The economic development of New Brunswick should be a little more important than partisan politics.
Bravo to Shawn G. I have always said that the Premier of a small and increasinly irrelevant have-not province should check his/her ego at the door and build relationships with whomever to get the job done – the job of reinvigorating this economy.