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COMMENTARY: Let's make P.E.I. 'awesome'

Ask anyone on P.E.I. how they are doing and you will probably hear the same answer: “Not too bad.”

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We say it so often that we barely realize what it means. “Not too bad” is polite, cautious, and sounds a little defeated. It suggests that things could be better or worse, but are just OK. It’s a way of getting through the day without really wanting to talk about it.

Listen for it. You will hear it everywhere. And that attitude is becoming a problem.

“Not too bad” is a shield against reality. There is a growing sense on Prince Edward Island that things are not working very well and that nothing much can be done about it. Now that we are in the unusual situation where we have new leaders for all four provincial political parties, it will be interesting to see who will step up to inspire us. I wish them all well but, frankly, I’m not encouraged.

The last decade has worn everyone down. Hurricanes, a pandemic, rising costs, and constant anxiety about health care have taken their toll. Voter turnout is slipping. Fewer people are willing to run for office, even at the municipal level. Even some of the people in charge look and seem exhausted. This is how places get into trouble. Not all at once. Quietly.

On P.E.I., we pride ourselves on being resilient, which is fair. Islanders have always been tough. But resilience can turn into something else if we are not careful. It can turn into acceptance, or a lack of caring for the broader community. It can lead to lowering expectations or shrugging instead of demanding better. Earlier this month, for example, as the PCs picked their new leader, both candidates said that Islanders are engaged and not tuned out. I beg to differ. While two of the other parties crowned new leaders, one of those was by acclamation, and the Liberals chose someone who could be considered old guard. The PCs had a disruptor option in Mark Ledwell but chose someone they would be comfortable with from the established PC backroom. There is little energy in our politics, and this puts us all at risk.

Now add the outside pressures: Trade relationships are shaky. The United States is talking openly about tearing up agreements that protect our industries. Our population is aging. Deficits are growing. Productivity is falling behind. These are not theoretical problems. They affect jobs, housing, and public services right here at home.

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This is the moment when we need a government that moves quickly, makes decisions, and takes responsibility for results. What Islanders see instead is our province adrift.

It is too easy to blame one premier or one party. I have done that myself. But waiting for one person to fix things is just another form of “not too bad.” Leadership matters, but culture matters too. When leadership looks hesitant, the system slows down. When the system slows down, confidence drops and investment drains away.

And then there is the bureaucracy. We have built a public service that is OK at managing process and more often poor at delivering outcomes. Rules are followed even when they make no sense. Delays are explained instead of fixed. Mistakes disappear into procedure instead of being confronted. The result is an inflexible economy that is bound by red tape.

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Over time, this creeping combination of factors makes people tune out. People stop believing engagement matters. They stop demanding competence. Low expectations become the best defence a weak system could ever have. This is the loop we are stuck in now. Hesitant leadership. Cautious bureaucracy. Red tape that chokes growth.

We should be building faster, not slower. We should be creating opportunity, not smothering it. We should be making it easier to invest here, not harder. But a culture that settles for “not too bad” will never aim higher. Decline does not announce itself. It arrives through delay, drift, and inaction.

Of all the leadership contests over the past 18 months, the PCs’ was the closest to a real discussion about issues. Mark Ledwell’s candidacy was refreshing and people-driven. He encouraged the party to lift its eyes and to think about big issues. But as much as both candidates called for unity after the leadership race, our party system doesn’t have a great track record of bringing bright outsiders into the government.

Since the PC race was almost a photo finish, I hope that Premier Rob Lantz will continue to pursue the issues that Mark Ledwell championed. His ideas seemed to resonate with many within the party and across the province: Decisive action on IRAC, more transparency and accountability in government, and cutting red tape. We need leadership that is out front, not resting on its laurels or waiting for others to show Islanders the way.

We forget how lucky we are. We have abundant clean water, good public services, and relative peace. This did not happen by accident. They were built by people who made hard decisions and took risks. They did not drift into prosperity. They chose it. Now it is our turn.

P.E.I. needs leaders who are willing to say that inefficiency and red tape are not acceptable, that we need to cut wasteful spending, and that further delay has real costs. Government should exist to enable progress, not manage stagnation. And we need citizens who stop romanticizing dysfunction and start demanding results.

P.E.I. can be the best place in this country to live. We already have what we need. We do not need slogans or hats to prove it. Because being awesome (notice, I didn’t say “great”) does not come from comfort. It comes from intention, participation, and action. I hope that our four new political leaders will keep their eyes up, face forward, and act to inspire all Islanders to believe in our potential as a province. The next time someone says “not too bad” when asked how things are, ask what would make things better. Or even awesome. Challenging our ho-hum attitude is where change starts.

Tim Banks is the CEO of APM MacLean and lives in Charlottetown.

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