The history of politics in Newfoundland and Labrador is very much the history of patronage.
The practice is accurately described in this Western Star editorial titled “Independence” (04 September 1956):
If an electorate thinks that the prime purpose of democracy in action is to provide patronage for their particular constituency and the politician gets the feeling that in order to curry votes he has to descend to the level of the electorate, then it is understandable at least why he follows the path of least resistance, expresses no disagreement whatsoever with the party in power, thereby hoping to be able to wheedle from the government patronage and public funds for his constituency where votes will reward him by returning him to office again.
- srbp -
Related: “The politics of history”