For a political leader not in an election campaign, Newfoundland Premier Roger Grimes has had a very busy summer.

Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. — For a political leader not in an election campaign, Newfoundland Premier Roger Grimes has had a very busy summer.

Barely a Blueberry Festival goes by without a visit from Grimes or one of his Liberal colleagues.

Every week more funding and grants are announced or re-announced for small businesses, community groups and infrastructure projects from Gander to Goose Bay.

After months of fed-bashing, Grimes has taken on a more conciliatory tone.

And next week, the Liberals will complete some draft legislation to deal with skyrocketing car-insurance premiums ahead of a regional task force report.

In short, they are doing what is expected of any government on the verge of a tough fight for re-election - "going out and spending money," said Steve Tomblin, a political scientist at Memorial University.

Grimes has said he will call the election this fall, sometime after the school year begins.

"If it wasn't the summer, we'd probably already be knocking on doors," Grimes said last week, adding that the Liberals have candidates in place and money in the bank.

The government is nearing the end of its mandate and must call an election by February.

They are trailing in the polls and face an electorate that may be ready for change after 15 years of Liberal rule in Newfoundland and Labrador.

But the Liberals have done their homework, said Tomblin, and are as well-prepared as a political party can be.

By releasing draft legislation later this week to deal with auto insurance premiums, the government may pre-empt an issue that had a major effect in two recent Atlantic elections, Tomblin said.

New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord had his Tory majority cut to just one seat after failing to act on growing insurance costs.

In Nova Scotia, the Tory government of John Hamm was reduced to minority status following electoral gains by the opposition New Democrats.

Car insurance wasn't the top issue in the campaign but the NDP did make inroads by championing a publicly run system.

Both governments are now promising lower rates and caps for soft-tissue injury payments.

In Prince Edward Island, Premier Pat Binns also recently announced plans to cap injury claims.

Auto insurance rates rose an average of 25 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador last year.

The Liberals can't afford not to deal with it, Tomblin said.

"Every government in the country is paying attention to an issue which was not really front and centre until the New Brunswick election."

For provincial Conservative Leader Danny Williams, the draft legislation is a reckless quick fix by a government that's run out of time.

"Premier Grimes is desperately seeking what he thinks could be a pivotal issue and I think he will try to play the insurance card to the best of his ability," Williams said.

But the Liberals have been in power for 15 years while auto insurance rates have climbed, he said.

Williams, whose party leads in opinion polls, said the public is wary of Liberal electioneering.

"They're out trying to buy people with their own money. We see a lot of cheque handing-out going on," Williams said in a recent interview.

"For any group that seems to want anything these days, the money can be found."

Last week alone, the province announced more than $200,000 for small business marketing, student assistance programs and business seed capital funding.

Much of the funding, such as spending for new MRI machines for Newfoundland and Labrador, was announced in the throne speech and accounted for in the annual budget, said Grimes.

"For people to criticize you when you then deliver on something that you said six months ago you're going to do ... and suggest that kind of action is buying people, trying to buy votes, I think people see through that," Grimes said.

"I think that's pretty petty, myself."

Grimes said he's looking forward to real debate with his Conservative rival.

He said the Liberals will soon lay out their platform "and let the people be the judges."