Canada's Liberals Finish Third in Four By-Elections

The Canadian Liberals have tried to unseat the minority Conservative government since September, but after finishing third in all four of yesterday's by-elections, they probably will take a break from trying to force the country to vote during the recession. The Conservatives gave the country a good dose of stimulus cash, and they appear to have been rewarded for it while the blame for the recession lies elsewhere in the minds of Canadian voters.

In Quebec, the Liberals finished behind the Bloc Quebecois which lost a seat to the ruling Tories in the former sovereignist seat of Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup (the names of the ridings, as Canadians term their constituencies, are often the most interesting thing about the nation's politics). The Bloc had no referendum on secession this time around, and there didn't appear to be a wedge issue since the government voted to back La Belle Province's right to make sure immigrants learn French. A few protesters delayed the Prince of Wales' motorcade when HRH was visiting on polling day, but that was the best the Bloc and its supporters could manage.

The New Democrats, a left-of-the-Liberals party, held their seat in the British Columbian riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam and finished second in Nova Scotia as well as the Quebec riding of Hochelaga, near Montreal. They ran a popular city council member and environmental activist, Fin Donelley, in BC. The seat has, since the 1980s, swung back and forth between the NDP and the Conservatives, or more precisely between the NDP's Dawn Black and Tory Paul Forseth.

In Nova Scotia, the Conservatives retook the seat of Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit, which they lost in 2008, from an independent who retired. Bill Casey was locally popular and won 68% of the vote in 2008. His coalition fragmented, and the Tories got a 46% plurality. The New Democrats took 25% with the Liberals following with 21%. Since that is 8% higher than the 2008 elections, they are already saying their new leader Michael Ignatieff is a better vote-getter than his predecessor Stephane Dion. It is a stretch to make this sound like good news Indeed, the Tories' communications chief, Fred DeLorey, nailed it when he said, "What kind of Official Opposition party hoping to win government does not do well in by-elections in the midst of a global economic downturn? One that' s in trouble."

Amen.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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