Stephen Harper's Conservative Party was the big winner on Monday, winning two of four byelections -- including a rural Quebec riding that favoured the Bloc Québécois.
The upset came in Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup, where Conservative Bernard Généreux claimed 42.7 per cent of the vote, elbowing out Bloc Québécois candidate Nancy Gagnon, who won 37.7 per cent, according to preliminary results released by Elections Canada.
That byelection will likely come under scrutiny in the coming days. The Bloc filed a police complaint on Monday, claiming that someone pretending to be their Quebec City MP left halting, unprofessional-sounding phone messages urging people to vote for the Bloc - calls the Bloc claims were designed to leave a negative impression of the party.
The second Tory victory was claimed by Scott Armstrong in the Nova Scotia riding of Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. Armstrong took 45.8 per cent of the vote, New Democrat Mark Austin took 25.8 per cent, and Liberal Jim Burrows was third, according to preliminary totals.
The Nova Scotia riding was a Tory stronghold until 2007, when former Conservative MP Bill Casey became an independent after being booted out of the Tory caucus in 2007 for criticizing the budget.
Coquitlam City Councillor Fin Donnelly held a sizeable lead over Port Moody Councillor Diana Dilworth in New Westminster-Coquitlam. Donnelly won 49.6 per cent of the vote to Dilworth's 35.8 per cent. Liberal Ken Beck Lee finished a distant third, with 10.3 per cent, followed by Green Rebecca Helps, with 4.3 per cent.
Bloc Québécois candidate Daniel Paillé handily won the east Montreal riding of Hochelaga, smashing NDP hopes of an upset by Jean-Claude Rocheleau. Paillé 51.2 per cent of the vote to Rocheleau's 19.5 per cent. Liberal Robert David was third, followed by Conservative Stephanie Cloutier.
Federal Liberals were shut-out in Monday's byelection, finishing third in all four contests. None of the ridings have traditionally been Grit territory.
Monte Paulsen reports for The Tyee.
Mr Minority's Fans
... are soooo excited tonight :
http://www.harpergirl.com/HarperGirl.com/Conserva-OOPs.html
I am surprised very
I am surprised very surprised after all the trash talk last winter Quebec elected a conservative. The one in NS does not surprise me.
The NDP winning out here is no surprise.
4 by elections and the libs were not even contenders in any of them. They came in third in all 4.
Is this bad news for the libs? or will they spin it into meaning by elections mean nothing? But third in all 4 is not good either.
I guess we are headed for a con majority next time anyway. It seems inevitable now. Especially since the Liberals are finished for the foreseeable future. Time to dump Iggy.
Inconsequential
Don't put too much stock into the byelection results. The turnout in all the ridings ranged from less than 20% in one Quebec riding to approximately 35% in the other Quebec riding. The political parties, political pundits and the mainstream media will try and convince us that these results are telling trends, where in reality the lack of participation by the electorate really reflects the ambivalence they have toward the political process. To infer anything else is just pure fiction.
We still have four political leaders that call the shots for their individual parties and therefore we still elect nothing but robots. The illusion that we live in a democracy is as believable as accepting that Bernie Madoff was a legitimate investment broker. Our politicos are really just members in an old boy's club which suits their lifestyle and one that they are determined to perpetuate at the expense of the great unwashed. We are nothing more than pawns to be used and abused at the whim of the political system we live under.
Nobody else is surprised
Too much Kool Aid, perhaps.
Spinners usually profess that the governing party is expected to loose by-elections. Now they're spinning something else. This time it's apathy. Fact is this Conservative party is well liked and steering the country very well.
Remember the axiom, the voter is always right.
Sure R/man
Even when all the wrong are on the same side. I can't imagine why all the Harperites are so excited as this proves nothing. One more seat WOW!
Ask Jack, skywalker
NDP, Bloc set to divvy up by-elections
Toronto Star - Published On Mon Nov 09 2009
OTTAWA–The New Democrats and Bloc Québécois have high hopes, while the Conservatives and Liberals are playing down any expectations of seat gains in four by-elections on Monday in Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia.
"We don't expect to win any of these four," a Conservative official bluntly said in an interview, asking that his name not be used. "Governments don't win by-elections."
As is tradition, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not actively campaigned in any of the four ridings up for grabs,...
Layton is also cautiously optimistic about the Nova Scotia riding, believing the recent election of a provincial NDP government, under Premier Darrell Dexter, might be enough to help candidate Mark Austin win on Monday.
"People are very happy with their new NDP government," he said.
Layton also believes voters in this riding haven't forgiven Harper for expelling Casey from caucus in a dispute over the Atlantic accord governing federal-provincial revenue-sharing on resources. Casey, running as an independent, was re-elected with 69 per cent of the vote in the 2008 general election.
"People are really upset with how Bill Casey was treated," Layton said. "All the votes are up in the air."
It proves that the Conservatives can win by-elections even if their leader doesn't campaign in the riding - both in NDP led Nova Scotia and even in Bloc heartland Québec.
Right now there is clearly only one party in Canada that can win a general election and that ain't gonna change for some time.
Corks popping at 24 Sussex!
Dream on R/man
By elections prove nothing. Like Nostradamus' predictions, you can spin them to say anything you want. Low turnouts, no consequence, no change, same old same old. Dream on!
Tell that to Jack, Skywalker
If they prove nothing that's perhaps why Harper didn't campaign in any of the four ridings. Yet Jack Layton flew out to New Westminster three times during the campaign (imagine all those 20,000 km carbon credits! Must be enough for a whole roof garden in Toronto).
Seems like you and Harper are on the same wavelength.
realisticman
I guess Harper and his candidate were just a little shy about meeting actual BC voters. Perhaps its an allergy?
Oh, and the NDP did win a seat in Alberta in the last election, contrary to your claim otherwise.