In the northernmost district in Newfoundland and Labrador, a key element in the Oct. 9 election is the role of a former politician facing criminal charges.
But rather than being on the sidelines, Liberal Wally Andersen is deeply involved in the election.
Wally Andersen resigned his seat in September, but is still active in Torngat Mountains politics.
(CBC)
Andersen resigned his Torngat Mountains seat in early September after the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary laid fraud and other charges against him.
He is managing the campaign for Liberal candidate Danny Dumaresque, a former MHA who stepped in as the party's candidate after Andersen resigned.
Andersen has been a popular draw in some of the communities on Labrador's northern coast.
"I'm not the judge and jury or anything of anybody," Dumaresque said when asked about the ethics of having Andersen take an active role in the campaign.
"The people on the north coast want to see him, the people on the north coast want to thank him and that's what I've been seeing and hearing."
Andersen is one of five people charged in the legislative spending scandal that has rocked Newfoundland and Labrador politics since June 2006. He had represented Torngat Mountains since 1996.
The PCs — who are being targeted in two of the four Labrador districts they hold — are campaigning heavily to take Torngat Mountains, where most voters are Inuit or Innu.
Patty Pottle, a Hopedale businesswoman running for the Progressive Conservatives, acknowledges that Andersen's role in the campaign is an obstacle for her.
"I wish that Wally wasn't backing Danny Dumaresque, of course," she said.
"I just wish that Mr. Dumaresque would campaign on his own merits, not on Wally's popularity."
Pottle's campaign has been highlighting her accomplishments — and the fact that she lives in the district. Dumaresque represented the former southern Labrador district of Eagle River for seven years.
'From the north coast'
Lori Dyson, a Makkovik resident and a longtime Liberal supporter, said that distinction could prove important on Oct. 9.
"I don't think it's a matter of people going PC over the Liberals. I don't think that for a second," she said.
"I think it's a matter of Patty is from the north coast."
Albert Hamel, a Nain resident, said Andersen's decision to campaign door-to-door with Dumaresque will be influential.
"People still appreciate what Wally [has] done, and because of his just being there with Danny, his presence, I still think that the Liberals are the stronghold here," he said.
Jimmy Tuttauk, who had been working at the Voisey's Bay nickel mine, is the Labrador party's only candidate in this election and will be actively campaigning this week.
The Liberals have held the district since 1979.
Related
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | 43 | 0 | 43 | 69.56% |
| LIB | 3 | 0 | 3 | 21.98% |
| NDP | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.21% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .25% |
| Last Update:October 9, 10:58:12 PM NDT | ||||
| Unofficial results were updated at the time shown. For more recent results, visit Elections NL. The CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites. External links will open in a new window. |
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