New Democratic Leader Lorraine Michael took her campaign to western Labrador Saturday, in a bid to take back a seat the party had represented until this winter.
Michael was flanked by Labrador West candidate Darrel Brenton and Labrador party leader Ron Barron as she rallied an enthusiastic crowd.
Lorraine Michael encouraged Labrador West voters to return to the NDP fold on Tuesday.
(CBC)
The participation of the Labrador party — which is not running candidates in Labrador West and Lake Melville districts, in order to defeat incumbent Progressive Conservatives — may be key for the NDP in winning the seat in Tuesday's election.
The Labrador party, which is backing the NDP in Labrador West, and the Liberals in Lake Melville, made the move in an angry response to the governing PCs energy plan, which many Labradorians feel exploits the region's hydroelectrical potential but with little benefit for local residents.
Michael said if Labradorians want to be heard in the house of assembly, they will be heard clearly from the NDP benches rather than stifled in the government backbenches.
Barron said he was confident he can deliver the Labrador party's vote to the NDP.
In a March byelection, Barron polled 670 votes, in third place behind winning Tory Jim Baker and runner-up Brenton. Baker won the byelection by a 426-vote margin.
The byelection was called when former NDP member Randy Collins resigned from politics to take a union job in Ontario.
Collins was named in 2006 audits on overpayments in constituency allowances, and this summer was charged with four criminal counts, including fraud on the government and uttering forged documents. Three other former politicians and a suspended civil servant also face criminal charges arising from the legislative spending scandal.
The NDP has had success over the years in Labrador West, formerly known as Menihek district.
Former leader Peter Fenwick became the first New Democrat elected in the legislature, in a 1984 byelection. He held the seat for five more years before retiring.
Collins defeated Liberal incumbent Perry Canning in 1999, and held the seat until his resignation earlier this year.
When the house of assembly was dissolved last month, Michael held the NDP's only seat. The PCs held 34, the Liberals held 11, and there were two vacancies.
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. |
NL Votes 2007 »
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