Threats to unseat incumbent Tories in Labrador fell apart Tuesday night, as the Progressive Conservatives not only held their seats but snatched what had once been a safe Liberal district.
The PCs came under fire throughout the N.L. election campaign for a new energy platform that called for a transmission line to be built from the island, to carry energy from the planned Lower Churchill hydroelectric megaproject.
However, many Labradorians were furious that the power lines would bypass coastal communities, where residents pay some of the highest energy bills in the province.
Anger over the proposal prompted the Labrador party to not run candidates in two districts held by the PCs.
However, a Tory surge was powerful enough to carry Lake Melville incumbent John Hickey and Labrador West MHA Jim Baker to victory.
Moreover, PC candidate Patty Pottle carried Torngat Mountains, a northern Labrador district that has voted Liberal since 1993.
In Lake Melville, Hickey defeated Liberal Chris Montague with a 708-vote margin.
In Labrador West, Baker defeated NDP candidate Darrel Brenton by 356 votes. The NDP had held the seat for five years in the 1980s, and between 1999 and this winter, when incumbent Randy Collins resigned his seat.
Pottle, a businesswoman whom PC Leader Danny Williams said would be a strong cabinet contender, defeated Liberal party president Danny Dumaresque by 76 votes, unofficial results showed.
Yvonne Jones, the Liberal incumbent in Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair, was re-elected, taking almost 73 per cent of the vote.
| 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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