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Two elections, by the numbers
Mitch Cormier | CBC News Online P.E.I. | Sept.25
Paddy Moore | CBC News Online Ottawa | Sept.25
Candidates are knocking on doors and barking promises in two
provincial election campaigns, one in Prince Edward Island, the
other in Ontario.
A single Ontario MPP can represent the equivalent of the Island's
entire population.
It gave us pause to think about comparing the county's largest
province, with its smallest.
Here’s a snapshot.
 |
|
|
|
| Legislature
at time of the election call |
Conservatives
56, Liberal 36, NDP 9, Independent 1, Vacant 1 |
Conservatives
26, Liberal 1 |
| Number
of eligible voters during last election |
7,598,407 |
97,180 |
| Average
number of voters per riding /district |
73,771 |
3,485 |
| Number
of students in the capital's public school board |
300,000 |
14,955 |
| Hours
to drive across the province west to east, at 100 km/h. |
21
hours, 15 minutes |
2
hours, 45 minutes (if you don’t get caught) |
| Polling
stations |
22,972 |
296 |
| Unemployment
rate, seasonally adjusted for July 2003, as a per cent |
7.1 |
10.4 |
| Number
of voters to number of Tim Hortons, expressed as a ratio |
6,035:1 |
5,534:1
|
| Potato
production for 2002, in tonnes |
315,900 |
1,310,500 |
| Number
of nurses parties promise to hire |
8,000
(Liberal and PC) |
200
Liberals
80 Conservatives |
| Number
of registered nurses working in the province |
83,123
(in 2002) |
1,450
(in 2003) |
| Number
of homicides in 2001 |
170 |
2 |
| Years
of Conservative government to years of Liberal government
during the last 100 years, expressed as a ratio. |
5
: 1 |
1
: 1.86 |
| Number
of Conservative premiers to number of Liberal premiers during
the last 100 years. |
12
: 5 |
9
: 15 |
| Total
number of candidates |
522 |
78 |
| Independent
& fringe party candidates |
213 |
0 |
| Length
of campaign |
30
days |
26
days |
| Age
of youngest key leader running |
48 |
29 |
| Number
of campaign buses used by the leaders |
3
(although
the Liberals added another for the homestretch, bringing the
total to 4) |
0 |
| Number
of campaign bikes used by the leaders |
1
(Green) |
0 |
| Preferred
airplane of leaders |
Dash
7 |
Dodge
minivan |
| Number
of attack ads |
2
(both
PC ads) |
0 |
| Harshest
description of opposition |
"evil
reptilian kitten-eater from another planet"
(Tories to Liberal leader) |
"misguided" |
| Voter
turnout in last election |
58.3% |
84.86% |
| Salary
for legislative member |
$85,240 |
$35,967
taxable, $11,250 non taxable expenses |
| Cabinet
minister salary |
Basic
plus $32,997 |
Basic
plus $41,585 |
| Premier's
salary |
Basic
plus $61,860 |
Basic
plus $58,875 |
|
|
