British Columbians were true to their reputation as political mavericks Monday. On a day when the rest of Canada returned the Conservatives to power with a minority government, B.C. was the only region where the Tories suffered losses at the polls.
The Conservatives won 17 ridings, five seats fewer than 2004. The NDP took 10, an improvement over the five they won in 2004. The Liberals took nine seats.
The Conservatives won many of their traditional B.C. strongholds. Tory stalwarts such as deputy Speaker Chuck Strahl in Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day in Okanagan-Coquihalla, Betty Hinton in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, and Jim Abbott in Kootenay-Columbia were elected late Monday.
The New Democrats and Liberals took two formely Conservative ridings — B.C. Southern Interior, where the Tory candidate is facing smuggling charges, and West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, left open with the retirement of veteran John Reynolds.
NDP candidate Svend Robinson applauds his supporters after going down to defeat in his attempted comeback in Vancouver Centre. (Chuck Stoody/CP)
Related Articles
Internet Links
- More election coverage: Decision 2006 page
- Results centre
- Candidate finder: Find your riding and who is running in your area
- Results: Ridings to watch
- Results: Close races
- VoteSmart: The issues
- Blog: Dan Cook on politics
- The platforms
Among NDP winners was Penny Priddy in Surrey North, which was that seat held by former Independent MP Chuck Cadman who died of cancer. Her win was helped by an endorsement from Cadman's family. Catherine Bell won in Vancouver Island-North, and Dawn Black in New Westminster-Coquitlam.
Catherine Bell in Vancouver Island-North, and Dawn Black in New Westminster-Coquitlam were other gains for the party in B.C.
In one of the more interesting races was in Vancouver-Centre, where a crush of voters delayed ballot counting. Hedy Fry held off NDP veteran Svend Robinson when the votes were counted. Mr. Robinson was attempting a comeback from a shoplifting conviction.
The Conservatives went into the holiday campaign with 22 out of 36 seats, most in the B.C. Interior, Vancouver's outer suburbs and rural Vancouver Island. The Liberals had eight seats and the New Democrats five, with one seat vacant due to the death of respected Independent Chuck Cadman.
Polls suggested British Columbia would be a three-way battleground right to the end, with the Green party getting only about 5 or 6 per cent support, enough to sway the outcome in more than a dozen closely fought urban ridings.
The Tories disavowed Southern Interior candidate Derek Zeisman after learning he failed to disclose he faces smuggling charges. The Liberals, meanwhile, pulled their support from Abbotsford candidate David Oliver after his NDP rival Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson claimed he tried to bribe him.
