Tories win narrow minority in Nova Scotia...
Or so the CBC predicts, with 70% of the votes counted. The numbers so far (with 2003 results in brackets) are:
PC - 23 (25)
NDP - 20 (15)
Lib - 9 (12)
For Rodney MacDonald, the leader of the Progressive Conservatives, while he holds onto a minority government, this has to taste like defeat. He obviously wanted to ride his selection as John Hamm's successor and the largely positive press on his budget proposal into a majority and it appears that he will most likely instead have an even narrower minority.
For Darrell Dexter, this is also not entirely good news, for he gets to play second fiddle still longer, although in a somewhat stronger position. My quick reading of the results shows that most of the NDP gain came from inside and around Metro, so the party still has not managed to make the rural break that it needs.
If possible, this should make for even more cautious non-governance for the province.
Oh, and it looks like Francis Mackenzie, leader of the Liberals, has lost his bid for a seat. Does this presage the return of Danny Graham to provincial politics?
PC - 23 (25)
NDP - 20 (15)
Lib - 9 (12)
For Rodney MacDonald, the leader of the Progressive Conservatives, while he holds onto a minority government, this has to taste like defeat. He obviously wanted to ride his selection as John Hamm's successor and the largely positive press on his budget proposal into a majority and it appears that he will most likely instead have an even narrower minority.
For Darrell Dexter, this is also not entirely good news, for he gets to play second fiddle still longer, although in a somewhat stronger position. My quick reading of the results shows that most of the NDP gain came from inside and around Metro, so the party still has not managed to make the rural break that it needs.
If possible, this should make for even more cautious non-governance for the province.
Oh, and it looks like Francis Mackenzie, leader of the Liberals, has lost his bid for a seat. Does this presage the return of Danny Graham to provincial politics?
One question - I didn't follow the Tory Leadership race, but did anyone else but Rodney MacDonald run for the leadership? If so, you have to wonder when the 'I could have done better' whisper campaign is going to start?
Posted by
Dan |
Tue Jun 13, 09:07:00 PM
There were two others - Bill Black and Neil Leblanc. I believe that Black was the favorite in the lead-up to the convention. For the record, I believe Black lost in halifax-citadel tonight.
Posted by
kevvyd |
Tue Jun 13, 09:15:00 PM
Okay, good to know - purely on an intellectual level of course. Still, this can't have strengthened Rodney's position as Tory leader.
Posted by
Dan |
Tue Jun 13, 09:29:00 PM
Bill Black did lose his race to NDP Leonard Preyra.
Yes, I think Rodney's gonna have a lot of 'splainin' to do. The Tory popular vote was up, and they still have their minority, but that's the only good news they can take from this. And for the Tories, that's not usually good enough.
Posted by
Anonymous |
Tue Jun 13, 10:47:00 PM
Not quite accurate to say the NDP gains were mostly from Metro. Three of the five seats the NDP gained (Queens, Pictou East and Shelburn) came from the rural mainland.
Posted by
Anonymous |
Tue Jun 13, 11:12:00 PM
A hearty goodbye to Francis MacKenzie, who shall ever be known as Captain Footnote.
Posted by
Flash |
Wed Jun 14, 09:06:00 AM
Flash - I'm not sure that you won't see Rodney follow suit not too long from now. In every way aside from him losing his own seat, this is a loss for him.
The really hopeful thing for the NDP that I see here is not so much that they grabbed a couple outside Metro, which is nice, but that they placed second in 15 ridings.
Dexter might have had a right to hope for more, but the results are not bad at all.
Posted by
kevvyd |
Wed Jun 14, 09:18:00 AM
At least it's not long now until I find out who my boss is...
Posted by
Flash |
Wed Jun 14, 02:58:00 PM
Paul,
I don't know about consecutive minorities, but it would be interesting to know.
I think that there is no doubt that the Sunday shopping issue is going to rise again. The Superstore has already said that the opening was successful enough that they are going to do it with a few other stores and I'd be really surprised if Sobey's doesn't follow suit. They aren't as proactive on the Sunday issue because they own the Needs chain and therefore enjoy selling a limited selection of their own products at greatly inflated prices on Sunday already.
It will be interesting to see what happens to the Needs on Prince Albert if the Braemar Superstore opens on Sunday.
Posted by
kevvyd |
Wed Jun 14, 03:09:00 PM
(I love being able to say this) The Deputy Minister told me that he expects pretty much status quo for cabinet ministers that got re-elected. Look for a change in Speaker.
For what it's worth.
Posted by
Flash |
Wed Jun 14, 04:17:00 PM
My prediction is that the empty cabinet spot will be offered to Ernie Fage.
As for the Sunday Shopping issue - I'd like to see an honest plebescite question put to the electorate: Give them 2 choices,
1. Sunday shopping, or
2. Everything is closed on Sundays - gas stations, drugstores, Tim Hortons, the lot.
Posted by
Dan |
Wed Jun 14, 07:03:00 PM
For the record, Hants East has been an NDP riding since 1998, in the capable hands of John MacDonell, a farmer and (former) high school teacher, (neither a lawyer nor a doctor).
Posted by
Anonymous |
Wed Jun 14, 11:55:00 PM