WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
MAY 15, 2013
1 8 9 5
Refurbished monument unveiled
Vol. 118, Issue 76
105
$
Page 3
INCLUDING G.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
Liberals stun pundits with majority win BY TOM FLETCHER Black Press
MARVIN BEATTY/CASTLEGAR NEWS
The smiles at Katrine Conroy’s headquarters following her victory last night in Kootenay West were masking some of the shock felt by many NDP supporters following the B.C. Liberal Party’s return to power in the province.
Conroy returns as MLA for Kootenay West BY TIMES STAFF The election drama that unfolded across the province last night barely made a ripple in the Kootenay West riding. An hour after the polling stations had closed and 45 of the 115 ballot boxes reporting, NDP incumbent Katrine Conroy was already declared the winner. All that was left was for the final totals. On a night when the B.C. Liberal Party shocked the experts with its majority win, it was all too predictable in Kootenay West. With 114 out of 115 ballot boxes reported, Conroy collected 62.99 per cent of the support with a total of 10,606 votes. B.C. Liberal Party candidate Jim Postnikoff was second with 3,592 votes and 21.33 per cent of the support. Independent candidate Joseph Hughes from Nakusp finished third with 13.30 per cent of the vote and a total of 2,239 votes. Independent candidate Glen
Kootenay West Votes Conroy (NDP) 10,606 Postnikoff (Lib) 3,592 Hughes (Ind) 2,239 Byle (Ind) 400
% 62.99 21.33 13.30 2.38
Byle from Trail had 400 votes and 2.38 per cent of the support. At her headquarters in Castlegar, Conroy thanked supporters and her team. “I have an amazing team,” Conroy told Castlegar News reporter Marvin Beatty. “I’ve got to thank all the people in this constituency that worked so hard to get us elected here. I don’t do this by myself. There’s still lots to do – we’ll get the office tidied up and carry on.” She also shared her concerns at the stunning provincial result, which saw the B.C. Liberal Party retain power. “(A Liberal victory) would make it harder but I’ve always worked hard in this constituency and will continue to
work hard and will continue to represent the people of this area,” said Conroy. “Hopefully, I can continue the work I’ve been doing with seniors and making sure those issues are being addressed. We’ll continue to fight for what’s right and what needs to be done in this province.” Conroy was first elected as the MLA for West Kootenay-Boundary in 2005 before the boundaries were redrawn in 2008. She won the Kootenay West riding in the 2009 provincial election and served as opposition critic for Seniors and Long-term Care. In the 2009 election, Conroy took 66 per cent of the vote and won by over 8,000 votes ahead of the Liberal Party’s Brenda Binnie. In neighbouring ridings, early results showed incumbent NDP candidate Michelle Mungall of Nelson-Creston retained her seat while the BoundarySimilkameen riding stayed Liberal with Linda Larson topping the polls.
B.C. Liberal leader Christy Clark pulled an upset win Tuesday, defying the polls and pundits who started the evening talking about her exit strategy after a loss. Early results gave Clark’s B.C. Liberals 50 seats, with 33 for the NDP. Clark took an early lead in poll results Tuesday night, with veterans Mike de Jong, Rich Coleman, Terry Lake and Linda Reid retaining their seats. B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins lost to B.C. Liberal Mary Polak in Langley. Cummins said he will stay on as leader. Clark had a close contest in her own constituency of Vancouver-Point Grey, running against the NDP’s David Eby, who came close to winning in Clark’s by-election two years ago. B.C. Green Party candidate Andrew Weaver made a breakthrough in Oak BayGordon Head, winning the first seat for the Green Party. A high-profile climate scientist, Weaver benefited from the same highly concentrated campaign effort that produced a seat for national Green leader Elizabeth May. Vicki Huntingon won re-election in Delta South, a landmark for an independent to win twice without party affiliation. Independents Bob Simpson in Cariboo North and John van Dongen in Abbotsford South, fell to their B.C. Liberal challengers. “Just like Alberta, the voters got to the ballot box and chickened out,” said one observer on Twitter. The result shocked observers, who had been expecting an NDP majority. “The Liberals came in with a better plan for managing the economy,” said Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation. Paralympian Michelle Stilwell retained the B.C. Liberal seat in Parksville-Qualicum, a lonely stronghold on Vancouver Island previously held by Ron Cantelon. “I feel like we rose from the dead,” said former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan, who won the Vancouver-False Creek constituency for the B.C. Liberals.
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242
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