LFL&A becomes a torture zone for Liberals

Jeff Green | Oct 13, 2011

Editorial by Jeff Green

Taking a quick look at the online electoral map after last Thursday's election, you would think that the Conservative Party had won the province.

The map is almost entirely Tory blue, except for a few pockets of red, and a large block of orange at the upper left hand corner But by looking at the lines between the blocks, and realizing that the small corner on the bottom right can be clicked to bring out another map, this one of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which contains dozens of ridings, you realize that the while the blues won the greatest land mass, the Liberals won just one less than half the seats.

The last Liberal standard bearer in our region, Leona Dombrowsky, who was the incumbent in our neighboring riding of Hastings – Prince Edward, lost her seat by several thousand votes, and now there is no one within government with a vested interest in rural Eastern Ontario.

On the other hand, Randy Hillier’s standing in a rural-dominated Conservative caucus should be enhanced, and his convincing victory in LFL&A can only help.

The LFL&A riding has turned into a heart-breaking riding for the Liberals. Candidate Bill Macdonald was buoyed in the run up to the campaign and during the campaign itself by a warm reception at doorsteps throughout the riding. Even in the Lanark Landowner heartland of Lanark Highlands people said they were supporting him.

He had signs on lawns throughout the riding and he felt that he would be at least close to Randy Hillier this time around. But, just as his federal counterpart, Dave Remington, learned during the federal election last spring, when it comes time to vote, LFL&A electors tend to vote Conservative.

Although Dave Parkhill ran a good campaign for the NDP, his local riding association is threadbare compared to the Liberals. Their signs went up late, they had little in the way of volunteer support, no campaign office. And yet, Parkhill also took votes from the Liberals.

In the end Randy Hillier (PC) received 22,475 votes (50.1%, up from 40% in 2007) while Bill Macdonald (L) received 12,519 votes (28%, down from 38.5% for Ian Wilson in 2007). Dave Parkhill (NDP) received 8,118 votes (18%, up from 12.5% for Ross Sutherland in 2007) and Nancy Matte (Green) received 1,748 votes (4%, down from 7% for Roly Montpelier in 2007)

In contrast to four years ago, LFL&A is now a blue stronghold, provincially as well as federally.

People were just polite to Bill MacDonald at their front doors, all the while planning to vote Conservative.