TORIES TAKE EVERY SEAT BUT ONE IN ALBERTA
Tory platform promising to protect energy sector resonated, experts say
A city considered one of the cornerstones of the Canadian conservative movement solidified its reputation Monday, as the Tories swept Calgary despite falling short of ending the Liberal government’s rule.
With a lead in all 10 Calgary ridings, the Conservative party restored a stronghold that cracked four years ago.
Liberal Kent Hehr, the lone candidate seeking re-election for the Grits, was defeated in Calgary Centre by Conservative challenger Greg Mclean, who earned more than 50 per cent of the vote.
Hehr, along with Darshan Kang in Calgary Skyview, ended a nearly 50-year shutout for the Liberal party in Calgary in 2015. Kang resigned from the Liberal caucus in 2017 following sexual harassment and assault allegations, completing his term as an Independent.
Jag Sahota of the Conservative party defeated Nirmala Naidoo of the Liberals in Calgary Skyview.
Other Conservative winners in Calgary include Calgary Nose Hill candidate Michelle Rempel, who has served as MP since 2011, along with Jasraj Singh Hallan in Calgary Forest Lawn, a seat previously held by the late Deepak Obhrai.
Rempel told supporters Monday night that voters along the campaign trail indicated Alberta’s economic woes should be a “ballot box question for the country.”
“That is the mandate that our team needs to work on going forward — to get our community back to work, to stand up for our energy sector and energy sector jobs and to link that in with difficult questions of how Canada responds to climate change,” said Rempel.
Hehr and Naidoo were seen as the Liberals’ best hope in Calgary, with Calgary Centre billed as the most competitive riding in the city leading up to election day.
About 150 Liberal supporters gathered at the Palace Theatre on election night, celebrating as television pundits projected a minority Parliament with the Liberals poised to lead it.
But that turned to disappointment as Hehr’s defeat was announced. He congratulated Mclean, calling his opponent a “classy guy” who will do “an excellent job representing the good people of Calgary Centre.”
Hehr said his team always stuck to a positive message on the campaign trail.
“In the truest sense of the word, I’ve enjoyed every second that I’ve been a public servant,” he said.
Mclean thanked his family and supporters while speaking in front of a packed room at Wurst pub in Mission. The Mp-elect, who warned of a tight race in the final days of the campaign, said he was unsure he’d win. He also said challenges lay ahead for the Conservatives in opposition, but vowed to advocate for Calgary’s interests
Throughout the election campaign, experts predicted the Conservatives would maintain strong support in Calgary.
But for the most part, the campaign was battled outside Alberta, with Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau only making brief stops in Calgary.
Scheer rallied supporters in Calgary Skyview in mid-september, with a speech promising to champion Canada’s energy sector, while Trudeau made it to the riding for a late-night Saturday rally on the final weekend of the campaign.
Greens party Leader Elizabeth May and People’s Party Leader Maxime Bernier also made stops in Alberta’s biggest city.
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams called the Calgary-wide defeat for Trudeau’s party “a testament to the unpopularity of the Liberals in this city.”
“It’s not, obviously, a good result for Alberta, both because Alberta is looking like it’s not going to be represented at the cabinet table, but Alberta’s representation in government is going to be more limited,” she said.
The party held about 15 per cent of the popular vote across the Calgary area on Monday, while about 70 per cent of voters cast a ballot for the Conservatives.
Without representation in cabinet, it will take “creative leadership” to ensure Calgary’s interests play a role in the federal conversation, according to Williams. That role will likely fall to local Conservative MPS, but also to both Premier Jason Kenney and Opposition leader Rachel Notley, said Williams.
“I think they’ve got to work very hard on how to reach out to other Canadians outside the province and in the federal government to try and advance Alberta’s interests in a constructive way,” she said. With files from Alanna Smith and Meghan Potkins