On May 2, Canadian voters went to the polls in the fourty first federal election in Canada.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper went to the polls looking for a majority government and was rewarded with 167 seats and 39.6% of the popular vote, up 24 seats, enough for a return to a majority government for the Conservative Party.
The other big winners in the election were the New Democrats and leader Jack Layton, who will form the official opposition with 102 seats, up a whopping 65 seats. The big losers were the Liberals who lost 42 seats and the Bloc Quebecois who lost 46 seats to be left with only four. Elizabeth May won the first federal seat for the Green Party, winning her home riding.
Souris/Moose Mountain Conservative incumbent Ed Komarnicki received 74% of the popular vote, up from 70.5% in the 2008 election. Komarnicki will be serving his fourth term on Parliament Hill.
Following a strong win in the Souris-Moose Mountain riding, Komarnicki talked about the results of the election. “The Liberals went down to a humiliating defeat and the Block was decimated. The NDP with the upbeat wily Jack Layton was elevated to official opposition status,” said Komarnicki. “The NDP strength in Quebec sent many young and somewhat surprised candidates into office. Notwithstanding all of that we as the Conservative Party were propelled to a historic Conservative majority government something we asked for throughout our campaign. We said we would re-introduce the budget and we will. With the numbers we now have, it will pass.”
The budget contains some important initiatives like the Volunteer Fire Fighter Tax Credit of $3000, a Caregiver Tax Credit of $2000, the extension of the Eco-Energy Retrofit Homes Program, a $300 million top up benefit to the Guaranteed Income Supplement that will increase the senior’s supplement by $600 to $800 a year. There will also be an initiative for more doctors and nurses for rural Saskatchewan and a re-introduction of a comprehensive Law and Order Bill.
“These are modest initiatives we undertook that we need to complete. That said we need to focus on reducing and eliminating the deficit by 2014. That’s what Canadians expect - that’s what we will do. We will continue with a low tax agenda and the pre-approved reduction in taxes that the Liberal and NDP parties proposed to increase. There will not be a cap and trade program for greenhouse gas emissions. Instead we will have sensible regulations that will be in line with the carbon capture and sequestration plans of the Government of Saskatchewan at the Estevan Boundary Dam Power Plant.”
“Of course,” said Komarnicki, “the gun registry will have to go and farmers need to be given choice when it comes to the Canadian Wheat Board.”
“After completing these initiatives we need to provide Canadians with a stable national government that takes into account the hopes and aspirations of all Canadians. It will be a pleasure to return to Ottawa,” concluded Komarnicki, “and to take part in a historic re-alignment of parliament.”
Results for Souris-Moose Mountain
Party Candidate Votes % Votes
New Democratic Party Allan Arthur 5,461 18.7%
Liberal Gerald Borrowman 1,236 4.2%
Green Party Bob Deptuck 898 3.1%
Conservative Ed Komarnicki 21,598 74.0%
Total number of valid votes: 29,193
Polls reporting: 177/177
Voter turnout: 29,193 of 46,242 registered electors (63.1%)
ELECTORAL DISTRICT PROFILE:
Souris-Moose Mountain - Electoral District No. 47012
Population 63,238
No. of Electors on Lists 46,242
