There's a CP story running today in which Peter "I feel so used" MacKay, DDS, claims that Labrador voters went Liberal out of fear that government support would vanish if they voted anything but rouge.
For those who don't know, MacKay is deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and former toy-boy of Belinda Stronach.
"There is fear among Labrador people that if they vote against the government, the government will not support that region," MacKay said just before giving a speech to a meeting of Quebec police union officials.
"I was there. It's a real fear."
The CPC also accused Liberals of buying votes in Labrador.
That was around the same time the CPC campaign was promising:
1. To renegotiate the Voisey's Bay deal to improve royalties for the province. (The feds have no legal ability to crack open the development deal since they weren't party to it); and,
2. To make the Goose Bay air base "operationally required", sending in a new infantry battalion to be based there alongside a squadron equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles.
The other stuff they promised was already in train.
In the actual result, every single person who voted Liberal last time voted Liberal again save for a few dozen. The CPC doubled its vote.
But here's the thing:
What was the major issue in Labrador?
Health care.
Other issues like transportation, the Inuit land claims agreement and water and sewer were also a big in the Big Land.
According to the Telelink poll for NTV, the Goose base was an issue for a mere 5% of those polled. Even if the poll was off by a certain amount it wasn't so far out of whack that the last place issue would supplant an issue that was reportedly getting eight times the level of support.
The Connies talked about defence, stuff they couldn't do anything about (Voisey's Bay) and a bunch of stuff that was coming anyway.
They are also on record as wanting to vote against the federal budget which includes, among other things, money for infrastructure projects like water and sewer.
Hmmmm.
The losing side accuses the winners of buying votes (despite their own blatant attempts to buy votes).
The losers say the voters were duped, were fearful or were otherwise not in their right minds when they case their ballot.
That speaks volumes about the CPC view of the electorate and democracy.
Personally, it looks to me like a combination of two things:
1. The voters weighed the options and made their choices. You don't have to like it but whatever they decided has to be accepted as valid. It can only be questioned if there is substantial evidence of massive fraud like one might find in Rhodesia or parts of the former Soviet Union.
2. The CPC message track was out of touch with what voters really want. That's because the CPC actually doesn't pay attention to voters' issues. After all, according Peter MacKay DDS, voters who chose someone other than his teammate must be acting under duress.
Arrogance, thy name is Peter.
