“Stars” Shine in Federal By-Elections; Not So Much In Kamouraska-Temiscouata

Well, I noticed that a good many in Vaughan seem to prefer glitter over substance in voting in Robocop Fantino, but only by the slimmest of margins.   Will this mean an early winter election? Could be, if Steve wants to ensure that Fantino run again…as mentioned before, I don’t see Fantino enjoying the sport of perpetual campaigning and being micromanaged after running his own show after nearly twenty-years. But, that’s another conversation for another time. 

On to Quebec now. Unlike the federal by-elections, voter tun-out in Kamouraska-Temiscouata was actually pretty damned good for a Quebec by-election–it was pretty much the same turn out as the provincial general election in 2008–nearly 58%.   Unlike Vaughan and Winnipeg North, where “star” candidates, Fantino and Kevin Lamoureux ruled the day, the star candidate, France Dionne, didn’t quite cut it here. After 25 years of being in Liberal hands, this Lower St-Lawrence riding went to the Parti Quebecois’s Andre Simard, but only by a razor thin margin–by 198 votes. Below is the breakdown:

• Andre Simard of the Parti Quebecois: 7213 votes (36.85 percent), a 198-vote lead
• France Dionne of the Liberal Party: 7017 votes (35.85 per cent)
• Gerald Beaulieu of the Action Democratique du Quebec: 4509 (23.03 per cent)
• Serge Proulx of Quebec Solidaire: 522 votes (2.67 per cent)
• Frederic Brophy Nolan of the Green Party of Quebec: 314 votes (1.60 per cent)
• Rejected ballots: 296
• Voter turnout: 57.65 per cent
• Registered electors: 34,470

Due to the razor thin margin and the even higher number of spoiled ballots, the Liberals are considering a recount.

“We have until Friday to make a decision. We are certainly considering it. When you lose by 196 votes and there are 296 spoiled ballots, we have to consider all the possibilities,” party spokesperson Michel Rochette said.

If I were the head of the Quebec Liberal party right now, I’d certainly demand a recount. If the table was turned, you can bet next year’s pay checques that the shrieking shrew Pauline Marois would not only demand a recount, but she would somehow find a way of making any result that close in the Liberals’ favour sound like more Jean Charest big Liberal corruption with vote rigging or something along those lines.

Whatever the case, a once well respected Liberal MNA like France Dionne, ain’t as loved anymore.  So much for shining stars down river.

Quebecers have also demonstrated that they’re also not the most gracious sometimes; despite the metro car contract at Bombardier set to create approx 500 jobs at the La Pocatiere plant, which is the riding’s biggest employer. 

However, more than that, it is an extension of an even more frightening trend, the politics of anger is trumping any kind of wisdom or pragmatism. As I’ve pointed out before, La Marois and the Parti-Quebecois ain’t so squeaky clean when it comes to corruption with the construction industry themselves, as it is a decades old problem that is systemic. Proof? Well, besides invoking scrapping newly crafted Bill 115 (language and education) which pisses everyone off and invoking the Notwithstanding Clause to circumvent a supreme court decision that scrapped  Bill 104, la Marois and her party, as Jean Charest had mentioned, have had no policies, no ideas, no plans  in the past six years now; not even a referendum on sovereignty planned if and when they won the next general election.

The result also said something else, the ADQ’s Gerald Beaulieu went down to third place standing. Last two elections, the ADQ came in second place in Kamouraska-Temiscouata. It’s right near Mario Dumont’s home riding of Riviere du Loup. Folks had been talking about the ADQ making slight gains. If there was any chance for them to potentially take advantage of a deadlock between the Liberals and the PQ,  this should have been it, given the supposed rise of the right winged movements in la belle province these days. As I’ve mentioned, the folks of this riding are really not that progressive socially or fiscally.  I have to ask, were they voting strategically in an attempt to get the Liberals out of their riding? Or is the right really not gaining all that much momentum as tea-baggers like Eric Duhaime and Dr Jabba the Roy like to think?

Assuming this by-election result stands, this means the opposition has gained a seat and Charest’s majority just got that much more fragile.  The PQ, combined with the ADQ, QS (Quebec Solidaire), the 2 independents have now 59 seats to Charest and the Liberals’ 61 seats in the National Assembly.

Ok, Marois, your leadership is saved…for now…still don’t think you’re gonna do so hot come April 15 though. Even if  Gilles Duceppe isn’t a gunnin’ for your job, I think Bernard Drainville, PQ MNA for Marie-Victorin,  would make a great leader. Come up with solid center-center/left ideas and policies other than language paranoia and referendum, I may even vote for ya!

That said, Charest, go for the recount. Taking the high road won’t getcha nowhere.