While every one of Canada’s 36 federal elections could be called unique, the 1997 version truly will have some new features.
Election Act changes, new constituency boundaries, a free-speech court ruling and the advent of the internet all will give this campaign a different look.
And population shifts mean it will elect a Parliament with the smallest rural representation ever.
At 36 days, it will be the shortest campaign in Canadian history. Under the old elections act, campaigning lasted 11 days longer.
Under the new law, there also will be staggered voting hours across the country to try to have most results announced at approximately the same time.
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Staggered hours
The voting hours law was changed in attempts to answer western complaints that in the past, they voted and at 8 p.m. – when election coverage started but before their votes were counted – television announcers were proclaiming a majority government win.
Twelve-hour voting periods will be staggered across the country, ending at 8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland, 9:30 p.m. in the eastern time zone, 8:30 p.m. in the central time zone, 8:30 p.m. in mountain time and 7 p.m. in the Pacific zone.
Because Saskatchewan does not switch to daylight saving time and has two time zones, the 8:30 p.m. poll-closing time means most Saskatchewan ridings will have the latest poll closings in the country, a half hour later than British Columbia.
A record number of politicians will be elected – 301.
The House of Commons in the 36th Parliament will be six seats larger, reflecting population growth picked up in the 1991 census.
The riding boundaries also will be new, since ridings were readjusted to reflect changing population concentrations.
The six new seats will be in suburban Ontario and British Columbia. In most provinces, there will be fewer rural-dominated seats as increasing numbers of rural voters are added to urban-dominated seats.
Saskatchewan illustrates the change, since Regina and Saskatoon each gained a new seat with a rural minority added to an urban majority. Rural Saskatchewan lost two seats and that pattern has been played out across Canada.
This election features the last general enumeration, since Parliament has decided to create a permanent voters’ list based on this last voter count. It will be adjusted name-by-name in the future as people move or want to be added to the voters’ list.
And unlike the 1993 vote, third party advertising will be allowed.
In the 1980s, the election act was changed to stop third party groups from advertising in favor of parties or causes. Parliament said unrestricted advertising gave parties with rich friends and allies an unfair advantage in a country which has tried to even the political teeter-totter by imposing election spending limits.
Third party advertising
The National Citizens’ Coalition took the government to court, arguing it was an infringement on freedom of speech.
A judge agreed and the third-party advertising rules this time are wide open.
This also will be the first election in which the internet is widely available to parties and partisans.
Reform leader Preston Manning has vowed his party will make the best use of it, posting information and receiving feedback from voters.
But it also means it can be an unregulated way for advertisements to be posted and election results from the east to be flashed west, even though there is supposed to be a blackout on election news until local polls close.
Vital statistics
Standing of parties as of the April 27 election call:
British Columbia (32): 24 Reform, 6 Liberal, 2 NDP
Yukon (1): 1 NDP
Northwest Territories (2 ):
1 Liberal, 1 vacancy
Alberta (26): 20 Reform,
4 Liberal, 1 Indep., 1 vacancy
Saskatchewan (14): 5 Liberal,
5 NDP, 4 Reform
Manitoba (14): 12 Liberal,
1 NDP, 1 Reform
Ontario (99): 96 Liberal, 2 Indep., 1 Reform
Quebec (75): 50 Bloc, 19 Liberal,
3 Indep., 1 PC, 2 vacancies
New Brunswick (10): 9 Liberal,
1 PC
Nova Scotia (11): 11 Liberal
P.E.I. (4): 4 Liberal
Newfoundland (7): 7 Liberal
TOTALS (295): 174 Liberal,
50 Reform, 50 Bloc QuŽbŽcois,
9 NDP, 6 Indep., 2 PC, 4 vacancies
Source: Elections Canada
