Saskatchewan voters wanted change, and they voted for it in a big way Monday night.
Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale in Wascana was the sole survivor among five Liberal incumbent MPs Monday night. The others lost to Reform, according to results available at press time, and Liberal candidates ran third in many ridings.
“Obviously we need to communicate our message better and perhaps in a more succinct and effective manner,” Goodale told reporters.
“The lessons will be studied very carefully over the days and weeks ahead and we’ll make whatever adjustments may be necessary for the future.”
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Goodale defeated former NDP MP John Burton by about 5,000 votes, although the early returns showed a narrower margin. Reform’s Glen Blager ran third, Tory Mike Morris fourth, and Walter Sigda of the Canada Action Party fifth.
Many issues in campaign
Goodale said the result was affected by concerns about jobs, health care, grain transportation and firearms registration.
“There was obviously a much more vigorous run by some of the opposition contenders where in the last campaign some of those contenders were rather neutral and benign,” he said.
“This time they were more seriously in the race. There’s also in some constituencies a very interesting pattern in terms of how the votes among various parties divided and split.
“It’s too early tonight to dissect all of the tea leaves.”
Goodale also said his workers tackled “formidable odds” from outside forces, like the campaigns waged against him by the National Citizens’ Coalition and Farmers For Justice. He fought back last week through radio messages.
“The campaign that was brought into the constituency from outside was not only extraneous and gratuitous, it was factually erroneous, and it was important to straighten some of the record,” he said.
Grain transportation, not marketing, was the issue farmers wanted to talk about, Goodale said.
Whatever the issue, farmers did send him a message. With 10 of 11 rural polls reporting, Goodale won only two, while Blager won seven and Burton took one.
Party worker and Tisdale area farmer Richard Phillips said results weren’t surprising. He said farmers he spoke with were still talking about the barley marketing vote and the fact there was no choice of dual marketing on the ballot.
“I think what people were really feeling is that farming is their business, that’s their lifeblood and they want the ability to market their crops,” Phillips said.
Reform sent the right message to these voters by promoting dual marketing and fighting gun control, he added.
Only six of Manitoba’s 12 Liberal incumbents were re-elected, including Lloyd Axworthy in Winnipeg. Reform won three, the NDP won four and the Tories took one.
Western diversification minister Jon Gerrard lost by 50 votes to Reform’s Howard Hilstrom and a recount is expected.
In Alberta, Reform took 24 of 26 seats, leaving the Liberals with two, including natural resources minister Anne McLellan’s Edmonton riding.
B.C. support static
Liberal support in British Columbia remained the same as 1993 at six seats. Reform, with 25, and the New Democrats, with three, each picked up one of two new ridings.
Transport minister David Anderson was re-elected in Victoria.
Goodale said voters were impatient with the Liberals’ approach to fighting the deficit, bringing down interest rates and assisting small business.
“It’s not a big spending program that is more sizzle than steak. Sizzle obviously sells better during an election campaign, but the steak is what matters.”
All the economic signs show Canada, and Jean ChrŽtien’s Liberals, are moving in the right direction, he said, noting the deficit is dropping faster than people would have imagined in 1993.
Interest rates are at their lowest level in more than 30 years, said Goodale, and Canada is expected to lead the western world in job creation.
