The two members of Parliament represent different parties.
One is the rookie, a charter Saskatchewan member of the Conservative party kid squad elected in 2004 by upsetting political heavyweights.
The other is a Liberal veteran of three previous campaigns, part of the rural Ontario caucus that the Liberals need to retain if Paul Martin wants to continue to live in prime ministerial digs at 24 Sussex Drive.
This week, both members of the tumultuous 38th Parliament head off for a winter campaign in their semi-rural ridings after the minority Liberal government fell Nov. 28 in a Conservative confidence vote supported by New Democrats and the Bloc Québécois.
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The voting date in Canada’s 39th general election had not been fixed at press time on Nov. 28 but was expected to be Jan. 23.
Saskatchewan rookie MP Andrew Scheer of Regina-Qu’Appelle admits to a bit of trepidation. He expects the Conservatives and Stephen Harper to win “so we can provide Canada with a good clean government. That’s exciting.”
But then there is Saskatchewan winter.
“Regina is a cold place in December and it can be worse in the rural areas of the riding,” he said on the eve of the election call. “From a campaigning point of view, it’s not going to be as fun as the last time.”
The last time was spring 2004 when the 25 year old defeated 32-year House of Commons veteran Lorne Nystrom by almost 900 votes out of the 28,000 votes cast. He became the second youngest MP in the Commons, defeating the New Democrat veteran who was the youngest MP ever elected when he first won in 1968.
This election will be a rerun of 2004 with the same major candidates – Scheer, Nystrom and Liberal Allyce Herle.
Ontario Liberal veteran Lynn Myers, elected first in 1997 in a Kitchener area riding west of Toronto, says winter and the holiday season will make for a different campaign.
“I’m pumped because after this roller-coaster Parliament, I think it is time to let voters settle things,” said the former high school teacher who heads the Liberal dairy caucus, lives in the original Myers family century-plus farmhouse and represents a riding where farming is one of the most important industries.
“Farm issues will be very big in my campaign but at least until after New Year’s, my campaign will be low key,” he said. “No one wants to open their door to a politician when that means letting cold air into a nice warm house.”
It will be an issue for politicians across the country during the first winter campaign in a quarter century.
As Parliament fell, a number of unapproved agriculture-related bills died, including Canadian Food Inspection Agency legislation with its controversial dairy labelling provisions, a bill to update 1893 cruelty-to-animals rules and legislation that would have expanded the advance payment program to livestock and storable crops and increased its interest-free component.
The election also throws doubt into the $755 million grains and oilseeds aid package announced last week by agriculture minister Andy Mitchell.
Unless cheques already have been sent out by the time of the election, Conservatives said last week if elected they will re-examine the farm and other spending announcements made by the Liberals last week to make sure they meet fiscal and effective-policy standards.
Opposition MPs said a Conservative government would represent most farmers and support them, but would not feel bound by a last-minute, hastily written, election-eve package.
