PENTICTON, B.C. – In the end, the momentum of a new leader and a new name for the former Reform party took the Canadian Alliance little beyond its 1997 totals.
Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day led his party to six more seats than the party won in the last election, 66 compared to 60.
However, the needed breakthrough in vote-rich Ontario did not come as the CA managed to win just two seats there.
For rural voters in the West, the CA was the party of choice, taking more seats and more of the popular vote than any other party.
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Luke Thomson, a retired rancher and now a farmer in Okanagan Falls, B.C., was in Penticton to cheer on Day in his home riding of Okanagan-Coquihalla.
“If it had been a creation of eastern voters, then it would have hurt the Liberals real bad. But we have shown the East that we are still here and our needs will not be going away any time soon.”
Frank Focken, a retired Saskatchewan farmer and Day supporter, agreed but feared the divisiveness of the election.
“We need to have a government that represents people across Canada. It needs representatives from all parts. Why can’t the Liberals understand that?”
After election results became clear Nov. 27, Day told the crowd of 500 assembled at the Penticton Trade and Convention centre that the Alliance would fight for the West over the next four years.
“We will move the government to act for farmers in this country … the West will be heard.”
Day said in his election night speech that the CA would “see a day when we will see a national federal government that is represented in every region of the country.”
Seating 66 in Parliament and unseating some prominent NDP and Liberal MPs was a victory, but Day’s supporters in Penticton were disappointed with the showing.
Mike Andersen, a feedlot operator from Keremeos, B.C., said he feels the Alliance party needed a new leader, one that could appeal to voters from Eastern Canada and he said he is satisfied with Day.
“He did what he could. The Alliance will be a factor in Ottawa. We’re stronger than ever, but it sure would have been nice to have a few more seats in Ontario,” he said.
The Progressive Conservative party captured more than 12 percent of the popular vote, which CA analysts say split some of the right-wing vote.
In 1997, Alberta’s 12 rural and smaller urban centre seats all went Reform. The same held true in 2000.
Twelve other Alberta Reform constituencies that were Reform in 1997 returned the Alliance candidates to office.
In B.C., the 23 rural and smaller urban centre ridings that went Reform in 1997 went CA this time.
In addition, the party won the single remaining rural seat, formerly held by NDP candidate Nelson Riis in Kamloops.
Thomson said he believes rural people identify with the CA platform even if agriculture wasn’t a major issue for the party.
“No party seems to care about agriculture. I didn’t hear much about agriculture from the (CA). But being from Alberta, (Day) has to be more aware of it than the Liberals. Maybe in four years.”
