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Federal candidates ready for election

Weston, two Wilsons vie for John Reynolds’s seat

It lasted longer than many thought it would, but after 17 months Paul Martin’s Liberal minority government was defeated in a confidence vote on Monday.

Because of the timing around the Christmas Holiday, Elections Canada did away with the usual five-week campaign cycle. The election date is Jan. 23, giving candidates close to two months to campaign.

This is the first time that a Canadian minority government has been brought down by a specific vote of no confidence. Other minority governments have been ousted by losing votes on the budget or censure motions, which are considered to be votes of no confidence.

The Martin government dodged an earlier vote of no confidence over the budget this spring – with the help of a defection to the Liberal Party by conservative MP Belinda Stronach.

Martin had promised to call a federal election in March of 2006, once the final report on the sponsorship scandal was released. The Liberals also said they wanted to avoid a holiday election campaign, which most Canadians do not want.

Martin himself was exonerated in the first report on the scandal but other parties pounced on the Liberals’ credibility, and their attempt to win back public support through a proposed tax cut. Recent polls also showed that most Canadians would like to see a change in leadership, and that other national parties were making gains.

Martin dismissed the vote of no confidence as a blatant power grab. "Ambition has overwhelmed common sense," he told reporters.

He also said that the other parties had no interest in addressing issues in Parliament, but instead focused their efforts on forcing another election. "It was their obsession and now we have it."

For the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast riding, which includes Whistler, the campaign really began in the spring when opposition parties first tried to derail the budget.

With John Reynolds, the longtime MP for the area and former leader of the opposition, stepping down the Conservatives nominated lawyer John Weston earlier this year.

Reynolds has served in federal and provincial governments on and off since 1972, and is a household name in his riding.

"I think people have a high regard for John and his response on an individual basis for his constituents’ concerns, and I’ve often heard that they are big shoes to fill," said Weston. "But people have been open minded to hear about a new conservative candidate, and what I have to offer.

"They seem to like that fact that I’m a Chinese-speaking guy, with business experience in Asia. They like the constitutional background because we have major constitutional issues and aboriginal issues to deal with – not only in our riding, but in our province and country. They like that I can speak French as well, because we need people in Ottawa who can fight for B.C."

Weston expected the election to take place in June, but says he has used the extra time to prepare. With three small children he was opposed to the idea of running a holiday campaign, but blames the Liberal government for forcing the opposition parties’ hand.

"We joined with the other opposition parties and asked the Liberals to have an election in February. They ignored us and said ‘make my day, vote us out.’ That’s when we realized that we couldn’t afford to let them stay in power any longer," said Weston.

"This election should have been held in May, and would have been if Belinda didn’t do her famous walk. We could have saved billions of dollars that went to self-motivated campaign promises.

"This is a government that has made $20 billion in election promises over the last three weeks… not for the good of Canadians but for the good of a party on the eve of the election."

For Weston, this campaign will be less about issues, and more about values. He believes that the sponsorship scandal arose from a culture of privilege and entitlement within the Liberal Party, and that the scandal tainted all politicians.

"It’s eroded respect for public office, and made it harder for people to get excited about our public leaders. We have to turn that corner, and punish the misbehaviours – whether it’s the Liberals today or the Conservatives tomorrow. We have to hold our leaders to a higher account," he said.

"Generally speaking we have a great platform, a great leader in Harper, values that we can articulate and be proud of, and a fabulous team of volunteers that is growing all the time. (The election) really has been exciting and upbeat, and not as frantic as you might think."

Weston’s website is www.johnweston.ca.

Blair Wilson, who came within 2,000 votes of Reynolds in the 2004 election, was reconfirmed as the Liberal Party’s candidate for the riding in the spring. He was away at party events and could not be reached for comment by press time, but you can visit his website at www.blairwilson.ca.

Adding yet another ‘W’ surname to the campaign, Judith Wilson of Gibson (no relation to Blair) was chosen on Oct. 23 to represent the NDP. She has her own legal practice, and has been a long-time supporter of the party in the riding.

With Reynolds stepping down, Judith Wilson believes there is a real opportunity for the NDP to make gains.

"John Reynolds should be thanked, he provided a good service to his country and it would be inappropriate to say anything other than thank you," she said. "But with him not running, it does present something of an opportunity because he does have a popular following that I think crossed a lot of party lines.

"The new candidate, John Weston, is totally untested, and there’s a lot of stories floating around about what he actually stands for and whether his personal values are going to have an impact.

"It’s not for me to say how that’s going to play out. But we will be going out and asking supporters to support a party that prides itself in being able to get results for people."

Judith Wilson would have preferred the election be held in the spring, but the NDP realized it was time to call an election when the Liberals would not take a stand against two-tier health care in Canada.

Until Monday, the NDP had supported the Liberals on several issues, preventing a vote of no confidence. That relationship allowed the government to be effective for more than a year.

"I think people are tired of parties that play games in Parliament, and they do like to see people working to actually achieve something," said the NDP candidate. "It was hard to argue with more money for post-secondary education, and giving back taxes to fund municipal infrastructure, and all the things NDP was able to do working with the Liberals for that period of time. It made a difference, and allowed Parliament to function. And if the Liberals had been prepared to make a stand on the privatization of health care, Parliament would still be functioning."

In the last election the NDP gained 10,000 votes in this riding, and "that was when Jack Layton was new to the job." Judith Wilson believes that Layton has only gained respect since then, creating more goodwill towards the federal NDP in the riding. The fact that the NDP is championing health care and the environment will also resonate with voters, she says.

Still, Judith Wilson admits it’s going to be difficult. Campaigns will have to take some time off during the holidays, and candidates will have to keep the debate civil in the spirit of the season.

It’s also challenging, given the physical size of the riding. The West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky riding has the largest population of any riding in Canada, as well as one of the biggest. It’s also hard to navigate, encompassing several islands, the Sunshine Coast and the Sea to Sky Highway.

"I’m going to be on the road for eight weeks straight," said Judith Wilson.

Her website is not currently up, but some information is posted at www.ndp.ca/judithwilson/ .