The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
By Jonathon Naylor Newspapers have a habit of endorsing political candidates. It is not a practice of which I am particularly fond, simply because I have a hard time accepting that anyone has ever decided for whom to vote based on the editorializing of scribes such as myself. Still, there is still a role for opinion pages to play in breaking down elections and analyzing candidates. With this in mind, I offer some thoughts on the men and woman vying to represent northern Manitoba in Ottawa. Let's start with New Democrat incumbent Niki Ashton. Ms. Ashton has brought an undeniable energy to the job, and even in fourth-place opposition can lay claim to accomplishments such as helping to save CBC's northern Manitoba radio bureau. And she illustrated her independence, if only once, by going against the leftist grain and voting to scrap the long-gun registry. But there is some uneasiness with Ms. Ashton. Many Flin Flonners, for instance, were turned off by the hullabaloo she made of the pending Thompson smelter and refinery shutdown while letting the June 2010 closure of the Flin Flon smelter pass without a fuss. Does she harbour the same "Thompson and The Pas first" mentality as her provincial cousins in the NDP? Beyond that, Ms. Ashton's attempt to "fight" the Thompson smelter closure may have cost her some credibility. Her teaming up with American pot-stirrer Michael Moore to hurl insults at Vale, owners of the Thompson mining operations, makes for great news copy. But anyone who thinks it will actually change Vale's multibillion-dollar mind is dreadfully nave. Then there's Sydney Garrioch, the Liberal candidate who until a couple of years ago was chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents northern Manitoba First Nations. Mr. Garrioch is approachable and respected. As an added bonus, he has experience running a business. His chief asset (no pun intended) may be how well he understands the dire challenges facing First Nations. And if you've been to a northern Manitoba reserve, you know that those challenges need to be a top priority for any Churchill MP. Rural interests But the Liberals are not exactly known for standing up for rural interests. It may just be one issue, but it was they who created Ð and last year voted in unison to maintain Ð the long-gun registry that has driven a red-hot wedge between rural and urban Canada. Moreover, the Liberals' answer to the aforementioned problems on reserves seems to always focus on pumping more money into them rather than instituting substantive reform. And we all know how well that has worked; the situation remains deplorable. Lastly (sorry Greens), there is Tory candidate Wally Daudrich. A people person, Mr. Daudrich is nothing if not optimistic, having expended untold hours in his long-shot bid for the MP's seat. Love 'em or hate 'em, Mr. Daudrich's Tories have not totally ignored this riding. Here in Flin Flon, the new water treatment plant and the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy are among the recent projects made possible thanks to federal assistance. And the Conservatives' plan to keep corporate taxes level has to be good in a riding so heavily dependent on three corporations known for downsizing when the going gets tough: HudBay Minerals, Vale and Tolko Industries. But Mr. Daudrich does himself no favours with his over-the-top language. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, he has called Barack Obama Ð a little over halfway through his first term Ð the worst president in U.S. history. He has also labelled Ms. Ashton a "socialist" who lacks leverage in Ottawa because her dad, provincial cabinet minister Steve Ashton, is not there with her. More than that, Mr. Daudrich's party has displayed a fondness for half-measures and duplicity. The centrepiece of their solution to overtaxation was a GST buzz cut that saves Canadians a miniscule $2 for every $100 they spend. In terms of misleading the public, recall that the Conservatives repeatedly insisted Canada would be out of Afghanistan this year. We won't be, and whether you agree with the mission or not, this is a pretty grave matter on which to deceive. Which candidate deserves your support? That's entirely your call. Just be sure that on Monday, you make your voice count. Local Angle runs Fridays.2/5/11
