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.
Though the next federal election is likely a year or more away, hardly anyone seems to be giving Flin Flon MP Tina Keeper a chance. In January, Ms. Keeper, a Liberal, managed to penetrate an NDP stronghold and win the Churchill Riding by a decisive margin of over 3,000 votes. Ms. Keeper enjoyed huge support from fellow aboriginals, a key riding constituency. While places such as Thompson and Cranberry Portage went NDP, the likes of Pukatawagan, Norway House and St. Theresa Point went Liberal Ð and by whopping margins. But Ms. Keeper ultimately won because a significant number of NDP-minded voters believed that Bev Desjarlais Ð the New Democrat-turned-independent incumbent Ð was better suited to the task than the NDP candidate. Without a left-of-centre vote split next time, the NDP will most certainly retake the riding, dashing the hopes of Liberals desperate to believe Ms. Keeper's victory was about more than luck and timing. But maybe, just maybe, if they play their cards right, the Grits can hang on. A key will be getting out the native vote. Aboriginals make up nearly two-thirds of the riding. That figure may even be low considering their rapid growth and challenges in tabulating population figures in First Nations communities. Either way, that's more than enough people to decide an election, even if less than half cast ballots. The Liberals might also try cozying up to moderate voters thrown off by certain NDP policies. Take same-sex marriage. Ms. Desjarlais was vilified within her former party when she voted for traditional matrimony in accordance with her conscience and impression from constituents. But none of that mattered to NDP Leader Jack Layton, who stripped the dissident MP of her critic's duties. Ms. Desjarlais was later vindicated, at least somewhat, when a poll published in the Winnipeg Free Press showed that just 37 per cent of the riding wanted same-sex marriage officially recognized. The whole saga turned off a lot of people, and the NDP, surprisingly, finished third in Flin Flon and barely came out on top in Thompson Ð two communities with a strong labour vote. It's also worth noting that the Liberals are the only party to have increased its vote total in this riding in each of the last four elections. It's not unthinkable that with a more robust campaign in 2004, they could have won with respected native leader Ron Evans as their candidate. Perhaps above all, the Liberals must avoid the perceived mistakes of our last Grit MP, Elijah Harper. His biggest drawback, I'm told, is that he was rarely seen or heard from, at least in this part of the riding. Ms. Keeper, not at all shy from her time behind the camera on TV's North of 60, will have to continue to make herself visible if she hopes to be competitive. Only with a lot of hard work and yes, some luck, will the Liberals be able to count on this riding again. And if they do manage to win, it won't be by over 3,000 votes again. Local Angle runs Fridays.5/29/2006
