Provincial Elections

Rocky Election Start for Ed Stelmach

Marco Navarro-Genie — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:45:55 -0700

Ed Stelmach's first week during the campaign has been rocky, if the media coverage is any indication.

The start of the Alberta election should have been an opportunity to showcase the government's accomplishments in the last 12 months. Instead, Ed Stelmach got questions about the coinciding election date with the third anniversary of the Maythorpe killing of four RCMP officers. What was reported were speculations about insensitivity or incompetence.

The opposition also attacked the premier for his use of a room to hold a press conference in the legislature. While Stelmach addressed issues in the Throne Speech, which made the use of the space legitimate, there were intimations of impropriety given the proximity to the election call. In any case, the opposition complaints got air and ink.

An order-in-council issued on the same day of the election writ was also called into question. The order stipulated new rules of ethics for public servants and elected officials leaving their posts to become lobbyists. Stelmach was accused of deliberately setting the date for the new ethic rules to take effect after the election, suggesting an intent to allow retiring ministers enough time to get into the unrestricted lobbying game.

Then was the announcement to "graduate" more doctors. Medical schools objected to the implied notion that government can graduate more students by fiat. It suggested that government would meddle in the near-sacred independence of universities to establish their own standards. While Stelmach did not intend to annoy academicians, there were yet again hints of carelessness in the use of language without accounting for the audience to whom he speaks.

That carelessness was also apparent in premier Stelmach's announcement regarding childcare. The premier appeared to be blind sided by questions and comments coming from the mothers present at the announcement. Stelmach may have expected gratitude from them but instead got an earful on camera. The premier got to display his conciliatory nature by meeting privately with those who expressed concern. But he appeared uninformed and lacking in command of the issues for which he is supposed to be presenting solutions.

Very much the same can be said about yesterday's (Feb. 11) response to the young man who heckled the premier's announcement on the environment. Stelmach announced tax-credit incentives for purchases of environment-friendly, energy-efficient items such as heating furnaces. His good nature prompted him to address the heckler's concerns. But he ended up quoting numbers, the origin of which he could not reference. Once again he gave the impression of lacking command of crucial details.

Most of these gaffes are unlikely to cost the premier at the polls. They are not gaffes of Klein proportions in any measure, but they are distracting from the message. They will probably affect many of those watching closely: his opponents, the media, and his followers. The mishaps are likely to inspire his opponents to go harder. They will reason that their hard work might encounter a future opportunity of a more disastrous gaffe; one that will have a greater effect on the outcome.

For different reasons, the media will continue to watch him hawkishly in the expectation of greater or more meaningful mishaps that they can report in what is otherwise expected to be a boring campaign. A goof-watch of sorts may have already been declared, which might result in a quick decision by handlers to keep the premier away from cameras and microphones. The mishaps are also likely to deflate the spirit of party supporters. Going in, Stelmach was already wanting in the key electoral area of troop-inspiring. More gaffes may consolidate the scepticism about the premier, which many seem to harbour in the rank and file of the Progressive Conservatives.

None of the above should be interpreted as a prediction that Stelmach and his party are going to lose the election. All else seems to suggest the opposite. The latest public opinion poll this week gives the premier a more than comfortable 25-point lead over the Liberals and puts him in clear majority territory. The lack of what the public and pundits interpret as viable electoral options in Alberta is not being supplied. The size or quality of a Tory victory will matter more to the premier's and the province's future than a victory itself.

On to week two.

SES Opinion Poll on Multiculturalism

Harold Jansen — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:29:07 -0600

Nik Nanos of SES Research has posted some interesting poll numbers on attitudes towards multiculturalism. Basically, the poll finds that Canadians are far less accommodating towards religious and cultural minorities than is commonly thought. 53% of Canadians thought immigrants should fully adapt to Canadian culture, a far cry from the mosaic model of Canadian multiculturalism that we hear so much about. What's especially interesting to me in the current context is that it might explain some of the opposition to Ontario Conservative leader John Tory's position on faith-based schools in that province.

Voter Turnout in Canada

Rhonda Parkinson — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Since the 1980s, voter turnout in federal elections has fallen sharply. In the 1988 general election, 75 percent of eligible voters participated. In the 2006 general election, only 64.7 percent voted. This article discusses the issue of decreasing voter turnout; in particular, it examines historical trends in the level of voter participation, potential reasons for dropping voter rates, as well as possible initiatives to increase citizen participation.

Historical Trends in Voter Turnout

Lower rates of voter participation

Possible Causes of Lower Voter Turnout

From voter apathy to bad weather

Initiatives to Increase Voting

Reaching out to voters through the Internet

Links to More Information

List of links for more information on this topic

Historical Trends in Voter Turnouts

Lower rates of voter participation

Past Voter Participation

Canada has traditionally enjoy very high levels of voter participation in federal elections. Before World War II, voter turnout in Canada among eligible voters averaged around 70 percent. Between World War II and 1988, this rate of participation was even higher, averaging around 75 percent during federal elections. Moreover, during this period, voter turnout only twice fell below 70 percent; once in 1953 (67.5 percent) and again in 1980 (69.3 percent).

Recent Voter Participation

Since 1988, the percentage of Canadians voting in federal elections has declined significantly. Over 75 percent of Canadians voted in the 1988 federal election. By contrast, only 60.5 percent of eligible Canadians voted in the 2004 federal election. This trend, however, was moderately reversed in 2006 when 64.7 percent of eligible voters participated. Nevertheless, the turnout rate remains well below historical averages.

Year	1988	1993	1997	2000	2004	2006
Voter Turnout Rates	75.3%	69.6%	67.0%	61.2%	60.5%	64.7%

In addition to falling overall voter participation, another significant trend is the extremely low rate of participation amongst youth voters. Approximately twenty-five percent of eligible voters aged 18 – 24 voted in the 2000 federal election. Moreover, studies have indicated that many youth who don’t vote remain uninvolved in the political system, and do not voting when they get older.

Compared to Other Nations

Worldwide, many industrialized countries are experiencing a decline in voter participation. In France, the voter turnout rate for parliamentary elections has fallen from nearly 80 percent of registered voters in 1945 to 60 percent in 2002. Voter participation in U.K. parliamentary elections fell from over 70 percent in 1945 to 59.4 percent in 2001. In the United States, voter turnout for the presidential elections fell from 79.9 percent in 1972 to 67.4 percent in 2000. (Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance).

The youth vote is also falling worldwide. The U.K. Electoral Commission concluded that the low turnout rate in the 2001 election was primarily due to youth not voting. In the United States only 36 percent of youth between the ages of 18 – 24 voted in the 2000 presidential election.

Possible Causes of Lower Voter Turnout

From voter apathy to bad weather

Timing of the Election

Whenever possible, governments try to hold elections in the spring or fall instead of summer or winter. Summer elections are problematic because many people are away on vacation and don’t take the time to vote in advance polls. In winter, extreme weather conditions can prevent voters from travelling to the polling station.

Timing may have played a role in low voter turnout in the 1953 and 1980 Canadian federal elections. The date of the 1953 election was August 10th, while the 1980 election was held in mid-February. Voter turnout for these elections was 67.5 percent and 69.3 percent respectively.

Long Period of One-Party Dominance

Voter turnout may be low when the same political party has been in power for a long period and the opposition clearly has no chance of winning the election. This was the case in 1953. The Liberals had been in power for nearly twenty years, led first by Mackenzie King and then by Louis St. Laurent, King’s former Minister of External Affairs. At the time the Progressive Conservatives did not have a leader or platform to challenge the Liberals.

A similar situation occurred in 1974. The Liberals had been in power since 1963, led first by Lester Pearson and then by Pierre Trudeau, who served as Justice Minister in Pearson’s cabinet. Voter turnout fell from 76.7 percent in the 1972 election, to 71.0 percent in 1974.

In both cases, the government was re-elected with a majority, supporting the commonly held belief that low voter turnout favors the party in power. By contrast, low turnout rates worked against the government in the 1980 election: the Liberals defeated the PC minority government of Joe Clark. However, the circumstances surrounding this election were unusual. The Conservatives had only been in power six months when they were defeated on a non-confidence vote, after introducing a budget that contained several controversial tax increases, including an 18-cent per gallon gasoline tax. The subsequent election made it clear that the non-confidence vote reflected the voters’ wishes.

Research on Non-participation

Recent research on voter turnout has provided further insight into the possible causes of lower voter participation. In 2003, Elections Canada published Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections: A New Survey of Non-voters. The Report surveyed non-voters in the 2000 federal general election in an attempt to find out their reasons for not participating. The following Table provides some of the reasons given by those surveyed (broken down into different age groups).

Importance of Reason for Not Voting (% very or fairly important)	68+	58– 67	48– 57	38– 47	30– 37	25– 29	21-24	18-20	Total
Just not interested	31.4	34.0	46.4	50.6	51.8	59.3	57.0	59.1	52.9
Didn’t like parties/candidates	41.7	40.8	56.0	50.9	46.9	43.2	50.7	45.3	47.6
Vote wouldn’t matter	30.6	37.5	47.1	37.9	41.1	36.7	34.3	30.4	37.1
Didn’t care about issues	42.9	28.0	35.7	37.3	36.6	32.8	37.7	36.5	36.0
Busy at work	16.7	14.3	16.5	24.8	36.9	33.9	38.6	40.9	32.2
Out of town	19.4	34.7	16.7	19.3	18.3	21.5	25.1	24.8	21.8
Didn’t know where or when	28.6	12.2	12.9	9.4	19.2	24.4	28.5	28.4	21.1
Not on the list	25.7	16.3	15.5	16.8	16.0	20.3	18.4	24.2	18.7
Too many elections	26.2	24.5	20.0	18.5	21.4	16.5	13.0	9.5	17.3
Illness	41.7	20.4	11.9	11.8	8.5	10.7	9.2	10.8	11.7

(Source: "Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections". Elections Canada. 05 March 2007. <http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=loi&document=index&dir=tur/tud&lang=e&textonly=false>)

The above Table indicates a number of findings:

On average, most non-participants were heavily affected by general disinterest and apathy with the electoral process, such as not liking the choices of parties/candidates, having a sense that their vote would have no impact on the outcome, and not caring about the issues.
Older persons were also affected by issues of illness and problems with voting, such as registering and/or knowing where and when to vote.
Middle aged and younger persons were also somewhat affected by logistical issues, such as being too busy with work to make it to the polling station on election night.

Initiatives to Increase Voter Turnout

Possible avenues to encourage voter participation

Encouraging Youth Participation

Voter turnout is lowest amongst the youth vote. Approximately twenty-five percent of eligible voters aged 18 – 24 voted in the 2000 federal election. Moreover, studies have indicated that many youth who don’t vote remain uninvolved in the political system, and do not voting when they get older. One way of increasing voter turnout, therefore, is to encourage electoral participation amongst Canadian youths.

This can involve a number of different sorts of initiatives One possibility is to encourage candidates and political parties to address Canadian youths more directly during election, by addressing youths directly at high schools or university campuses, and by discussing issues that important to youth voters. Another possibility is to encourage youth participation through the use of modern forms of media and communication, which are used to a larger extent by younger Canadians. Many organizations, such as Rush the Vote and Elections Canada, have used the internet as a means of increasing political awareness amongst Canadian youth and providing information on how to participate.

Reform the Electoral System

Some experts place much of the low voter turnout blame on Canada’s electoral system. Canada has a single member plurality system, commonly called First Past the Post (FPTP). In a FPTP system, a single individual represents a specific district. Instead of obtaining a majority of votes, the winner only needs to receive more votes than any other candidate.

FPTP systems tend to produce stable majority governments. However, they also tend to over-reward larger parties with strong regional base of support, while smaller third parties with a national base of support are underrepresented. For example, in the 2004 federal election, the Bloq Quebecois (BQ) - a separatist party that runs candidates only in Quebec - won approximately eighteen percent of House of Commons seats, despite receiving only 12.4 percent of the popular vote. On the other hand, winning 15.7 percent of the popular vote translated into only six percent of House of Commons seats for the NDP, while the Green Party did not win any seats, despite being the first choice of 4.3 percent of voters

Electoral reform proponents believe switching to an electoral system that uses some form of proportional representation (PR) will produce a fairer result and help voters feel that their vote matters. Today, most of the world’s democracies use PR. In Canada, several provincial governments are currently considering switching either to full PR or Mixed Member Proportional, which combines the best features of both PR and the single member plurality system.

To learn more about electoral reform options, see “Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform: Should BC Change its Electoral System?”

According to the World Policy Institute, voter turnout is higher in countries with proportional representation. The following table compares voter turnout rates in democracies with different electoral systems:

Table of Voter Turnout Comparisons, 1995

Country	Voter Turnout Percentage	System
Belgium	93	PR
Italy	89	MMP
Norway	83	PR
Germany	78	PR
Greece	77	PR
United Kingdom	76	FPTP
Spain	70	PR
France	65	Majority*
United States (1994)	38**	FPTP (for Congress)

(Source: World Policy Institute)

*The winner must receive a majority of votes.
**Based on the percentage of adults aged 18 or over, not the percentage of registered voters

However, voter turnout rates have also fallen in some countries with PR. For example, voter turnout rates in Switzerland fell from 71.7 percent in 1947 to 43.2 percent in 1999. In Austria, turnout for the parliamentary elections fell from 94.3 percent in 1945 to 80.4 percent in 1999, while Israel’s voter turnout rates for parliamentary elections dropped from over 80 percent in the 1960s to 67.8 percent in 2003 (Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance). Still, overall, the drop has been less extreme in countries with PR.

Introduce Electronic Voting

Electronic voting removes the logistical problems experienced by voters who can’t make it to the polling station on Election Day, and either don’t know about or are unable to vote in advance polls. Voting by Internet allows voters to cast their ballot without ever leaving home. Proponents of “E-voting” believe its potential extends far beyond elections. Through online votes, surveys, and polls, citizens could regularly provide feedback on a variety of government initiatives, both at the municipal level and higher levels of government.

After exploring the issue since the late 1990s, Elections Canada has concluded there are both potential benefits and drawbacks to e-voting:

It has definite potential to increase the voter turnout rate. In a 2000 poll, 62 percent of non-voters said they would have been more likely to vote if the Internet voting option had been available.
In particular, it could increase the youth voter turnout rate. In the 2002 Elections Canada survey, a significant portion of young adults age 18 – 24 cited logistical problems as the reason they didn’t vote.
There are security concerns – it would be difficult to verify that the correct person is voting, prevent someone from voting more than once, or manipulate data by some other method.
Resolving these security concerns would be expensive, and probably require using biometric data to verify a person’s identity.
Even with added precautions, public concerns about Internet security and the possibility that the government or other organizations could find out how they voted would have to be overcome.
Despite the major increase in Internet use in the last decade, a segment of the voting population still does not know how to use computers, or does not have easy access to a computer.

Links to Further Information

List of links for more information on this topic

Canada

US and the World

Worldwide Voter Turnout. Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
“Risky E-vote System to Expand,” Wired.com
Youth Vote Coalition ( United States)
“Smackdown Your Vote!” The World Wrestling site encouraging American youth to vote.

2006 New Brunswick General Election

Jay Makarenko — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0600

In September 2006, New Brunswick voters elected the provincial Liberal Party to a majority government, with its leader, Shawn Graham, becoming the new provincial Premier. The Liberals defeated the incumbent Progressive Conservative Party, led by Bernard Lord, who had governed the province since 1999. This article provides background information on elections in New Brunswick, as well as an overview of the key participants, platforms, issues, and results of the 2006 election.

New Brunswick Voting Information

What You Need to Know to Participate

Pre-Election Party Standings

Political Party Standings at Dissolution

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

Liberal Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

New Brunswick New Democratic Party

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

2006 New Brunswick Election Results

Liberals win a majority government

Sources & Links to Further Information

List of Article Sources & Links for More Information on this Topic

New Brunswick Voting Information

What You Need to Know to Participate

Additional information on voting in a provincial election may be found at the Website of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

How the Election Works

New Brunswick is divided into electoral constituencies or ridings, each of which is represented in the provincial legislature (which is called the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick). These constituencies are geographically based, representing particular areas of the province, and tend to have roughly the same number of voters in each. During a general election, voters in each constituency elect an official, called a Member of the Legislative Assembly (or MLA), to represent the riding in the provincial legislature.

The political party that forms the government and whose leader becomes premier, depends on the overall outcome of all of these constituency elections. Each candidate typically belongs to a recognized political party, such as the Progressive Conservatives, the New Democrats, or the Liberals. The premier is usually the leader of the political party that has elected the greatest number of MLAs across the province. S/he then chooses an Executive Council (also referred to as a Cabinet) and forms the government.

Who Can Vote in the Election

A person is qualified to vote in a provincial election if s/he is:

A Canadian citizen
Eighteen years of age on or before polling day
Resident in the province for six months immediately preceding the election date
Resident in the electoral district at the date of the election.

(Source: New Brunswick Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, 30 August 2006: http://www.gnb.ca/elections/general/generalrevisioninfo-e.asp)

Where to Vote in the Election

Each qualified voter can only vote once in the election and only in the constituency in which s/he resides. Prior to each election, voters are sent a Voter Information Card in the mail; this card identifies the voter, his/her polling station (where the vote is physically cast), and the polling station’s hours of operation.

Voters who do not receive a Voter Information Card are not likely on the Voter List for any constituency. In order for a voter to get on the list for his/her home electoral district, the voter must contact his/her Returning Officer or present proof of residency at the polling station prior to casting a ballot (proof of residency would include one or more pieces of identification that, between them, bear the voter’s name, civic address, and signature).

Voters who will be outside their electoral districts at the time of the election may cast a special ballot. To receive and cast a special ballot, voters must contact the Returning Officer for their home electoral district.

For more information on special ballots:

New Brunswick Office of the Chief Electoral Officer: Special Ballots

Casting Your Ballot on Election Day

To vote in person on election day, the voter simply goes to the polling station during opening hours. In order to cast a ballot, a voter will need his/her Voter Identification Card and a piece of recognized identification.

For information on what identification the voter may need:

New Brunswick Office of the Chief Electoral Officer: Identification

Each voter is then issued a folded ballot with a list of candidates for that electoral constituency. The voter takes the ballot behind a screen and marks an ‘X’ or a check mark next to the name of his/her preferred candidate. Voters can only select one candidate; choosing more than one candidate means the ballot will be considered spoiled and will not be counted in the official results.

For more information on casting a ballot:

New Brunswick Office of the Chief Electoral Officer: Ballots

Disabled, Home Bound & Hospitalized Voters

Alternative voting options are available for voters who are disabled, housebound, or hospitalized at the time of the election.

For more information on alternative voting options:

Pre-Election Party Standings

Political Party Standings at Dissolution

Results of the Last General Election (2003)

The last provincial election was held in 2003, with the Progressive Conservative Party, under leader Bernard Lord, narrowly winning a majority government. The 2003 election saw a major shift in support between the two dominant political parties, the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals, with the PCs dropping from 44 seats in the Legislative Assembly to 28 (barely clinging to majority government status), and the Liberals increasing their total from 10 seats to 26.

2003 New Brunswick Election Results
Political Parties	Popular Vote	Seats Won	Status
Progressive Conservatives	45.45%	28	Majority Gov't
Liberal Party	44.34%	26	Official Opposition
New Democrats	9.69%	1	-
Other	0.53%	-	-

For more information on the 2003 New Brunswick General Election:

Standing Prior to the 2006 General Election

Since the 2003 general election, there have been some changes to the seat totals held by the political parties. In November 2003, Liberal MLA Bernard Richards resigned his seat in the Legislature to accept an appointment as the provincial Ombudsman. The Liberals, however, retained the seat by winning the subsequent by-election held in October 2004.

Also, in October 2004, New Democratic MLA Elizabeth Weir resigned both her seat and her party's leadership, leaving the NDP without representation in the Legislative Assembly. Liberal candidate Ed Doherty won the subsequent November 2005 by-election, increasing the Liberals’ seat total to 27.

The Liberals, however, were again reduced to 26 seats in January 2006, when MLA Frank Branch left the Liberal caucus to sit as an independent. Branch had come under heavy criticism when it became publicly known that the North Shore Forest Products Marketing Board -- of which Branch was general manager at the time -- was under investigation for impropriety and mismanagement.

In February 2006, Progressive Conservative MLA Michael Malley left his caucus over differences with his party, and also sat as an independent. The move dropped the Progressive Conservatives to minority government status, with only 27 seats versus the Liberals' 26 and the two independents. Malley, however, later returned to the Progressive Conservative caucus in April 2006, restoring the Lord government to majority status.

Party Standings Prior to 2006 Election
Political Parties	Seats	Status
Progressive Conservatives	28	Minority Gov't
Liberal Party	26	Official Opposition
Independent	1	-
New Democrats	0

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

See the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party Website for more information on the Party as well as news and events updates.

Party Leader: Bernard Lord

Bernard Lord was born in 1965 and grew up in the Greater Moncton, New Brunswick area. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Science with a major in economics, in addition to a law degree, both from the Université de Moncton. Before entering politics, Lord practiced law. In 1997, he was elected leader of the New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party. In 1998, he was elected to the New Brunswick Legislature and became leader of the Official Opposition. In 1999, the Progressive Conservatives won a majority and Lord became Premier of New Brunswick. In 2003, Lord and the Progressive Conservatives won a second majority government, narrowly defeating the Liberal Party and its leader Shawn Graham. Lord is married to Diane Haché and they have two children.

For additional biographical information on Bernard Lord:

Party’s Political Philosophy

The New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party is a moderate-right political party. In its statement of aims and principles, the Party places an emphasis on the individual and the ability of persons to act according to their own initiative to achieve their fullest potential. With regard to social policy, the Party states that social programs should serve the dual purpose of ensuring dignified and meaningful lives for persons in need, while promoting individual responsibility and self-reliance. Concerning economic policy, the Party supports free enterprise as the driving force for economic prosperity in the province.

For more information on the PC Party's philosophy:

New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party: Aims & Principles (PDF)

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

Energy Costs: A dominant issue in contemporary New Brunswick politics is rising home heating and gasoline costs. Regarding this issue, the Progressive Conservatives campaigned on several initiatives they introduced while in government in the spring of 2006:

Removing the eight percent provincial sales tax from all home-heating bills;
Capping the annual power rate increase at eight per cent for residential customers;
Regulating the price of gasoline, diesel, home-heating oil, and natural gas;
Conducting a feasibility study of a second nuclear reactor at Point Lepreau; and
Taking greater government control over New Brunswick Power (the provincial public utility).

Health Care: The Progressive Conservatives also made several election promises regarding health care:

Reducing senior care costs through planned government coverage of the health care portion of nursing home costs (announced in the Progressive Conservatives' 2006 Budget);
Increasing the Health Department’s budget to add another 27 doctors in the province (announced in the 2006 Budget); and
Introducing a Provincial Diabetes Strategy to assist persons with diabetes and increase prevention. Components of the Strategy included improved screening, increasing public awareness of the disease, and improving access to testing and insulin supplies for low-income patients.

For more on the PC’s Diabetes Strategy:

New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party: Premier Lord Announces Comprehensive Provincial Diabetes Strategy (PDF)

Education & Childcare: The Progressive Conservatives made several promises regarding education and childcare:

Increasing government spending on education in kindergarten through Grade 12 to create 240 more teaching positions and reduce classroom size (announced in the 2006 budget);
A $31 million investment for childcare, including raises for daycare workers and establishing a trust fund to assist communities in planning better childcare services and building additional daycare centres (announced in the 2006 Budget); and
A new Trades Training Strategy to provide more opportunities for youth to get jobs and to address impending trade skills shortages in the province. The Strategy included new investments in high schools and colleges to upgrade technology and vocational labs.

For more on the PC’s Trades Training Strategy:

New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party: Lord Announces Trades Training Strategy to Create More Jobs for New Brunswickers (PDF)

Economy: In the area of economic growth and development, the Progressive Conservatives promised the following:

New tax credits for the forestry industry, enabling companies to write off one-half of their total costs on new capital equipment (announced in the 2006 Budget);
A drop in the corporate tax rate from 13 percent to 12 percent, and a reduction of the small business tax rate to 1.5 percent (announced in the 2006 Budget); and
Creation of the New Rural Economic Development Fund, worth $120 million, to spur economic growth in rural areas throughout New Brunswick.

For more on the PC’s Rural Economic Development Fund:

New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party: Premier Lord to Establish Rural Economic Development Fund (PDF)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

See the New Brunswick Liberal Party Website for more information on the Party and news and event updates.

Party Leader: Shawn Graham

Shawn Graham was born in 1968 in Kent County, New Brunswick. He holds a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree from the University of New Brunswick and a Bachelor of Education Degree from St. Thomas University. He also attended the Université Canadienne in France for a year of immersion studies. Prior to entering politics, Graham worked as a teacher, served in the provincial civil service as Manager of Industrial Development, and as an executive assistant to the Natural Resources and Energy Minister. Graham was first elected to the provincial legislature in 1998, representing the riding of Kent. On May 11, 2002, he was elected Leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party as well as Leader of the Official Opposition. In the 2003 general election, Graham helped to revive the provincial Liberal Party by increasing its seat count from 10 to 26, and almost defeated the incumbent Progressive Conservatives (the PCs held on to a narrow one-seat majority). Graham is married to Roxanne Reeves.

For additional biographical information on Shawn Graham:

Party’s Political Philosophy

The New Brunswick Liberal Party is a centrist political party. Its constitution states that the Party is committed to human rights and freedoms under the law. It also emphasizes that the Party recognizes equality of opportunity, and equal access to important social goods and services, as being fundamental to human dignity in a democratic society.

For more information on the Liberals’ political philosophy:

Liberal Party: Constitution of the Liberal Party

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

Energy Costs: The Liberals outlined their own set of energy-related initiatives to reduce costs for residents:

A home energy conservation effort that would provide up to $2,000 per household to cover conservation-related upgrades;
Implementation of a “time-of-day” savings plan that would allow energy consumers to pay a lower rate on electricity when using power during “off-peak” hours;
Development of a long-term business plan to transform New Brunswick into an energy exporter. This plan included undertaking a feasibility study on the merits of operating a second nuclear reactor at the Point Lepreau facility, as well as examining opportunities for small-scale hydroelectric and clean coal energy generation;
Significant research and development initiatives into alternative sources of clean energy, such as tidal, hydrogen fuel cell, ethanol, and bio-fuel;
Reducing provincial gasoline taxes so that they are the lowest in Canada; and
Offering residents a tax rebate of $1,500 on the purchase or lease of a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle.

For more information on the Liberals’ energy plan:

Health care: In the area of health care, the Liberals committed to several initiatives and programs:

Establishing a Rural Health Framework to increase services in rural communities;
Establishing a single, province-wide ambulance service to improve patient access to ambulance services;
Creation of a new Diabetes Assistance Program to improve access to necessary medication, supplies, and devices for New Brunswickers with diabetes;
The introduction of a new provincial addictions treatment and prevention strategy, including improving the availability of methadone treatment, as well as instituting a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program as a tool to prevent drug addiction and flag dangerous drug interactions; and
Improving seniors care, including reducing daily rates in nursing homes to $70 per day, improving wages and benefits for home support workers, and implementing (within one year) a new Long Term Care Strategy for seniors.

For more information on Liberal promises regarding health care:

Education & Childcare: With respect to education and childcare, the Liberals promised to:

Create 12,000 new community college spaces for students over the next five years;
Improve ‘inclusive’ education to ensure that students with special needs receive proper educational services, including focusing on earlier identification of disabilities and improving access to treatment and support services;
Double the number of infant spaces in the province’s licenced daycare centres; and
Provide $2 million over four years to establish the Moncton Headstart as a Centre of Excellence for upgrading the skills of early learning workers around New Brunswick.

For more information on Liberal education and childcare policy:

Economy: The Liberals also promised several initiatives for economic growth and development in New Brunswick:

A commitment to develop New Brunswick into a “have” province within the next 20 years by establishing the province as a leader in energy conservation and generation, improving the education and skills training sector, and making job creation a government priority;
Implementing key elements of the Liberal plan including strong and involved government leadership, meaningful support for small business start-ups, a new energy program (see above), and support for traditional industries (see below);
A commitment to increase the marketing budget of the Department of Tourism and Parks by $3 million to improve competitiveness and increase the number of tourists to the province;
The introduction of a new Mining Development Fund to support greater exploration of New Brunswick’s mining assets;
Establishing a cabinet committee to work with stakeholders in the forestry industry in order to modernize their activities. The Liberals have also pledged to implement a forest management plan for 2007-2012;
Creation of a Northern New Brunswick Initiative as a comprehensive development strategy for Miramichi, the Acadian Peninsula, and the Restigouche-Chaleur regions, with the aim of closing the gap between these regions and the rest of New Brunswick. The Initiative includes public investments in infrastructure to increase economic opportunities in these northern regions; and
The establishment of a new program to provide funding to small- and medium- sized businesses for start-up, diversification, and expansion plans.

For more information on the Liberal economic plan:

New Brunswick New Democratic Party

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

See the New Brunswick New Democratic Party Website for more information on the Party and news and event updates.

Party Leader: Allison Brewer

Allison Brewer was born in 1954 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She received an Honours degree in Philosophy from the University of Dalhousie/King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Following university, Brewer began her career in communications with the Government of New Brunswick. She later left the provincial civil service to set up and run the Fredericton Morgentaler Clinic. From 2000-04, Brewer worked for the Government of Nunavut, eventually serving as Senior Advisor on women’s issues. She was elected leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party in September 2005.

For additional biographical information on Allison Brewer:

Party’s Political Philosophy

The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a centre-left, social democratic party. The Party supports human dignity and well-being through equality of opportunity and condition among persons in society. Moreover, the Party supports some government intervention in order to promote and protect these values.

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

Energy Costs: In its 2005 Convention, the New Brunswick NDP adopted several energy-related policies, including offering rebates for energy efficiency upgrades and hiring engineering students to do preliminary energy audits (free of charge) for residential and industrial users.

Health Care: The NDP also made several health care commitments:

Institution of province-wide qualifications and minimum training requirements for home care workers; and
Introducing publicly regulated and funded midwifery care in New Brunswick.

For more information on NDP health care policy:

New Brunswick NDP; Policies

Education & Childcare: At their 2005 Convention, the NDP made several commitments in the areas of education and childcare:

Reducing class sizes in all primary and secondary grades, as well as eliminating fees and fundraising for all school essentials, including computers and learning resources;
A pledge to finance the repair or replacement of school infrastructure, and to ensure that schools can incorporate environment-friendly initiatives;
A promise to improve funding and delivery of special needs programs at the primary and secondary levels;
A promise to immediately freeze tuition fees for students at the post-secondary level, as well as enhance loan remissions for post-secondary education for persons with student debt;
Proposing to increase the base budgets of post-secondary institutions, and to address the infrastructure deficit of universities and colleges; and,
Proposed improvements to provincial childcare. This would include ensuring that all families have access to affordable, universal childcare, as well as providing funding for staff training, improved salaries and upgraded programs, and increasing the number of licenced childcare spaces in the province.

For more information on NDP education and childcare policies:

New Brunswick NDP; Policies

Economy: Economic initiatives committed to by the Party at the 2005 Convention include:

Pledging to assist the forestry industry by exploring ways to add value to the province’s forestry products; and
Promising to bring the minimum wage rate in New Brunswick to a level that would enable a single person living on one income and residing in a metropolitan area to earn enough to lift the wage-earner out of poverty. If elected, the Party has also pledged to introduce programs to assist small businesses to adjust to the increase in minimum wage.

For more information on NDP economic policies:

New Brunswick NDP; Policies

2006 New Brunswick Election Results

Liberals win a majority government

Shawn Graham and his New Brunswick Liberals won a majority government, winning 29 of 55 seats in the provincial legislative assembly. The incumbent Progressive Conservatives came in second with 26 seats, while the provincial New Democratic Party failed to win a seat. The Liberals, however, narrowly lost the popular vote, winning 47.1 percent of the vote, while the Progressive Conservatives won 47.5 percent (the NDP won only 5.1 percent).

The election was a major blow to both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP. The Progressive Conservative also won two fewer seats than they did in the 2003 election, while the NDP fell from one seat to none.

Sources & Links to Further Information

List of Article Sources & Links for More Information on this Topic

Sources Used for this Article

Electronic Sources

“Power Politics.” CBC News. 18 August 2006. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.cbc.ca/nbvotes2006/features/feature1-power.html>.
“Tory Budget Projects Surplus Despite New Spending.” CBC News. 29 March 2006. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.cbc.ca/nb/story/nb_lordbudget200620228.html>
“Policies.” New Brunswick New Democratic Party. 30 August 2006.
<http://ndpe.myeasyupdater.com/page_1154564133759.html>
“Leader.” New Brunswick New Democratic Party. 30 August 2006.
<http://ndpe.myeasyupdater.com/page_1155248240453.html>
“Press Releases.” New Brunswick Liberal Association. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.nbliberal.ca/election/press_releases.htm>
“Media Releases.” New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.pcnb2006.com/en/releases.asp>
“The 2003 New Brunswick Election: The Aftermath.” Mapleleafweb. 07 July 2003. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.mapleleafweb.com/education/spotlight/issue_36/index.html>
“Electoral Information.” Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.gnb.ca/elections/general/generalrevisioninfo-e.asp>
“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. 30 August 2006.
<http://www.gnb.ca/elections/06prov/06provFAQindex-e.asp>

Provincial Elections

Rocky Election Start for Ed Stelmach

SES Opinion Poll on Multiculturalism

Voter Turnout in Canada

Lower rates of voter participation

From voter apathy to bad weather

Reaching out to voters through the Internet

List of links for more information on this topic

Historical Trends in Voter Turnouts

Past Voter Participation

Recent Voter Participation

Compared to Other Nations

Possible Causes of Lower Voter Turnout

Timing of the Election

Long Period of One-Party Dominance

Research on Non-participation

Initiatives to Increase Voter Turnout

Encouraging Youth Participation

Reform the Electoral System

Introduce Electronic Voting

Links to Further Information

Canada

US and the World

2006 New Brunswick General Election

What You Need to Know to Participate

Political Party Standings at Dissolution

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

Party Leader, Political Philosophy & Election Promises

Liberals win a majority government

List of Article Sources & Links for More Information on this Topic

New Brunswick Voting Information

How the Election Works

Who Can Vote in the Election

Where to Vote in the Election

Casting Your Ballot on Election Day

Disabled, Home Bound & Hospitalized Voters

Pre-Election Party Standings

Results of the Last General Election (2003)

Standing Prior to the 2006 General Election

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader: Bernard Lord

Party’s Political Philosophy

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

Liberal Party of New Brunswick

Party Leader: Shawn Graham

Party’s Political Philosophy

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

New Brunswick New Democratic Party

Party Leader: Allison Brewer

Party’s Political Philosophy

Party’s 2006 Election Promises

2006 New Brunswick Election Results

Sources & Links to Further Information

Sources Used for this Article

Electronic Sources

Links for Further Information

Mapleleafweb Links

Political Parties Links

Provincial Election Information