Election uncertainty strikes Langley

9/17/2009

“I certainly hope not,” he said. “It’s ridiculous for an election to be called when it’s not necessary. It would be bad for our economic recovery. Nobody wants it except for the Liberals. ... The motives are not good; they’re self-serving.”

Warawa said he’s heard from many Langley residents who are dismayed at the prospect of returning to the polls less than a year after last October’s election.

“I’ve heard from a variety of constituents,” he said. “They are very upset that the Liberals are trying to cause an election. There’s a huge concern in Langley that this will hurt our economic recovery.”

Warawa said the Conservatives are doing what they can to avert a return to the polls.

“We are hoping that we can avoid an election,” he said. “We are trying to co-operate and work with the other parties.”

Warawa said there has been progress made in recent days. Many had expected that a key conflict may come Friday on a Conservative motion to inject approximately $1 billion into the Employment Insurance reform, but that was averted Tuesday afternoon when Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe promised to support the motion. Still, there is plenty of uncertainty as to the government’s long-term survival prospects.

On the local front, the NDP has not yet selected a candidate for the next election. Langley riding association president Shane Dyson said their candidate search committee started meeting about three weeks ago and is still considering various candidates.

“There’s a number of steps,” he said. “We have to find out about their backgrounds.”

Dyson said the process would be expedited if an election is called, but he’s optimistic that one won’t be necessary.

“In my heart of hearts, I don’t think there’s going to be an election,” he said. “We need to have some time to let Parliament work.”

Dyson said there have been too many elections recently.

“I don’t think Canadians have the stomach for another election,” he said. “It’s just a never-ending cycle.”

Liberal candidate Rebecca Darnell said an election isn’t a sure thing yet, but it is likely.

“I think there’s at least a 50 per cent chance,” she said. “It’s going to really depend on how things play out over the next couple of weeks.”

Darnell said the Liberals shouldn’t be blamed if an election is called, though.

“It is not the Liberal Party forcing an election, but rather that the Liberal Party is not prepared to continue to support the Conservative Party,” she said. “In reality it is up to the other parties, all three of them, as to whether an election is required. It is the Conservative Party and not the Liberal Party that controls the agenda, and it will be the agenda that dictates whether an election is necessary in the fall of 2009.”

Darnell said she’s heard from a variety of Langley residents on the matter. She said more politically active residents tend to support the idea of a new election, but there’s less support for the idea among those who aren’t as active politically.

Darnell was only recently selected as the Liberal candidate for Langley, but she said that might not be a negative thing if an election is called.

“Personally, it could be an advantage or a disadvantage,” she said.

Darnell will be holding a “Rally in the Valley” at the Langley Events Centre on September 24 to kick off her candidacy. She’s scheduled to speak, along with Liberal MPs Ujjal Dosanjh and Sukh Dhaliwal. She said she plans to proceed with the event regardless of if an election is called by then.

“It’s essentially a fundraiser,” she said. “I have to go ahead regardless, with or without an election.”

Darnell said there’s still a lot of uncertainty as to if there will be an election, though.

“It’s anyone’s guess at this point,” she said. “It’s going to really depend on how things play out over the next couple of weeks.”

Patrick Meyer, Green Party candidate in the past three federal elections, could not be reached for comment by The Times’ press deadline.