Conservative Ted Falk re-elected in Provencher
CBC News | Posted: October 20, 2015 2:28 AM | Last Updated: October 20, 2015
Despite national loss, mood 'very positive' in Falk headquarters, he says
Conservative Ted Falk has been re-elected in the Provencher riding.
As of 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, with 158 of 179 polls reporting, Falk led by 9,547 votes over Liberal Terry Hayward.
Despite being disappointed with the national outcome, Falk said the mood at his Steinbach headquarters Monday night was "actually very positive."
"We've had a very convincing win here in Provencher, which of course our supporters are enthused about," said Falk, adding Trudeau had a strong last few weeks on the campaign trail.
"We would have very much liked to have seen another majority Conservative government, but you know what, it is what it is and we're going to continue to work hard here in Provencher and do a good job of representing them in Ottawa."
Falk, the incumbent candidate in the riding, said he thinks Canadians were given the impression by media that "Mr. Harper was someone other than who he was."
"I see him as a very gifted, genuine individual that did an absolutely wonderful job of leading our country, and I think history will record him to be one of the greatest leaders that Canada's ever had."
Falk was first elected in a byelection on Nov. 25, 2013, succeeding former cabinet minister Vic Toews, who retired.
'At least Harper is gone'
Provencher New Democrat Les Lilley said he is happy with the numbers he raked in, despite the loss.
"We started campaigning a month after everybody else simply because I had to get vetted and everything and it took a while," Lilley said, adding he was thankful for all of the help he received from volunteers.
"Plus, I did not have the budget that the other fellows had. I mean, for example: they were advertising every week in the local newspaper here. I couldn't even do it once."
In the end, Lilley said it was more important to him and Canadians that Conservative leader Stephen Harper be shown the door.
"It was a very common theme, I heard it from door to door, that Mr. Harper had to go," he said. "At least Harper is gone, to put it crudely."
Oldest riding in Manitoba
The Provencher riding is one of the province's oldest.
Created in 1871, a year after Manitoba joined Confederation, it is a district once represented by Louis Riel.
Solidly Liberal from 1904-57, for much of the last half-century the riding has been Conservative — save for a red swing from 1968-72 and 1993–2000.
Toews held the seat from 2000, first as an Alliance member before that party evolved into the Conservatives.
The 2015 candidates are:
- Les Lilley, New Democratic Party;
- Jeff Wheeldon, Green Party;
- Hayward, Liberal Party; and
- Falk, Conservative Party.
In 2011, voter turnout was 62 per cent. Toews won with 27,820 votes (71 per cent of the vote share), far ahead of the NDP's Al Mackling, who was second with 7,051 votes (18 per cent).