Tories sweep seats in 3 N.L. byelections

Candidates for the governing Progressive Conservatives had little trouble holding Tory seats inthree byelections in Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday night.

Former St. John's city councillor John Dinn won by a landslide in Kilbride district, taking about 79 per cent of the votes cast and winning every poll in the district.

"I'm glad this day is over," said Dinn, who took 2,744 votes, far ahead ofLiberal Bob Clarke, who had 508 votes.New Democrat Gemma Schlamp-Hickey had 229 votes.

Keith Hutchings, a former aide to retired finance minister Loyola Sullivan, comfortably wonneighbouring Ferryland district. Hutchings had 2,770votes, while Liberal Kevin Bennett had715 votes and the NDP's Rick Boland had 183 votes.

In Port au Port, a rural district on Newfoundland's west coast, Tony Cornect — a constituency aide to Education Minister Joan Burke — handily defeatedLiberal Mark Felix, with 2,701 votes to 1,521.NDP candidatePaul O'Keefe trailed with 135 votes.

"I'm very happy and satisfied and humbled to be the MHA-elect," Cornect told CBC News on Thursday night. "I had a great feeling at the doors."

The victories give the Tories 34 of the 48 seats in the house of assembly. The Liberals hold 11 seats, while the NDP have two.

A fourth byelection— to replace PC backbencher Kathy Goudie, who resigned last month— will be held in Humber Valley districton Monday to fill a remaining vacancy.

Voter turnout low

Chief electoral officer Chuck Furey said late Thursday afternoon that turnout at balloting stations had been "very, very slow," even by byelection standards.

"It's a beautiful day, the weather is good.… There is not something that is inhibiting people from voting, so there must be something else," Furey told CBC News.

In Kilbride, where even opposing parties admitted Dinn was likely to win easily, voter turnout was just 33 per cent.

No evidence of backlash

The Tories' sweep suggests little voter backlash against Premier Danny Williams's government in light of a series of stinging audits into spending at the house of assembly.

Auditor General John Noseworthy's reports, though, have named politicians from all three political parties.

As well, Kilbride and Ferrylandhave been historic Tory strongholds. Kilbride has never elected anything but PC candidates since it was formed in a 1975 redistribution. Ferryland has consistently elected Tories since 1971.

The byelections were called in Januaryto fill vacancies caused by the departures— for very different reasons— of three members of the PC caucus.

Ed Byrne was forced out of his cabinet post as natural resources minister in June 2006 after he was named in one of Noseworthy's audits into excessive constituency allowance payments. Byrne quit his Kilbride seat altogether because of the scandal's shadow.

Loyola Sullivan, another of Williams's top lieutenant, tendered a surprise resignation after Christmas. He had held Ferryland district for more than 14 years.

Jim Hodder, who represented Port au Port for a total of 21 years during two separate stints, retired for health reasons in January.

Another byelection on horizon

Yet another byelection is probable this winter. Randy Collins, the NDP member for Labrador West, has said he will resign his seat in February.

Under provincial legislation, a byelection must be called within 60 days of a seat becoming vacant, and held within90 days.

Under fixed-date legislation, a general election is scheduled for Oct. 9.

Williams and the Tories swept into power in 2003, unseating the Liberals, who had held power for the preceding 14 years.