A COUNTRY DIVIDED
Atlantic Canada positioned for clout in minority Liberal government
Atlantic Canada positioned for more clout
You would think sending fewer Liberals to Ottawa would mean less clout for Atlantic Canadians and their members of Parliament.
But political scientists say it might be just the opposite.
Every riding in the region went red in 2015 and MPs had to compete with a lot of Liberal voices in government. Six fewer Liberals won in Monday night's vote but experts say the new political landscape might be even more beneficial for the East Coast.
“Atlantic Canada plays a more crucial role than it did last time,” Don Desserud, University of P.E.I. political science professor, told SaltWire.
That may sound counterintuitive: the Liberals now have fewer federal seats, and less support from the provinces, with both New Brunswick and P.E.I. electing Progressive Conservative governments. But Desserud said Monday's results, especially in Quebec and the West where Liberals new and old fell by the wayside, have have demonstrated the dangers of alienating a region and taking support for granted.
“When you're in a minority situation and every vote counts, things are fragile. You don't want people breaking ranks, you don't want people crossing the floor,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean Atlantic Canadian MPs have any more power than B.C. MPs, but it does mean that all the MPs will probably have a lot more clout in caucus meetings in dealing with cabinet ministers.”
On the topic of cabinet, with no red seats in Saskatchewan or Alberta, the Liberals may end up looking to Atlantic Canada to fill more cabinet positions.
“I think it’s still too early to tell specifically who's going to be staying in and who's going to get shuffled into what position but I would expect some representation from Atlantic Canada, and some meaningful representation,” said Dalhousie political sociologist Howard Ramos.
And although they each only took one seat in Atlantic Canada, the Green and NDP contingent in the region may play a bigger role than their numbers might suggest in shaping the agenda.
“The Liberals are going to have to start looking at why the Greens are doing well here,” Desserud said.
“It’s possible they'll start to take the climate change file a little more seriously than they have.”
Ramos noted that Monday’s election results paint a picture of a Canada that is extremely split across regional lines, especially in Western provinces where separatist talk made its way into the national dialogue Tuesday and in Quebec where the Bloc saw a major resurgence.
Long-time N.L. MP Scott
Simms, who was re-elected for his seat in Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame Monday, said peace and productivity can only be obtained through respectful dialogue across party lines.
“I have had quite a bit of experience in minority parliaments. I can honestly say that bridge building can only be done if you have a critical mass of adults in the room,” Simms said. “And if we stick to the narrative that was threaded throughout the campaign, it's not going to work very well.”
One route to reconciliation, Ramos said, will be addressing the core issues that extend across regions around affordability, the environment, and health care issues — all of which are top of mind for Atlantic Canadians.
Rob Moore, Conservative MP-elect who won back the New Brunswick Fundy Royal riding from the Liberals, said he believes sending a minority parliament to Ottawa is a mandate from Canadians for cooperation.
“We didn't all run on the same platform, we don't all have the same views on issues, but in a country like Canada, we have to look out for the best interest of our region. And I'm prepared to...work with anyone that wants to better the Atlantic region,” Moore said.