Conservatives must find middle ground between West, urban ridings in East: political scientist
CBC
The Conservatives again dominated federal election ridings in Saskatchewan and Alberta, but it wasn't enough to form government.
Justin Leifso, an assistant professor in political studies at the University of Victoria, says rumblings of western alienation will continue because of the result.
Leifso said westerners must face the fact that if Conservatives are to form government, they must also appeal to urban voters in Ontario and Quebec.
"Are [voters in Saskatchewan and Alberta] going to keep parking our political interests with a party that is so focused on grievance?" Leifso, who grew up in Moose Jaw, Sask., asked Tuesday on CBC Saskatchewan's The Morning Edition.
"Or are we OK with a party trying to broaden its scope in terms of getting enough seats to form government?"
Liberal candidate Buckley Belanger is projected to win Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, the lone Liberal from Saskatchewan heading to Ottawa.
Conservatives won Saskatchewan's 13 other ridings without much competition. The NDP ran third in every riding.
Leifso said those results were not surprising.
Belanger's projected win in the north riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River had more to do with boundary changes than anything else, he said.
"We didn't see the same sort of red wave that the polls, maybe like about three weeks ago, nationally were showing."
The NDP fell to third place in popular vote in the province for the first time in years. Leifso said that result had everything to do with U.S. President Donald Trump and the trade war.
"This was progressive centre-left voters who were frankly spooked by Donald Trump, his authoritarian tendencies and of course the tariffs, who voted strategically in their own minds, giving their vote to the Liberals," Leifso said. "I have no idea if that's going to remain.
"The question of the fortunes of the NDP in the mid- to long-future is completely up in the air because of that."
Doug Richardson, a Saskatoon lawyer and former chief of staff for Liberal prime minister John Turner, said having the Liberals' Belanger elected in northern Saskatchewan will be a welcome voice in Parliament.
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