Labrador (electoral district)

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Labrador
 Canadian Federal electoral district  

Labrador in relation to the other Newfoundland and Labrador ridings.
Member of Parliament       Todd Russell
Liberal
Population (2001) 27 864
Electors (2006) 19 774
Area (km²) 269 073
Pop. density (per km²) 0.10
Riding created 1949, admission of Newfoundland into Canada
Census divisions Division No. 10
Subdivisions Towns:
Charlottetown
Churchill Falls
Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Hopedale
Labrador City
Nain
Port Hope Simpson
Wabush
Villages:
Cartwright, Comfort Bight, Forteau, L'Anse-au-Loup, Makkovik, Mary's Harbour, Natuashish, North West River, Postville, Red Bay, Rigolet

Labrador (formerly known as Grand Falls—White Bay—Labrador and Grand Falls—White Bay) is a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.

Contents

[edit] Demographics

Ethnic groups: 65.1% White, 34.9% Native Canadian
Languages: 90.0% English, 1.7% French, 7.9% Other
Religions: 67.4% Protestant, 28.4% Catholic, 3.4% No affiliation
Average income: $27 138

[edit] Geography

The district includes all of Labrador, including Belle Isle, North and South Aulatsivik Island.

The neighbouring ridings are Nunavut, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, Manicouagan, and Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte.

According to Elections Canada, the boundaries of this riding for the 39th General Election (2006) are:

"Consisting of all that part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador known as Labrador, including Belle Isle."

See the map of the Labrador riding.

[edit] History

The electoral district was created in 1949 upon the admission of Newfoundland to Canada. Between 1949 and 1988, this district was attached to the Island of Newfoundland, where more than half of its electorate resided. From 1972, it was held by Liberal Bill Rompkey. When he was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1995, a by-election was held, and Lawrence O'Brien was elected. He held the district until his death in 2004.

A by-election was held on May 24, 2005, with the result tipping the balance of the evenly split 38th Parliament. The Liberal candidate, Todd Russell, who was heavily favoured, ended up winning, but with a reduced percentage from the 2004 election.

[edit] Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following Members of Parliament:

Parliament Years Member Party
Dominion of Newfoundland prior to 1949
Grand Falls—White Bay
21st 1949-1953     Thomas Asbourne Liberal
Grand Falls—White Bay—Labrador
22nd 1953-1957     Thomas Asbourne Liberal
23rd 1957-1958
24th 1958-1962     Charles Granger Liberal
25th 1962-1963
26th 1963-1965
27th 1965-1966
1966 By-election 1966-1968     Andrew Chatwood Liberal
28th 1968-1972     Ambrose Peddle Progressive Conservative
29th 1972-1974     Bill Rompkey Liberal
30th 1974-1979
31st 1979-1980
32nd 1980-1984
33rd 1984-1988
Labrador
34th 1988-1993     Bill Rompkey Liberal
35th 1993-1996
1996 By-election 1996-1997     Lawrence O'Brien Liberal
36th 1997-2000
37th 2000-2004
38th 2004-2005
2005 By-election 2005-2006     Todd Russell Liberal
39th 2006-

[edit] Labrador, 2006 election results

Canadian federal election, 2006
Party Candidate Residence Votes % ±% Expenditures
     Liberal Todd Norman Russell Happy Valley-Goose Bay 5768 50.5% -1.0% $41 578.99
     Conservative Joe Goudie Happy Valley-Goose Bay 4528 39.7% +7.4% not submitted
     New Democratic Party Jacob Edward Larkin Nain 1037 9.1% -0.8% $164.95
     Green Gail Zwicker Bridgewater, Nova Scotia 82 0.7% +0.1% $0.00
Total valid votes 11 415 100.0%
Total rejected ballots 52 0.45%
Turnout 11 467 58.4% +4.6%


^ Change is from the 2005 by-election

[edit] Labrador, 1988 - 2005 election results summary

Party 2005 by-election 2004 2000 1997 1996 by-election 1993 1988
     Liberal   Todd Russell
5438		   Lawrence O'Brien
5524		   Lawrence O'Brien
7153		   Lawrence O'Brien
6182		   Lawrence O'Brien
4032		   Bill Rompkey
8724		   Bill Rompkey
7126
     Conservative Graham Letto
3415		 Merrill Strachan
1400		          
     Canadian Alliance     Eugene Burt
677		        
     Reform       Stephanie Girardin
573		 John Michael McGrath
3027		    
     New Democratic Party Frances Fry
1045		 Shawn Crann
856		 Amanda Will
1284		 Randy Collins
4615		 Randy Collins
1974		 Barry Knight
444		 Evelyn Riggs
1508
     Progressive Conservative     Hayward Broomfield
1254		 Mike Patton
842		 Darlene Gear-White
867		 G. Wayne Piercey
2146		 Joseph Goudie
4400
     Green Jason Crummey
68		 Lori-Ann Martino
178		          
     Independent Ern Condon
598		 Ern Condon
919		     Alain Roy
63		   Ern Condon
286


[edit] Labrador, 2005 by-election

On December 16, 2004, MP Lawrence O'Brien died of cancer. Prime Minister Paul Martin called a federal by-election for May 24, 2005. There was a possibility the by-election will not be held because of a non-confidence vote the week prior, that would have toppled the government, sending Canadians to the polls, and would have superseded the by-election. However, the motion failed by one vote, ensuring a by-election in Labrador.

[edit] Issues

The seat has traditionally been a Liberal stronghold, and O'Brien always carried the riding with comfortable pluralities. However, the federal Liberals had lost popularity in Atlantic Canada since the 2004 federal election, largely due to disputes with the Progressive Conservative provincial governments of these provinces, especially that of Newfoundland and Labrador over the relationship between offshore petroleum revenues and equalization payments.

Historically, governing parties fare poorly in federal by-elections. However, this by-election was especially significant due to the make-up of the 38th Canadian Parliament. Following the 2004 election, the Liberals combined with the left-leaning New Democratic Party held 154 seats, or exactly half of the 308-seat House of Commons. Furthermore, with former Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish now expelled from that party, the two parties' combined total (prior to O'Brien's death) had been reduced to 153 (or 152 who are eligible to vote since the Speaker was elected as a Liberal). The Liberals were anxious to retain the seat, as its loss would leave the opposition Conservative Party of Canada or the separatist Bloc Québécois as the only viable partners for the Liberals to get legislation passed in the House. Former Liberal MP David Kilgour had left the party, further reducing its strength.

Since the general election, it had been suggested that the New Democratic Party refrain from contesting by-elections in seats where the Liberals were strong but the NDP are not, to avoid splitting the vote and thus help improve the chances securing a better position for the NDP in the House. Labrador would certainly be a prime example of such a seat - the NDP finished a distant fourth in the 2004 poll. However, historically the NDP has been adamant in contesting all by-elections, and NDP leader Jack Layton showed little interest in any such proposal. The NDP nominated Frances Fry on April 23 feeling it had a chance in this seat due to the Liberal fall in polls and the fact that the provincial NDP had one of its 2 seats in Labrador.

[edit] Election results

By-election, 2005
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Todd Russell 5438 51.5 -10.7
     Conservative Graham Letto 3415 32.3 +16.5
     New Democratic Party Frances Fry 1045 9.9 +0.3
     Independent Ern Condon 598 5.7 -4.7
     Green Jason Crummey 68 0.6 -1.4
Majority 2023 19.1
Turnout 10 564 54.1 +9.3
     Liberal hold. Swing -13.6

In the end, the Liberals picked up an easy victory, as expected, but while their actual vote total did not go down by much, their percentage of the vote went down over 10 points from the previous election as turnout was over 9% more than in the 2004 election. This high turnout is virtually unheard of for by-elections which normally have extremely poor turnouts. The additional voters appear to have been brought out by the tense national political situation and mostly voted for the Conservatives who picked up nearly 17 points and the New Democrats who also increased their vote total.

[edit] Labrador, 2004 election

Despite being ill, incumbent Lawrence O'Brien won in a massive landslide.

Canadian federal election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Lawrence O'Brien 5524 62.2 -6.8
     Conservative Merrill Strachan 1400 15.8 -2.8
     Independent Ern Condon 919 10.4 n/a
     New Democratic Party Shawn Crann 856 9.6 -2.8
     Green Lori-Ann Martino 178 2.0 n/a
Majority 4124 46.5
Turnout 8877 44.8
     Liberal hold. Swing -2.0

Conservative Party change is based on the combination of Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative Party totals.

[edit] Grand Falls—White Bay—Labrador, 1952 - 1987

Canadian federal election, 1984
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Bill Rompkey 12 938
     Progressive Conservative Peter J. Walsh 12 114
     New Democrat Ern Condon 3616


Canadian federal election, 1980
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Bill Rompkey 15 530
     Progressive Conservative Ray Hawco 7375
     New Democrat Ern Condon 6582


Canadian federal election, 1979
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Bill Rompkey 13 639
     New Democrat Bryan Blackmore 12 538
     Progressive Conservative Calvin Osmond 3418


Canadian federal election, 1974
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Bill Rompkey 12 689
     Progressive Conservative Jim Corp Janes 5433
     New Democrat Donald J. Head 5026


Canadian federal election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Bill Rompkey 14 274
     Progressive Conservative Ambrose Hubert Peddle 8968
     New Democrat Earle R. Boone 1523


Canadian federal election, 1968
Party Candidate Votes
     Progressive Conservative Ambrose Hubert Peddle 10 322
     Liberal Andrew Chatwood 9587
     New Democrat Austin Scott 571


By-Election: On Mr. Granger's resignation, 1 August 1966.

By-election on 19 September 1966
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Andrew Chatwood 9754
     Progressive Conservative Thomas Fenwick Pitcher 2515
     New Democrat Lorne Campbell Snell 1086


Canadian federal election, 1965
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Charles Ronald Granger 17 933
     Progressive Conservative Thomas Fenwick Pitcher 5779
     Social Credit Harold W. Parsons 1560


Canadian federal election, 1963
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Charles Ronald Granger 18 233
     Progressive Conservative Cyril C. Pelley 6545
     New Democrat Kitchener Pritchett 1025


Canadian federal election, 1962
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Charles Ronald Granger 16 401
     Progressive Conservative Wolfred Nelson 6057
     New Democrat William Joseph Gillies 2561


Canadian federal election, 1958
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Charles Ronald Granger 16 328
     Progressive Conservative David Gordon Decker 10 129


Canadian federal election, 1957
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne 11 681
     Progressive Conservative George Broomfield 3810


Canadian federal election, 1953
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne 13 653
     Progressive Conservative Henry George Hicks 4984

[edit] Grand Falls—White Bay, 1949 - 1952

Canadian federal election, 1949
Party Candidate Votes
     Liberal Thomas Gordon William Ashbourne 12 301
     Progressive Conservative James Pond 1879

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Federal Ridings in Newfoundland and Labrador
Liberal

Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor | Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte | Labrador | Random—Burin—St. George's
Conservative

Avalon | St. John's East | St. John's South—Mount Pearl
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