Here are some of the races from last November's Provincial Election which I thought showed some interesting differences in campaign spending...
Calgary Currie (Margin of Victory: 634)
One of the high profile races in Calgary. Former radio talk show host, Dave Taylor, took on 1 term Tory MLA and former City Councillor Jon Lord.
Dave Taylor (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $30,523
Total Votes: 5046
Cost per Vote: $6.29
Jon Lord* (PC)
Total Spent: $49,211
Total Votes: 4412
Cost per Vote: $16.19
Calgary Glenmore (MOV: 1899)
This race had then Gaming Minister Ron Stevens up against former Friends of Medicare Chairperson, Avalon Roberts.
Ron Stevens (PC) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $118,688
Total Votes: 6263
Cost per Vote: $18.95
Avalon Roberts (Liberal)
Total Spent: $22,058
Total Votes: 4364
Cost per Vote: $5.05
Calgary Mountain View (MOV: 3074)
This race saw Dr. David Swann, anti-War activist and former Chief Medical Officer of the Palliser Health Authority go up against three-term MLA Mark Hlady.
David Swann (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $50,863
Total Votes: 7162
Cost per Vote: $7.10
Mark Hlady* (PC)
Total Spent: $75,411
Total Votes: 4088
Cost per Vote: $18.45
Calgary Varsity (MOV: 756)
One of the upsets of this election. Liberal Harry Chase snuck by rookie candidate Mike Smyth in the race to replace former Energy Czar and current Alberta Ambassador to D.C., Murray Smith.
Harry Chase (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $17,295
Total Votes: 6347
Cost per Vote: $2.72
Mike Smyth
Total Spent: $57,396
Total Votes: 5591
Cost per Vote: $10.27
Edmonton Centre (MOV: 3541)
Laurie Blakeman slammed third-time challenger Don Weideman. Nuff, said. Laurie rocks.
Laurie Blakeman* (Liberal) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $24,600
Total Votes: 6203
Cost per Vote: $3.97
Don Wiedeman (PC)
Total Spent: $33,629
Total Votes: 2662
Cost per Vote: $12.63
Edmonton Decore (MOV: 1427)
School Trustee Bill Bonko knocked off vintage 1980's Tory MLA Walter Swender and Tory-turned-Alliance MLA, Gary Masyk.
Bill Bonko (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $12,754
Total Votes: 4434
Cost per Vote: $2.88
Walter Swender (PC)
Total Spent: $39,942
Total Votes: 3007
Cost per Vote: $13.28
Gary Masyk (Alliance)
Total Spent: $40,059
Total Votes: 831
Cost per Vote: $48.21
Edmonton Ellerslie (MOV: 201)
In the race to replace three-term Liberal Debby Carlson, Bharat Agnihotri slid to a narrow victory against his Tory challenger.
Bharat Agnihotri (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $17,545
Total Votes: 3446
Cost per Vote: $5.09
Gurnam Dodd (PC)
Total Spent: $85,609
Total Votes: 3245
Cost per Vote: $26.38
Edmonton Glenora (MOV: 552)
THE MOST WATCHED RACE IN THE PROVINCE - Battle of the Titans (and Drew Hutton). Reverend Bruce Miller won this tight horse race between ND Candidate and former ATA President, Larry Booi, and incumbent Tory, Drew Hutton.
Bruce Miler (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $29,468
Total Votes: 4604
Cost per Vote: $6.40
Larry Booi (ND)
Total Spent: $46,454
Total Votes: 4052
Cost per Vote: $11.46
Drew Hutton* (PC)
Total Spent: $107,822
Total Votes: 3759
Cost per Vote: $28.68
Edmonton Gold Bar (MOV: 6236)
Gold Bar has been Liberal since 1986. Not much more to say.
Hugh MacDonald* (Liberal) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $30,311
Total Votes: 8798
Cost per Vote: $3.45
Manjit Dhaliwal (PC)
Total Spent: $46,467
Total Votes: 2562
Cost per Vote: $18.07
Keith Turnbull (ND)
Total Spent: $12,783
Total Votes: 1967
Cost per Vote: $6.50
Edmonton Highlands-Norwood (MOV: 3846)
ND Leader Brian Mason was easily re-elected after the Tories found a replacement candidate (their original candidate dropped out).
Brian Mason (ND) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $32,173
Total Votes: 6054
Cost per Vote: $5.31
Tony Martiniuk (PC)
Total Spent: $33,572
Total Votes: 2208
Cost per Vote: $15.20
Edmonton McClung (MOV: 526)
Liberal Mo Elsalhy took out Economic Development Minister, Mark Norris, and retured McClung to its Liberal roots (since 1986).
Mo Elsalhy (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $26,126
Total Votes: 5859
Cost per Vote: $4.46
Mark Norris* (PC)
Total Spent: $115,264
Total Votes: 5333
Cost per Vote: $21.61
Edmonton Meadowlark (MOV: 193)
This is the craziest race of them all! Take a look at those numbers! Way to go, Maurice! wow.
Maurice Tougas (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $5,367
Total Votes: 4435
Cost per Vote: $1.21
Bob Maskell* (PC)
Total Spent: $46,457
Total Votes: 4242
Cost per Vote: $10.95
Edmonton Mill Woods (MOV: 2020)
Liberal Weslyn Mather easily cleaned house in this race.
Weslyn Mather (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $36,164
Total Votes: 5012
Cost per Vote: $7.22
Naresh Bhardwaj (PC)
Total Spent: $49,211
Total Votes: 2992
Cost per Vote: $16.45
Edmonton Riverview (MOV: 6705)
Wow.
Kevin Taft* (Liberal) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $30,043
Total Votes: 10280
Cost per Vote: $2.92
Fred Horne (PC)
Total Spent: $49,211
Total Votes: 3575
Cost per Vote: $24.15
Edmonton Rutherford (MOV: 3048)
In a re-match from the 2001 election, Rick Miller reclaimed the seat that was once held by Percy Wickman.
Rick Miller (Liberal) - Elected
Total Spent: $13,224
Total Votes: 7221
Cost per Vote: $1.83
Ian McClelland* (PC)
Total Spent: $38,432
Total Votes: 4173
Cost per Vote: $9.21
Edmonton Whitemud (MOV: 926)
I couldn't believe it was this close. Wow. Dave Hancock, then Justice Minister, suprisingly was only elected by 926 votes.
Dave Hancock* (PC) - Re-Elected
Total Spent: $104,004
Total Votes: 7494
Cost per Vote: $13.88
Donna Lynn Smith (Liberal)
Total Spent: $18,985
Total Votes: 6568
Cost per Vote: $2.89
(*incumbent)
Any thoughts?
Man.
ReplyDeleteEven though he was a late entry, Maurice kinda ran a half-assed campaign (from what I could see -- BARELY any signs out, and he only started door-knocking in the last week, despite the fact that he was already in the race for a couple of weeks). I think he was shocked to win. His win was less about using the most of his $5000 budget and more about how completely non-plussed Edmonton voters were with their Tory back-benchers. Now, I think Maurice is a nice guy with good values and I'd vote for him any day of the week over any Tory, but I really wish that Karen Leibovici had held this seat in 2001.
(Also interesting to note: Maurice ran for the McClung nomination and lost by a mere three votes; that was probably best for both him and Elsalhy -- Elsalhy worked tirelessly to win back McClung in what many said was a lost cause, and that effort was required. Maurice didn't have the same campaigning skills as Elsalhy, and ended up with a district that was very winnable. Imagine the vote that Maurice could have pulled had he had a well-run campaign: dozens of volunteers, intense signage, a campaign office, heavier doorknocking, etc.)
Also -- was David Swann the highest-spending Grit? Seems like it.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be interesting to see what the rural Grits spent...
I both love/loathe looking at how much money some of the loser Tories spent on their campaigns. Love it because they wasted a lot of money; loathe it because I know their donors' pockets are more than deep enough to replenish the Tory coffers overnight.
If you want to see cheap campaigns you should consider Dipper campaigns in Calgary. I think the campaign in my provincial riding has like $10 in the bank account. Something like that, it might be less though....
ReplyDelete-Socialist Swine
When I wrote out my check to Dave Taylor, it was more about making myself feel good than contributing to a winning campaign. I remember he only had one phone in his campaign office (something I'm simply not accustomed to seing.) However, that one phone rang off the hook throughout the campaign, so I believe it's safe to say that it was always shaping up to be a close race. But once John Lord showed up to Western Canada High School to perform his sharade, it was "in-the-bag" for Taylor.
ReplyDeleteSimilarily, Harry Chase (although he was competing in Calgary's disenchanted constituency of teachers, professors, and pot-smoking acupunturists,) had a lot of help from the completely inept competition in Mike Smyth. Smyth, pulled the "Distinguished Gentleman" move, and ran where it might have seemed to the unattentive voter that he was the incumbant (Taking on Murray Smith's old turf.) Also, he immediately approached the battle as if it was only a routine pit-stop on the road to the Legislature. Falling prey to the old custom, where PC nomination meetings presented the biggest hurdle to would-be Tory MLAs, Smyth took to the race with the sloppiest of tactics. I even saw 4x4 signs held in place by two smaller lawn signs. Just for future reference, that's probably the easiest way to let $57,000 evaporate!
But the real win for Chase came after a couple hundred of his signs were stolen and left for dead in Confederation Park. The volume of the destroyed signs (not to mention the truck tracks leading away from the scene,) made it seem like a very organised attack (at the time I was really convinced that Smyth's campaign was to blame.) Later on though, it was revealed by the police that two 16 year-olds had come forward. They eventually ended up working on Harry's campaign in lieu of him pressing charges (genious!) But the bad taste was left in peoples' mouths. In the end, signage definitely made all the difference in that race!
oh yeah., Jim - David Swann was the highest spending Grit.
ReplyDeleteJim - Yes, I knew about Maurice running for the nomination in McClung. As much as I was dissapointed that Karen was defeated back in 2001, I think Maurice will do a good job as MLA. Though the difference in spending was huge between Tougas and Maskell, Edmonton Meadowlark is a traditional Liberal area. Pre-Edmonton McClung, Grant Mitchell had held the Edmonton Meadowlark seat from 1986 to 1993, and then Karen Leibovici from 1993 to 2001.
ReplyDeleteSwine- I can just imagine. From the numbers, it looks like the dippers dropped their Calgary strategy in favour of concentrating in Edmonton (and they did double their caucus). From what I hear, the Greens got more votes in Calgary than the NDP. It should be interesting what happens in the next election with the Liberal/NDP battles (now that so many Tories got wacked in Edmonton).
Sen- What exactly happend at Western Canada HS? I heard it was huge, but I never actually heard what it was.
As for Varsity, a good friend of my family lives in Varsity and voted Liberal (his first time not voting Tory EVER). He said it was for 3 main reasons:
1. Murray Smith being appointed a patronage position in Washington.
2. The $400,000 Kelly Charlebois contract fiasco
3. Ralph Klein was still PC Leader.
So, that is pretty much my extent of knowledge in the Varsity battle. Other than U of C having a pretty agressive 'get out the vote' campaign (go B.West!). I didn't know about the sign destroying thing though (though it doesn't suprise me).
At Western Canada, Lord was criticized by the NDP candidate for belonging to a party "without a plan." In retaliation, Lord pulled a ten pound binder from under the table, slammed it down, and yelled "That's that's the plan!"
ReplyDeleteThen, John Lord got up and decided to leave the gymnasium. Hoots and hollers of jeering ensued.
I know that he lost the confidence and support of his fellow PCs that very moment. I think he knew it too.
Interesting, thanks for the info Sen. I'm assuming Mr. Lord was a bit of a "hot head" then...
ReplyDeleteMoney on Gun Registry.....67.50 per person
ReplyDeleteMoney lost on HRDC........33 per person
Forgiven Air Canada loans.......40per person(Air Canada has NEVER had a mortgage)
Money set aside by the Liberal Gov. to counteract adscam findings....75 per liberal voter (I don't know about you, but when I start bidding on anything, I start low....)
Canada day 2003..total budget to gift provinces for celebrations 13million, Quebec received 7 Million of said 13 million
93 election promise to rid Canada of GST.....nfi how much this cost.
Liberal voters continued faith in corrupt government....priceless
Dino, thanks for the post. you do know that these are provincial numbers, right?? btw, I don't think you would ever find me defending the stuff that you listed (are those real?).
ReplyDeleteBut, for fun sake, lets do an Alberta version:
-Revenue from VLTs when Klein was elected in 1993: $40.3 Million
-Revenue from VLTs in 2003: $577 Million
-Increase in calls to Gamblers Anonymous' since 1992: 2,600%
-Amount of non-renewable resource revenue the Tories have spent while in office: $135 Billion
-Amount required for Alberta to catch up with its infrastructure backlog, such as roads, schools and hospitals: $7-9 Billion
-Amount government spent to defend Stockwell Day in defamation lawsuit: $792,000
-Amount government wanted to charge taxpayers just to find out Day's legal fees: $59,571
-Increase in post-secondary tuition since 1993: 273.4%
-Number of municipal districts in Alberta: 68
-Number of municipal districts that have declared themselves economic disaster zones because of the mad cow crisis: 33
-Amount two American companies received from Klein's BSE Bailout Package: $42 Billion
-Average amount individual producers received from Klein's BSE Bailout Package: $1,800
-Amount Albertans have paid extra on their power bills because of deregulation: $5.38 Billion
-Total cost to taxpayers because of deregulation: $8 Billion
-Increase in government spending on travel and communications since 1998: 53%
-Number of government ministries in 1993: 17
-Number of government ministries in 2004: 24
-Cost in 2003-04 of maintaining and operating the government's air force: $4.35 Million
-Number of staff required for the government's air force: 13
-Number of taxpayer-funded flights made by government '02-'03: 3,100+
-Amount government spent on the horse-racing industry (last four years): $132.9 Million
-Increase in health care premiums since 1993: 63%
-Increase in health care premiums since 2002, the year Klein swore the only way taxes were going in Alberta was 'down': 30%
Alberta PC's getting re-elected for 34 straight years... priceless
That was fun.
"-Amount government spent to defend Stockwell Day in defamation lawsuit: $792,000
ReplyDelete-Amount government wanted to charge taxpayers just to find out Day's legal fees: $59,571"
That's my favorite one. What a douchebag.
Dino is a fool who can't realize that what he's posting about is completely irrelevant to the Alberta Liberal Party. The ALP is the party of good, ethical government. The ALP is the party of change.
ReplyDeleteThe Alberta Tories are the party of kickbacks, corruption, and contempt for anyone who demands that they should be scrutinized.