Canada elects Trudeau Liberal majority, SDSG chooses Lauzon

Across the nation, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s ‘sunny ways’ adopted philosophy for positive politics resulted in the “real change” his party campaigned for over the longest election campaign in modern Canadian history.

The Liberal Party of Canada captured 184 seats to win a majority government in the October 19, federal election. This 150 seat gain marks a great comeback for a party that in 2011 saw its support sink to an historic low, and lose official opposition status.

Here in SDSG, the majority of voters supported long-time Conservative MP Guy Lauzon. 

“It feels wonderful,” said Lauzon as he arrived, shortly before 11 p.m., at Cornwall Ramada Inn, where a crowd of supporters had gathered to congratulate him on his fifth consecutive election win.

“However, a lot of great colleagues have not been re-elected and that hurts,” he told local media before making his victory speech.

The Conservatives won 99 seats to form the official opposition.

Here in SDG, the popular MP captured 27,041 votes (51%), down from the 62 percent achieved in 2011.

Lauzon said he was satisfied with the results, and when asked if he will run again in future elections, he said, “I want to savour this victory. I will make that decision in the future.”

In his victory speech Lauzon spoke about the two campaigns he has been on over the last 120 days, as his wife Frances was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. 

She has been undergoing treatments, with her last treatment scheduled for the morning after the election.

Lauzon couldn’t say enough about the staff and volunteers who did so much through the campaign to allow him to ensure Frances was his main priority, even while he was successfully campaigning for re-election.

“I appreciate all of your work. One person doesn’t win a campaign,” he said, attributing this victory largely to volunteers, supporters and staff.”

Looking at the National picture, Lauzon said, “We have lost one of the best Prime Minister’s Canada has ever had.”

While Prime Minister Stephen Harper won his riding, he did resign as party leader.

SDSG Liberal Candidate Bernadette Clement, in her second federal election bid, gained a significant amount of support in this riding, capturing 20,450 votes (39%) – up from 18 per cent in 2011.

“Bernadette ran a formidable campaign. I wasn’t taking anything for granted,” said Lauzon. 

NDP candidate Patrick Burger captured 4,333 votes (8%) and Green Party candidate Elaine Kennedy 1,192 votes (2%).

In SDSG 53,016 of 78,706 registered electors (67%) cast a ballot. Voter turnout nationally was 68 per cent.

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