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Globe and Mail
03-06-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
‘Every vote counts' is not just a slogan
'Every vote counts' has long been a slogan for those urging participation in the democratic process. But those three words − with a question mark − are now shaping up to be a legal question that could ultimately trigger a by-election in the Quebec riding of Terrebonne. The result, after all the official counting was done, was as close as it could be: Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste received 23,352 votes in a judicial recount, just one more than her Bloc Québécois opponent Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné. Even with that tiniest of victory margins, that would have given the seat to Ms. Auguste and the Liberals – except that riding resident Emmanuelle Bossé then went public with her claim that her mail-in ballot, with a vote for the Bloc, was returned to her on May 2. Elections Canada had used an incorrect postal code for a self-addressed return envelope. Ms. Bossé has told reporters that she put her ballot in the mail on April 5, well ahead of the April 22 deadline for it to be received by Elections Canada. That ballot was returned to her on May 2, four days after the election. Her additional vote for the BQ would have meant a tie, triggering a by-election. The BQ filed a court application on May 23, as it is entitled to under the Canada Elections Act, requesting a by-election. That would be a just outcome, not just for Ms. Bossé, but for all Canadians' voting rights. Elections Canada says that 106 mail-in ballots were sent out with incorrect postal codes. Of those, 85 were returned in time to be counted, five were returned to Elections Canada late and 16 (including Ms. Bossé's ballot) were not returned at all. It is possible – even likely – that more than just Ms. Bossé's right to vote is at stake. The five late ballots could have been slowed down by their lack of an accurate postal code. And there is a possibility that another 15 votes were cast and not received by Elections Canada, as was the case for Ms. Bossé. That is a question mark hanging over the basic democratic rights of nearly two dozen voters in Terrebonne. And the arithmetic is clear: Even one more vote for the Bloc in the official count would have resulted in a new election. And that is a key fact for the court to consider. It's not enough that Elections Canada made a mistake in addressing the envelopes. No election is conducted without hiccups. Perfection is an unreasonable standard. The mistake must be big enough to have potentially affected the outcome of the election in the riding. Most of the time, that error would have be very large indeed to be bigger or equal to the winning candidate's margin of victory. But in Terrebonne in the 45th general federal election, the margin was tiny, just one vote. So, if the facts are as Ms. Bossé has described, the resulting irregularities would appear to meet the legal standard in the Canada Elections Act for nullifying the election and ordering a by-election. There is a downside, both for partisans and for riding residents. For Liberals, they are trading the certainty of a win for the possibility of defeat. The results were surprisingly good for the Liberals on April 28. In a by-election, voters would know that the Liberals would continue on in government no matter the outcome. That could well mean the BQ wins. More broadly, a by-election would deprive the residents of Terrebonne of representation during the current sitting of Parliament. That is not a step that should be taken lightly. Neither of those is a good enough reason to avoid a by-election in Terrebonne for the very simple reason that Ms. Bossé's vote is no less important than those from the 60,278 people currently in the official count. Her vote should have been part of that group verdict and was not, seemingly through no fault of her own. And that means one of her fundamental rights as a Canadian was violated. Democratic rights are not just part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They are set on a higher plane than many other rights in the Charter, beyond the reach of a legislature's ability to use the notwithstanding clause. Freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly: all are important but can be limited using the notwithstanding clause. But not the right to vote, because the power of democracy ultimately underpins all other rights. 'Every vote counts' has been used as a slogan for so long that it has slipped into the bland world of platitudes. But if Ms. Bossé's case has no other effect, it has demonstrated that real power lies in the hands of each voter.
CBC
27-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Separatists say Alberta's culture is rooted in traditional values. Many say those values don't define them
Social Sharing Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said earlier this month that if Alberta were to separate from Canada, it would first have to define itself as a nation with a distinct culture. "I am not certain that oil and gas qualifies to define a culture," Blanchet quipped at a media conference. Alberta separatists are trying to make the case that Alberta, like Quebec, does have a culture that's distinct from the rest of Canada — one rooted in traditional conservative values. But recent polling, and many people living in Alberta, paint a more complicated picture. Many Albertans feel the separatists' definition of Alberta culture leaves them out of the conversation, and one researcher says that could be driving people away from the movement. Republican Party of Alberta leader Cameron Davies, who calls himself an Alberta nationalist, says Albertans prize family values and freedom from government intervention. He says Alberta's culture is driven by risk-taking, entrepreneurial spirit and resilience, dating back to its early settlers. He says Alberta conservatives are distinct from Eastern Canada, but acknowledges they have "a lot in common" with neighbouring Saskatchewan. "I would challenge you that a Doug Ford conservative is not a conservative from Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. We have very little in common," Davies told CBC News. Davies also takes many cultural positions similar to U.S. Republicans, such as eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and taking education about sexual and gender diversity out of schools, and says he believes a "vast majority" of Albertans share these views. The Alberta Prosperity Project, the group driving a petition to force a separation referendum, has a section on its website outlining similar "cultural and identity factors" for leaving Canada. The party lists bilingualism among its cultural grievances, as well as, "The Federal Government's support of wokeness, cancel culture, critical race theory, the rewriting of history, and the tearing down of historical monuments." Albertans 'build community for themselves' But plenty of Albertans don't fall in line with those values. Rowan Morris, a transgender man living in Alberta's oil capital Fort McMurray, knows all about the risk-taking, entrepreneurial Alberta spirit, and mythos around building a better life through hard work and sacrifice. His parents moved their family to Fort McMurray from Nova Scotia when he was 14, and his dad took a job in the oilfield. He says that "sacrifice for good" is something that's inherently Albertan. "That also applies to newcomers to Canada. Also applies to Indigenous folks on this territory. It also applies to queer and trans people," he said. "What I see in Fort McMurray is people who move here have no friends or family, and build a community for themselves." That's about as far as his agreements with the separatists go. Morris says the talk of "family values" is not inclusive of all families, and the crusade against "wokeness" leaves many Albertans behind. He also finds the idea of separating from Canada disrespectful to the authority of Indigenous governance systems and values. "When we are contorting freedom into being something restrictive or something avoidant or punitive, that isn't truly freedom," he said. "I think the values that are Albertan, or what is Albertan culture, is a willingness to explore and a willingness to embrace the new and to challenge yourself. And those are things that I do see echoed in the root of what folks are talking about on this other side," he said, referring to the separatists, and adding that he feels their anger is misdirected. Morris believes Alberta does have a distinct culture, but he says it's part of a broader pan-Canadian one, rather than a separate national identity. Separatists are 'projecting their own values': researcher In many ways, Morris is not an outlier in today's Alberta. Jared Wesley, a political scientist at the University of Alberta who studies the province's political culture with his Common Ground research team, says the ideals expressed by separatist groups don't represent the average Albertan in 2025. "They're absolutely dead wrong, and they're projecting their own values on the rest of Alberta society," he said. Wesley and his team have interviewed thousands of Albertans. In an April 2024 article for Policy Options, a magazine from the Montreal-based Institute for Research on Public Policy, he noted that they found Albertans are, by and large, socially progressive and fiscally conservative — or, more specifically, tax-averse. "Alberta is one of those unique places right now where the broader political culture, who we see ourselves to be, just does not align with public opinion," he told CBC News. In surveying thousands of Alberta residents, researchers found that they often have a "distorted view" of their own political culture, believing their fellow citizens to be significantly more conservative than they actually are. The researchers noted that ultimately, those surveyed had an image of the "average Albertan" that doesn't match the actual demographics of the province. WATCH | Albertans discuss sovereignty: Alberta separatism is in the spotlight. Not everyone is sold on sovereignty 5 days ago Duration 8:11 Alberta is increasingly ethnically diverse. The province's 2021 census found that more than a quarter of Albertans identify as racialized, and noted that Alberta had the third highest population proportion of racialized groups in Canada behind Ontario and B.C. Additionally, just under seven per cent identify as Indigenous, which is the fourth largest proportion among provinces, behind Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. Wesley's research has found that Albertans identify strongly with both their province and their country. Even among separatists he spoke with, Wesley says fewer than half feel Alberta has its own distinct culture within Canada. In the survey, when Albertans were asked to select all the political identifications that applied to them, most chose at least two, with the most common being "progressive" and "conservative." And while the federal Conservatives won 63.5 per cent of Alberta's popular vote in April's federal election, the provincial NDP still captured 44 per cent of the popular vote in the 2023 provincial race, suggesting Albertans are anything but a conservative monolith. Wesley says he doesn't believe the leaders of the separatist movement truly think of Alberta that way, either. "The political strategy is to paint yourself as being far bigger than what you actually are, or your ideas as being far more popular," he said. "I mean, that's at the heart of politics." What polling reveals Recent Angus Reid polling suggests 19 per cent of Albertans would "definitely" vote to leave Canada if it were put to a referendum, while another 17 per cent are "leaning toward" wanting to leave. A majority, 52 per cent, said they would "definitely" vote to stay, with eight per cent "leaning toward" voting to stay. By perpetuating a narrow, traditional idea of what it means to be Albertan, Wesley says separatists are turning off a large portion of the province's population. He says the separatist movement may end up being a "flashpoint" where Albertans realize this disconnect between their public image and their true values. "A march towards the referendum is going to have people questioning, 'Who are we as Albertans?' " he said. "And I'm not sure the separatists are prepared for the answer that Albertans are going to give them." The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) released its own polling last week that pushes back against separatist narratives. The survey, done by polling firm Environics in April, found Albertans overwhelmingly support causes like raising the minimum wage, rent controls and price controls, as well as the full implementation of universal child care, pharmacare and dental care. In a statement, AFL president Gil McGowan said the poll was initially for in-house use, but the union decided to release it to counteract the public focus on separatism. "This polling is a rebuttal to right-wing stereotypes of Albertans," McGowan said. Young Conservative wants to bridge gap with separatists Some Conservatives in the province are also pushing back against separatism. Ahmed Ibrahim, 21, former president of the University of Lethbridge campus conservative club, spoke with CBC News over the phone while working in a canola field just northeast of Lethbridge, in southern Alberta. Ibrahim was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, and came to Alberta in 2023 to work in agriculture. "I came here for the Alberta advantage," he said, noting that the province has an opportunity to grow, and he feels that "growth is something everyone deserves." Still, Ibrahim says he doesn't view Alberta as a separate nation, and believes strongly in the idea and principle of Canada. Though separatists are a minority in the Conservative movement, he notes that "they have the right to be listened to."
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Federal election: Newfoundland riding flips to Conservatives after judicial recount
ST. JOHN'S - A federal election riding in rural Newfoundland flipped to the Conservatives on Friday, netting the party another seat in the House of Commons. After a recount process that took nearly two weeks, Elections Canada announced that Conservative Jonathan Rowe had defeated Liberal Anthony Germain in the Terra Nova—The Peninsulas riding by just 12 votes. The result reverses the first tally of the ballots after the April 28 election, which had Germain ahead by 12 votes. Rowe's win gives the Conservatives 144 seats in the House of Commons, and brings the Liberals down to 169, which is three seats shy of the threshold for a majority government. The Bloc Quebecois has 22, the NDP has seven and the Green Party has one. In a video posted to Facebook shortly after Friday's results were announced, Rowe thanked his supporters and campaign team. He also thanked Germain for a 'clean race.' 'We couldn't have tried to have a closer race,' Rowe said. 'And to all the people out there who voted Liberal, I see you, and I will serve you and every member of this riding to the best of my ability.' His win underscores a surge in support for the Conservatives across the province, where the party held just one seat heading into the vote last month. The opposition party now holds three of the seven federal seats in Newfoundland and Labrador. The recount in Newfoundland began May 12 in Marystown, N.L., a town of roughly 5,200 people about 185 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of St. John's. It was one of four called after the election last month, and it was the last to produce a decision. Elections Canada officials have said the recount resulted in roughly 1,000 disputed ballots, all of which had to be debated by lawyers and carefully considered by provincial Supreme Court Justice Garrett Handrigan, who oversaw the review. The results Friday showed 819 ballots were ultimately rejected. Rowe is an engineer with experience in oil and gas and mining. This is his first time serving as a federal politician. Terra Nova-The Peninsulas covers a vast region of eastern Newfoundland, stretching from the Bonavista Peninsula and surrounding area on the island's northeast coast to the tip of the Burin Peninsula along the southern coast. It includes fishing communities, tourism destinations and small towns where many people work in the oil industry, whether at home in the province or away in Alberta. The riding is home to more than 76,000 people, 41,670 of whom cast a vote in the April 28 election. Officials have said every single ballot was recounted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025.
Toronto Star
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Federal election: Newfoundland riding flips to Conservatives after judicial recount
ST. JOHN'S - A federal election riding in rural Newfoundland flipped to the Conservatives on Friday, netting the party another seat in the House of Commons. After a recount process that took nearly two weeks, Elections Canada announced that Conservative Jonathan Rowe had defeated Liberal Anthony Germain in the Terra Nova—The Peninsulas riding by just 12 votes. The result reverses the first tally of the ballots after the April 28 election, which had Germain ahead by 12 votes. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Rowe's win gives the Conservatives 144 seats in the House of Commons, and brings the Liberals down to 169, which is three seats shy of the threshold for a majority government. The Bloc Quebecois has 22, the NDP has seven and the Green Party has one. In a video posted to Facebook shortly after Friday's results were announced, Rowe thanked his supporters and campaign team. He also thanked Germain for a 'clean race.' 'We couldn't have tried to have a closer race,' Rowe said. 'And to all the people out there who voted Liberal, I see you, and I will serve you and every member of this riding to the best of my ability.' His win underscores a surge in support for the Conservatives across the province, where the party held just one seat heading into the vote last month. The opposition party now holds three of the seven federal seats in Newfoundland and Labrador. The recount in Newfoundland began May 12 in Marystown, N.L., a town of roughly 5,200 people about 185 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of St. John's. It was one of four called after the election last month, and it was the last to produce a decision. Elections Canada officials have said the recount resulted in roughly 1,000 disputed ballots, all of which had to be debated by lawyers and carefully considered by provincial Supreme Court Justice Garrett Handrigan, who oversaw the review. The results Friday showed 819 ballots were ultimately rejected. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Rowe is an engineer with experience in oil and gas and mining. This is his first time serving as a federal politician. Terra Nova-The Peninsulas covers a vast region of eastern Newfoundland, stretching from the Bonavista Peninsula and surrounding area on the island's northeast coast to the tip of the Burin Peninsula along the southern coast. It includes fishing communities, tourism destinations and small towns where many people work in the oil industry, whether at home in the province or away in Alberta. The riding is home to more than 76,000 people, 41,670 of whom cast a vote in the April 28 election. Officials have said every single ballot was recounted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2025. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Bloc Quebecois files legal challenge of Terrebonne riding results after one-vote loss
Published May 23, 2025 • 1 minute read Tatiana Auguste, the Liberal candidate for Terrebonne in last month's federal election, won a judicial recount by one vote over incumbent Bloc Quebecois MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne, Elections Canada announced Saturday, May 10, 2025. Photo by Handout / Liberal Party of Canada TERREBONNE — The Bloc Quebecois says it has filed a Superior Court challenge to overturn the election results in the federal riding of Terrebonne after losing by one vote. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a news release, the party says there is doubt about who won the riding in the April 28 federal election because a mail-in vote from a Bloc supporter was returned to the sender. Elections Canada has admitted that a misprint on an envelope used to mail a special ballot from Terrebonne led to one Bloc voter's ballot being returned to her. Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste initially won the riding, but it flipped to Bloc candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne after the votes went through a validation process. A judicial recount completed on May 10, however, concluded the Liberals had won the riding by one vote. The Bloc says it is seeking a new election in the riding. 'The right to vote is a fundamental right in a democracy, and we must ensure that it has been and will be fully respected,' Sinclair-Desgagne said in the news release. 'In light of Elections Canada's admission of error, it seems clear to us that, in order for democracy to be upheld, the election must be annulled and a new election held in Terrebonne. The voice of every resident of Terrebonne must be heard, and we will pursue this process to the very end.' Canada Music Celebrity Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs
