midweek edition WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011
Vol. 102 No. 35 • Established 1908 • West
23 27 Conservative victory sends Dosanjh into retirement K&K’s Canucks playoff haiku Canucks Nation
Wai Young wins Vancouver South Sandra Thomas Staff writer
Wai Young partied with Stockwell Day and others at the Fraser Court seafood restaurant.
photo Dan Toulgoet
In 2008, Liberal MP for Vancouver South Ujjal Dosanjh squeaked back into power with just over 20 votes against Conservative newcomer Wai Young. But before 9 p.m. Monday night, an exhausted Dosanjh conceded the riding to Wai after she pulled ahead by 1,600 votes and it became clear there would be no last-minute reprieve. Not only did Dosanjh concede the election Monday night, the former NDP B.C. premier and federal minister of health also announced he’s retiring from politics. Dosanjh was gracious in defeat. He joked to the crowd gathered at his campaign office on Fra-
ser Street that should there be a last-minute win, he would happily withdraw his concession, but by then the numbers proved that wouldn’t be the case. He wished all winners across Canada well, but said the Conservatives must be kept in check so the country doesn’t become “a Canada we don’t recognize.” Dosanjh blamed his loss on general dissatisfaction of voters across the country and said it should in no way reflect the hard work of the hundreds of volunteers who supported his campaign. Dosanjh thanked the volunteers, friends, family and in particular his wife Raminder, whom he embraced just moments before conceding. See DAY on page 4
Familiar result in Vancouver Quadra belies Liberal collapse Grit Joyce Murray beats Tory Deborah Meredith for third time Mike Howell
Staff writer
Same two candidates, same result. For the third time in three years, Liberal Joyce Murray won more votes Monday night than Conservative challenger Deborah
Meredith to secure her seat as the MP for Vancouver Quadra. But the victory was bittersweet for Murray, who was one of only two Liberals to be elected in British Columbia. Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry squeaked out a close victory against Conservative candidate Jennifer Clarke.
“Of course I’m disappointed in the Liberal Party showing and the friends and colleagues that I won’t be working with in this coming term,” said Murray as she stepped out of a van in front of her bustling campaign office on West 16th Avenue. Murray collected 22,918 votes,
or 42.3 per cent of the vote, while Meredith came a close second with 20,868 votes for 38.5 per cent of the vote. The NDP’s Victor Elkins tallied 7,551 votes and Green Party candidate Laura-Leah Shaw finished in fourth spot with 2,899. Murray and Meredith first
battled in a byelection March 17, 2008, with Murray winning a narrow victory by 151 votes. Murray distanced that margin eight months later in the Oct. 14, 2008 federal election by defeating Meredith by more than 5,000 votes. See MURRAY on page 4
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