Wednesday, December 14, 2005

MAJOR URBAN CENTRE RIDINGS MAY HAVE A TETONIC SHIFT

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

MAJOR URBAN CENTRE RIDINGS MAY EXPERIENCE TETONIC SHIFT
Historic Vote in Van-East Tonite Could play Major Role

The Van-East riding has been known for some time as having the poorest postal code in Canada. Tonite though, Vancouver East could become known for another reason. The result--initiating the tetonic shift in major urban ridings and the ensuing shifting of voters away from the Liberal party of Canada right into the hands of the NDP.

You see, many large urban ridings host large gay and lesbian populations. They include Edmonton Centre, Ottawa Centre, Vancouver Centre. Two of these ridings currently have Liberal MP's. Ottawa Centre, is a swing riding which in 2000 elected a Liberal MP but in 2004 elected the venerable Ed Broadbent of the NDP. But this time around Mr. Broadbent isn't running and political pundits feel the riding could revert back to the Liberal party. But that is a big maybe.

The Liberals have made same-sex equality a campaign issue, however, tonite in Van-East, the Liberals may decide to annoint a candidate with strong ties to the neo conservative christian movement. This of course could spell disaster for the Liberal party of Canada in the aforementioned large urban ridings. Liberal Cabinet Ministers Anne McClelland in Edmonton Centre and Dr Hedy Fry could both go down to defeat if the gay communities in these ridings get pissed off due to the Liberals running a candidate who has opposed same sex materials being introduced into our school system. And the Liberal in Ottawa Centre is in a tight race with the NDP.

If the Liberal party of Canada loses the three large urban centres of Van-Centre, Ottawa Centre and Edmonton Centre, the result will be a massive tetonic shift. The NDP would be well on their way to capturing the gay and lesbian vote across Canada. The result will be the erosion of the Liberal party within urban centres with the NDP becoming the dominant Urban party of the centre Left.

Jamie lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com