HST riding breakdown shows method to Christy Clark’s election madness

When British Columbians voted to extinguish the HST brought in under former premier Gordon Campbell, they also sent a strong message to his successor, Christy Clark. With the Premier reversing herself and deciding not to hold an election this fall, the message appears to have been understood. 

When the results were announced late last month, the “Yes” (or anti-HST) side won with 54.7 per cent of the vote, compared to 45.3 per cent for the “No” (or pro-HST) side. 

The rest of the article can be found on The Globe and Mail website here.

British Columbia won't be heading to the polls until 2013 now, unless Clark changes her mind. Alberta and Quebec are also scheduled to have their elections in 2013, but it seems more likely that Alberta will head to the polls sometime in late November or early December of this year, after the PC leadership race is completed.

If that is the case, 2012 will have no provincial or federal elections, that is unless Jean Charest decides to get a head start. We won't be left completely without anything to talk about, though, as the New Democrats will probably be holding their leadership convention in March or April and the Liberal race will start ratcheting up by the end of the year. And we may have a by-election or two at the federal and provincial levels.


Of course, Ontario or even Manitoba could elect a minority government, opening up the possibility for re-hash of these provincial races before the end of 2012. Otherwise, it should be a relatively quiet electoral year.

Well, in this country at least.