If you want to vote for the NDP in the riding of Newmarket-Aurora your out of luck. That is because as of this moment, the NDP do not have a confirmed candidate in the riding of Newmarket Aurora. I first noticed this when reading the local media and noted there wasn't any mention of an NDP candidate in this area or had seen any signs go up in the first week of the election campaign. So I started to look online in a couple of places.
The first spot I looked was the local newspaper's website for information as they had been advertising in their paper to have extensive coverage of the ridings within York Region. I clicked on the "Newmarket-Aurora" section of their website only to find four candidates running, none of which included an NDP candidate. Yet, I noted, the slightly less popular Green Party had a candidate in this riding. So I gave up my search there.
I wondered if perhaps the NDP in Newmarket-Aurora had been caught without a candidate in this area or any type of campaign organizing function to get the word out. But surely the first place to ensure NDP candidate would make themselves known is with Elections Canada. But apparently the list of candidates is not firmed up until September 25th at the latest and there were no official registered candidates in the Newmarket-Aurora riding as of this blog entry. But I have a feeling Elections Canada is a little behind in registering candidates as I imagine there would be a slew of pending applications coming in from accross Canadathat need to be processed.
Also this past week, I had noted the last provincial election's NDP candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, Mike Seaward, was around more than a little normal. I had seen him on the bus and in the local plaza. However, there seemed to be no campaign material (e.g. buttons, t-shirt, etc.) around him. So I guess he wasn't running. The last federal election's NDP candidate for Newmarket-Aurora, Ed Chudak, hasn't been heard from as of yet, so I doubt he is running either.
I also checked with the NDP's website and it only lists the local NDP riding president's contact information. I did note other ridings in Ontario did have candidates listed but there were quite a few ridings that amazingly enough still didn't have candidates selected. One would think the fact Newmarket-Aurora and several other ridings having not selected candidates after a full week of campaigning would be alarming for the NDP Party leadership.
I guess the NDP has given up on the Newmarket-Aurora area. This is mainly true because all the other parties in the riding have candidates already campaigning in the riding for a week already whereas the NDP campaign hasn't even gotten going in this riding as of yet. This the NDP is now handicapped by a week compared to the other campaigns who already have one week of campaigning in hand. Besides, the NDP may have given up on the riding considering the NDP has never won the riding of Newmarket-Aurora or its predessors that either the towns of Aurora or Newmarket have been part of. So even if the NDP tried to start a campaign, the party doesn't have a hope of winning in this riding. But the mystery of where the NDP is in the riding of Newmarket-Aurora is at least intriguing!
You do have a NDP candidate for Newmarket Aurora (Mike Seaward) but you are right that they don't appear to be trying too hard.
ReplyDeleteDespite the larger numbers last Fed election for the NDP over the greens, the NDP does nothing between election cycles, no meetings, no evets etc. They did not even make a showing at the Windfall ecology fair this year. Hell even Lois Brown came despite the conservative record on the environment.
In the last round of provincials Seward came 4th
I just wish Dorian Baxter would crawl back under his naugahyde rock
Ironically, Mike Seaward became the candidate for this riding. I believe it is probably name only as nothing has popped up. Heck, I've seen more signs for the Christian Heritage Party in the riding of Newmarket-Aurora than the Mike Seaward and the NDP.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders why Mike even ran if he isn't going to make a go of it with less then two weeks in the campaign.
The party would have just found another cardboard cut out if he did not do it. This is what makes me cyncial about the NDP really wanting to defeat Harper. Newmarket Aurora is a perfect case where the 9-10% that traditionaly goes towards them could, if released to split 50/50 or 60/40 Lib/Green would defeat Lois Brown.
ReplyDeleteIn the end however they'd rather run a paper candidate and watch the Liberals be destroyed then put the boots to someone that is idealogicaly their complete opposite. Self gain above their idea of national interest, shallow very shallow.
It would be fine if they actually tried to win no matter how futile their chancers were, but to just blow off the election and let their followers vote in vain is insulting to their supporters.