Clarke Wins Northern Riding In A Romp

Clarke Wins Northern Riding In A Romp

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 15:52

 

 

Many expected a tight election battle in northern Saskatchewan last night, but it wasn’t even close.

 

Tory incumbent Rob Clarke easily defeated Liberal David Orchard by 3,148 votes — capturing 46.7 per cent of the total vote.

 

Clarke says the margin of victory was beyond his wildest dreams, and adds his volunteers deserve much of the credit.

 

Orchard says the fact he was nominated just five weeks before the election call didn’t give him the amount of lead-up time he needed — and he says voter turnout was another major factor against him.

 

He’s concerned only 45.9 per cent of eligible voters in the northern riding took part in yesterday’s vote — and says the new voter identification requirements need to be examined.

 

The NDP’s Brian Morin finished third in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River.

 

Morin says the new voter ID rules don’t work in northern Saskatchewan, and should only apply in urban areas.

 

However, he believes his loss was mainly due to the fact he didn’t meet as many constituents as he wanted to — due to a lack of resources.

 

Both Morin and Orchard aren’t ruling out running in the next election.

 

The Green Party candidate in northern Saskatchewan — George Morin — finished with 735 votes, while First Peoples National Party of Canada candidate Rob Ballantyne secured 282.