First Nations Break Voting Records

Last Monday’s election was historic for Canada’s First Nations community, which saw 10 indigenous MPs elected. Winners included Liberal Vance Badawey, who was elected in Niagara Centre, and Yvonne Jones, who was re-elected in Labrador.

The election also saw a record-breaking 54 indigenous candidates run for office.

Each candidate ran in one of the 51 swing ridings identified by Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde, where he said the aboriginal vote could make a difference between a majority and minority government.

Among the major Conservative upsets Monday night was Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, who was ousted by Liberal candidate Rene Arsenault in his New Brunswick riding of Madawaska-Restigouche. It’s estimated that more than 11,000 new voters went to the polls in northern Manitoba on Monday. At least five First Nations reportedly needed extra ballots to be brought in to accommodate the numbers.

There was also an uptick in participation on-reserves. Numbers are traditional very low, but voting was up by as much as 20 per cent in some ridings. While efforts were made to mobilize First Nations voters through a “Rock the Vote” campaign, Manitoba’s Grand Chiefs believe the huge response can be attributed solely to a desire to oust Stephen Harper from office.

“I believe that Mr. Harper, when he was prime minister, awoke a sleeping giant in our people, and that giant is awake,” said Wilson.

“The new Liberal majority government under Mr. Trudeau is going to have to deal with a giant in the indigenous people of these lands.”

Trudeau has promised to boost aboriginal education by $1.6 billion, and provide an additional $200 million for employment training, but for many , the top priority for Manitoba’s Grand Chiefs is an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

Throughout the election campaign, a number of First Nations leaders, especially Bellegarde, encouraged their communities to vote. There was a 44 per cent aboriginal voter turnout in 2011, but Bellegarde and other First Nations leaders expected a much higher turnout for Monday’s election. Bellegarde said First Nations leaders across Canada arranged for buses to bring people living on reserves to polling stations, making it easier for them to vote.

Bellegarde said his next step as national AFN chief will be to build a relationship with the new prime minister, but noted: “Before you build relationships, you must build respect, collaboration, co-operation.”

Below is a list of the 51 swing ridings, identified by the AFN, and the candidate and party who won them. The letter ‘I’ identifies whether the candidate was an incumbent. There were 24 wins for the Liberals, including 17 gains, nine wins for the Conservatives, 16 for the NDP, and two for the Bloc Québécois.

Labrador –Yvonne Jones, Liberal (I)

Long Range Mountains - Gudie Hutchings, Liberal

Dartmouth-Cole Harbour - Darren Fisher, Liberal (gain)

Kings-Hants – Scott Brison, Liberal (I)

Sydney-Victoria - Mark Eyking, Liberal (I)

Abitibi - Baie-James – Nunavik - Eeyou – Romeo Saganash, NDP (I)

Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapedia – Remi Masse, Liberal (gain)

Becancour-Nicolet-Saurel - Louis Plamondon, BQ, (I)

Gasp.-Iles-de-la-Madeleine – Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal (gain)

Longueuil – Saint-Hubert – Pierre Nantel, NDP (I)

Louis- Saint-Laurent – Gerard Deltell, Conservative (gain)

Manicouagan – Marilene Gill, BQ (gain)

Montmagny – L’Islet – Kamouraska– Bernard Genereux, Conservative (gain)

Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing – Carol Hughes, NDP (I)

Brantford-Brant – Phil McColeman, Conservative (I)

Kenora – Bob Nault, Liberal (gain)

London North Centre – Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal (gain)

Mississauga-Malton -- Navdeep Bains, Liberal (gain)

Niagara Centre – Vance Badawey, Liberal (gain)

Nipissing-Timiskaming – Anthony Rota, Liberal (gain)

Sault Ste. Marie – Terry Sheehan, Liberal (gain)

Scarborough-Guildwood – John McKay, Liberal (I)

Thunder Bay-Superior North – Patty Hajdu, Liberal (gain)

Timmins-James Bay -- Charlie Angus, NDP (I)

Churchill-Keewatinook Aski – Niki Ashton, NDP (I)

Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa -- Robert Sopuck, Conservative (I)

Elmwood- Transcona – Daniel Blaikie, NDP (gain)

Winnipeg Centre -- Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal (gain)

Winnipeg North – Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal (I)

Winnipeg South Centre – Jim Carr, Liberal (gain)

Battlefords-Lloydminster – Gerry Ritz, Conservative (I)

Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill - Georgina Jolibois, NDP (gain)

Prince Albert- Randy Hoback, Conservative (I)

Regina-Lewvan – Erin Weir, NDP (gain)

Regina-Qu’Appelle - Andrew Scheer, Conservative (I)

Regina-Wascana – Ralph Goodale, Liberal (I)

Saskatoon West – Sheri Benson, NDP (gain)

Edmonton Griesbach – Kerry Diotte, Conservative

Cariboo-Prince George - Todd Doherty, Conservative

Courtenay-Alberni – Gord Johns, NDP (gain)

Cowichan-Malahat-Langford – Alistair MacGregor, NDP (I)

Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon - Jati Sidhu, Liberal (gain)

Nanaimo-Ladysmith – Sheila Malcolmson, NDP (gain)

Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke – Randall Garrison, NDP (I)

Skeena-Bulkley Valley – Nathan Cullen, NDP (I)

South Okanagan-West Kootenay – Richard Cannings, NDP (gain)

Surrey Centre - Randeep Sarai, Liberal (gain)

Surrey-Newton –Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal (gain)

North Island-Powell River – Rachel Blaney, NDP (gain)

Yukon – Larry Bagnell, Liberal (gain)

Northwest Territories – Michael McLeod, Liberal (gain)