Despite local losses, Kamloops Liberals look to national victory; NDP appear set to be minority kingmakers

KAMLOOPS — It was a tale of two elections for the major parties in Kamloops that fell to the incumbent Tories.

For the Liberal camp, it was easy to look across the nation and to a Mark Carney win to keep spirits high. For the New Democrats, however, it was much harder, with the NDP set to lose official party status and send no more than seven MPs back to Ottawa. Despite that low number, Team Orange may still carry significant weight in the House of Commons.

A Liberal minority government is the most likely outcome with votes still to be counted. Despite the win, the Grits were shut out of the Kamloops ridings.

“I’m very pleased that Mark Carney is going to continue to be our prime minister,” said Iain Currie, Liberal candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola. “I was hopeful for a stronger mandate and there was some indication that it would be a majority and I think that would have been good for the country.”

Currie did garner more than 40 per cent of the vote, the highest percentage a Liberal has received in Kamloops since the late Len Marchand.

“I do think there is an opportunity for the government of Canada to really take some positive steps for the people of Canada and continue, maybe, on a harder course but maybe this isn’t a bad thing to build the country and face off with Donald Trump,” added Currie.

Ken Robertson finished second in his first run at federal office, something that seemed far-fetched only months ago when the Liberals were 27 points behind in the polls.

“I actually think its a miracle, thinking three months ago when we actually had a real difference [in the polls],” said Robertson, who ran in Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies.

The New Democrats have lost their leader and lost official party status. Despite all that, they could be kingmakers in a minority parliament once again.

“Obviously, it’s not the results we wanted and I think we have to take the time to debrief, reflect and re-strategize, but we still have some strong NDP voices in parliament, and I think it’s important because we need to have those NDP voices in parliament,” said Miguel Godau, NDP candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.

While never in power, the NDP have been able to effect change over their history.

“The work that was done with Tommy Douglas bringing in (socialized) health care, the Jack Layton inspiration of the people with low numbers and then Jagmeet (Singh) putting through pharmacare with few seats, and we have always been that party to support people,” said Godau.