As Canadians head to the polls in two federal byelections Monday, the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona could see its outcome influenced by a crucial group: prison voters. Blacklock's Reporter says the byelection follows the resignation of New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie, and the riding is no stranger to narrow election results, with a previous race decided by just 61 votes.In the 2015 election, Conservative MP Lawrence Toet narrowly lost re-election in Elmwood-Transcona, with 125 prisoners casting ballots in that contest. Toet, who had campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, faced a tight race where every vote counted.Prisoners have been allowed to vote since the 2002 Supreme Court ruling Sauvé v. Canada, which struck down a clause in the Canada Elections Act that barred inmates from participating in elections. Fergus O’Connor, the Kingston lawyer who won the case, noted that prisoner voting patterns are not monolithic: “Prisoners in my experience tend to vote the way of the general population,” he said. “Being convicted of a crime does not define you completely.”The other by-election is in the Montréal-area riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, where voters will elect a successor to Liberal MP and former attorney general David Lametti. Lametti resigned abruptly following a federal judge’s ruling on his use of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy protests.The stakes are high for both races following a June upset in the Toronto-St. Paul’s riding, where the Conservatives claimed a victory in a historically Liberal stronghold. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland attributed the loss to “hard times” faced by Canadians but maintained confidence in the government’s leadership.“We know we have to work hard to earn back their trust,” Freeland said, adding that despite the setback, the government is committed to addressing voters' concerns..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
As Canadians head to the polls in two federal byelections Monday, the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona could see its outcome influenced by a crucial group: prison voters. Blacklock's Reporter says the byelection follows the resignation of New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie, and the riding is no stranger to narrow election results, with a previous race decided by just 61 votes.In the 2015 election, Conservative MP Lawrence Toet narrowly lost re-election in Elmwood-Transcona, with 125 prisoners casting ballots in that contest. Toet, who had campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, faced a tight race where every vote counted.Prisoners have been allowed to vote since the 2002 Supreme Court ruling Sauvé v. Canada, which struck down a clause in the Canada Elections Act that barred inmates from participating in elections. Fergus O’Connor, the Kingston lawyer who won the case, noted that prisoner voting patterns are not monolithic: “Prisoners in my experience tend to vote the way of the general population,” he said. “Being convicted of a crime does not define you completely.”The other by-election is in the Montréal-area riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, where voters will elect a successor to Liberal MP and former attorney general David Lametti. Lametti resigned abruptly following a federal judge’s ruling on his use of the Emergencies Act during the Freedom Convoy protests.The stakes are high for both races following a June upset in the Toronto-St. Paul’s riding, where the Conservatives claimed a victory in a historically Liberal stronghold. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland attributed the loss to “hard times” faced by Canadians but maintained confidence in the government’s leadership.“We know we have to work hard to earn back their trust,” Freeland said, adding that despite the setback, the government is committed to addressing voters' concerns..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
