e-KNOW editorial

By Ian Cobb

Wow. Gentlemen, take a bow.

That was one hell of an election night race between David Wilks and Wayne Stetski.

The back and forth affair was a nail-biter right down to the final five polls.

Election 2015 was the eighth stampede to the Ottawa pension trough that I have covered (federal election) and it was, by far and large, the most exciting time I have spent in front of the Elections Canada website.

Six of the seven previous elections involved Reform Party/Conservative Party MP Jim Abbott windmilling the dickens out of all-comers. If those election campaigns were boxing matches, they were first round knockouts.

The seventh election involved David Wilks filling in the large work boots left by the six-term Wasa resident Abbott. The extremely hard-working Mark Shmigelsky, former District of Invermere mayor, gave Wilks a run but the Sparwood resident still powered into office. If it was a boxing match, it was over in the third round.

But 2015 will go down as a slugfest to the finish with Stetski getting a narrow decision. It will also be viewed as an upset.

And upset seems to be the word for many voters, especially in the East Kootenay, with doomsayers shouting about how Stetski is going to single-handedly abort the local economy and soil the proverbial bed as an MP, even though he hasn’t assumed the position yet.

Because Stetski is a NDP Member of Parliament now, and his party has third party ranking, people are assuming he’ll be incapable of being a good MP.

How much more impactful would David Wilks be had he been returned to office as a member of the Official Opposition Conservatives? His experience would allow him to navigate the oink-sheds in Ottawa more easily and relations created in various ministries would also help him. So he would have had that going for him.

That said, Stetski spent decades as a senior level bureaucrat, always seeking more funds from shrinking pots and having to elbow his way through the oink-sheds of Victoria. And he spent a term as mayor of Cranbrook, so he has had a good look at the game.

So let’s give him some time as he heads to the big leagues. Let’s see how he does before the nasty barbs start flying. If in a year or two he appears to be merely filling a seat in Parliament, start howling. And remember, what our MP does in Parliament is only a portion of their work. Most of their time is spent dealing with constituent issues – many mundane; the effort invisible to all except those helped/or not.

There is really only one thing for you to do, Wayne, and that is to prove your detractors wrong. It is not impossible for a third party MP to secure needed infrastructure funds for his/her riding when a strong case is put forward.

You are entering the 42^nd Parliament in an exciting time, as Trudeau-mania 2.0 burps and gurgles from the soupy melons of Eastern and urban Canada. Keep your head up, watch where you put your feet and congratulations on your thrilling election victory.

To David Wilks, you have my sympathies and respect. One can only imagine what it is like to be in such a close election night race and come out on the losing end.

Despite the howls of derision cast your way by political foes, you were a straight up gentleman as MP. Your candour was uncommon and refreshing, especially considering the tight electric shock collar Prime Minister Stephen Harper kept on all his MPs.

I humbly thank you for your service and wish you all the best moving forward. The Sparwood/Elk Valley community gets a strong local leader back.

To Bill Green of the Green Party, you also earned my admiration. I believe you were the most prepared and your answers contained the most individuality and originality, as well as research – fitting for who you are as a person.

And a nod of respect to Don Johnston who provided the Liberal Party in this riding with a focused and well-prepared candidate.

Election 2015 had other important highlights.

The impact of the inclusion of such locales as Nelson and Kalso to the Kootenay-Columbia became extremely evident at about the 180 polls reported (of 262) mark of the vote count Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Wilks held a commanding lead up to that point, evident that East Kootenay voters remain right of centre when it comes to who we want representing us in Ottawa. But then the West Kootenay votes started rolling in and Stetski began cashing in on the supporters that former area MP Alex Atamanenko relied upon.

Equally importantly, voter turnout was up in the Kootenay-Columbia, and elsewhere in the land, with 73.79% of registered voters making it to the polls.

Clearly, we can thank Prime Minister Harper for boosting voter turnout. So many people were so completely cheesed off at him that they stormed to the polls to shout with Xs and check marks. That’s what happens when you’re rotting well past your before before date.

Can’t say I am sad to see you go, Mr. Prime Minister. Your ego cost your party and your stiff, uncomfortable countenance combined with a lack of regard for anyone outside your sphere of thought or beliefs turned off a large number of small C conservatives, who voted Liberal in this election. So this loss is on you boy-o.

Lead image: Wayne Stetski, left, greets Ella-Grace and Xavier Trudeau, who arrived in Cranbrook with father Justin and mother Sophie Grégoire on July 21, 2013. Then City of Cranbrook Mayor, Stetski greeted the would-be Prime Minister and family during a visit to the city. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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