The Family Coalition Party’s second run in Ontario provincial politics was declared a success by party leader Don Pennell of Burlington, Ontario.
“There as been 50-100 per cent increase in support in a number of ridings where the party had a candidate in 1987,” he stated; “and some new ridings produced over 2000 votes.
“As for the future, we now have four years to promote the party, to consolidate and to get a riding association and candidates in every provincial constituency,” he said.
Asked why the FCP had not run a candidate in every riding this time, Pennell pointed to lack of money, time and personnel. “We were a full time party with part time help.” From now on he said, we hope to bring in additional help and be more involved.”
Would he encourage members to run for political office on a lower level? Pennell was not sure. “The FCP people running for political office are not politicians,” he said.
Some FCP members however, are taking this route. FCP Terry Burrell in Sarnia, for example, had himself elected alderman during the three year intermission. This too, is the thought of others. Some people are seeking to make politicians into pro-lifers. The FCP on the other hand, is trying to make pro-lifer into politicians.
The overall effort of the FCP is as follows:
1987 % 1990 %
Candidates 36 68
Number of votes 48,134 1.2 111,887 2.7
Average vote in ridings
With FCP candidates 1300 1600
Average percentage of FCP votes
In 68 riding votes 4.0% 5.16%
A feature of the 1990 election which stands out, said lawyer Paul Dodds, organizer for the FCP, is the difference between a rather low FCP vote in the larger urban areas and the higher vote in less urbanized and rural ridings.
One reason is the almost complete media shutout of the FCP by large city (Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton) media – newspapers as well as radio and TV. These concentrated exclusively on the three old parties with interviews of the three party leaders as daily coverage. The CBC and CTV networks did not even list the FCP on their election night’s screens.
Another reason is the greater difficulty of organizing city ridings. The FCP in Ottawa ran in five new ridings but failed to run again in one 1987 riding. In Toronto, nine ridings had FCP candidates, but two 1987 ridings were without.
The Liberals and NDP each had election budges of $2.2 million, the PC budgeted for 1.9 million. FCP spent only a fraction of this amount.
Constituency Name Votes % 1987 %
Brampton, N. Margaret, Lloyd 1,465 4.4 –
Brampton, S. Rod Nonato 2,450 6.1 2,946 8.8
Brantford Peter Qualie 1,413 3.9 –
Brant/ Haldimand Steve Elgersma 1,703 5.9
Bruce Linda Freiburger 4,090 13.3 2,006 7.1
Burlington, S. Don Pennell 1,703 5.3 1.125 3.6
Cambridge Anneliese Steden 2,364 6.5 1,479 4.6
Carleton East Andre Lafrance MD 1,224 3.5 926 2.8 Chatham-Kent Marcy Edwards 1,626 5.3 806 2.8
Durham Center Nino Maltese 1.186 3.4 –
Durham East Tim Crookall 2,592 7.7 –
Durham West Bert Vermeer 1,806 4.2 898 2.6
Durham York Jerry Young 2,050 5.6 1,070 3.5
Essex Kent Tim McGuire 1,551 5.2 1,229 4.4
Essex South Steve Posthuinous 2,111 7.2 –
Etobicoke Humber Tony Dodds 1,324 3.7 1,237 3.5
Etobicoke Lakeshore Patricia O’Connor 1,057 3.3 1,203 4.4
Etobicoke West Kevin McGourty 1,045 3.1 1,890 5.6
Frontenac Addington Gail Leonard 1,990 6.9 –
Grey John Ross 2,175 5.7 1,946 6.1
Guelph John Gots 1,679 4.2 –
Halton Centre James Bruce 1,119 3.2 –
Halton North Giuseppe Gori 2,489 9.0 –
Hamilton Centre Jewel Wolgram 381 1.5 –
Hamilton East Emidio Covaro 1,012 3.6 –
Hamilton West Lynn Scime 2,358 7.1 –
Hastings/
Peterborough Anthony Kuttschrutter 1,225 4.2 –
High Park Swansea Colum Tingle 429 1.7 –
Huron Tom Clark 2,931 10.1 –
Kingston and the
Islands Joan Jackson 1,496 5.5 –
Kitchener John Meenna, MD 1,992
Kitchener/Wilmot Tom Borys 2,264 6.2 –
Lake Nipigon Bill Thibeault 636 4.9 –
Lambton Jim Hopper 3,557 12.8 2,399 9.5
Lanark/Renfrew Frank Foley 1,849 5.4 –
London Center John Van Gelderen Sr. 993 2.8 695 1.6
London North Bob Maniuk 1,091 2.5 611 1.5
London South Paul Pickard 1,300 3.4 861 2.0
Markham Eric Skura 1,092 2.1 1,403 3.3
Middlesex Bill Giesen 3,965 10.4 2,664 7.8
Niagara Falls Ark Klassen 702 2.4 –
Nipissing Edward Gauthier 567 1.7 672 2.2
Northunberland John Emlboom 1,213 3.5 749 2.8
Oakville South Adrianna Bassi 1,019 3.3 –
Oshawa – 1,184 4.2
Ottawa Center John Gay, MD 809 2.7 –
Ottawa East Richard Hudon 880 3.4 –
Ottawa Rideau Larry Denys 1,019 3.8 –
Ottawa South David Fitzpatrick 503 1.7 –
Ottawa West – 1.736 5.2
Oxford John Joosse 3,182 9.5 1,410 3.9
Parkdale – 389 2.0
Parry Sound Julie Duggan 763 3.3 647 3.0
Perth Gordon Maloney 2,767 8.7 –
Peterborough John Harrington 3,642 8.7 3,284 8.1
Port Arthur Claude Wyspianski 1,160 4.2 –
Prescott Russel Paul Lauzon 1,145 2.9 –
Quinte Dave Switzer 2,331 7.8 –
Renfrew North Stephen Stanistreet 1,094 3.6 1,385 4.7
St. Catharines Bert Pyneberg 1,332 4.4 –
St. Catharines/Brock Edward Klassen 873 3.3 –
St. George.St. David Ken Campbell 931 3.1 –
Sarnia Terry Burrell 2,691 9.1 1,475 4.9
Scarborough North Louis Di Rocco 1,194 4.0 1,371 4.3
Scarborough West Stefan Slovak 971 3.6 1,035 3.6
Scarborough Centre – 824 2.8
Simcoe West Dr. James McGillvray 2,760 8.6 –
Victoria/Haliburton Brad Medd 1,410 4.0 2,403 8.3
Waterloo North Edward Kryn, MD 2,957 7.6 –
Willowdale Marc Vosylius 1,078 3.2 –
Welland/Thorold – – 705 2.3
Wentworth North Rien VandenEnden 1,225 3.7 –
Windsor/Riverside Earl Amyotte 881 3.0 522
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111,887 48,134