[RCO]

( news of some big name potential candidates in Newfoundland and Labrador , specificially in the St Johns Area )


Federal Tories hoping for N.L. comeback
Last Updated: Saturday, January 29, 2011 | 12:00 PM NT .
CBC News


Shut out in Newfoundland and Labrador in the last federal election, the Conservatives are hoping for a breakthrough in the former stomping grounds of Danny Williams.

Williams, who led a successful ABC - Anything But Conservative - campaign against Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the 2008 federal election, had already improved relations with the federal Tories before he retired in December.

Danny Williams waged the ABC campaign against the federal Conservatives in 2008, leading to a shutout in that year's election. (CBC) Potential candidates for the next election, which could come as early as this spring, are gauging their chances, with one of them already going public.

"I'm an engineer, I'm a builder and I think what we need most in this province is a bridge between St. John's and Ottawa," said Jerry Byrne, who has played a significant role for decades in the development of Newfoundland and Labrador's now-flourishing offshore oil industry.

"And so I'm going to start working on that bridge as soon as I can," said Byrne, who has retired from DF Barnes, an engineering company that now has an international reputation in the oil trade.

Byrne is aiming for the Conservative nomination in St. John's East, now held by the NDP's Jack Harris. Byrne is the brother of the late provincial cabinet minister Jack Byrne, who died in 2008.

"We talked about it many times. Politics is in our blood," Byrne told CBC News. "We talked about it, he did it, and now it's my turn."

Byrne could face a challenge for the nomination from Beth Crosbie, a local realtor and the daughter of former federal cabinet minister John Crosbie, who represented the former riding of St. John's West for 17 years and is now Newfoundland and Labrador's lieutenant-governor.

Fisheries Ambassador Loyola Sullivan has his eye on a political comeback, sources say. (CBC) The ABC campaign had a debilitating effect on the federal Tories three years ago, choking off donations and volunteers.

Everything, though, seems to have changed.

CBC News has learned that former provincial finance minister Loyola Sullivan, who was appointed Canada's fisheries ambassador in 2007, has his eye on St. John's South-Mount Pearl. Sources say Sullivan is telling Conservatives he is 90 per cent likely to run.

Liberal Siobhan Coady has held the St. John's South-Mount Pearl seat since 2008.

Meanwhile, John Ottenheimer, a former provincial health minister, has his sights set on the neighbouring riding of Avalon. Sources say if Fabian Manning does not leave the Senate to run there, Ottenheimer will likely be the candidate in Avalon.

Liberal Scott Andrews defeated Manning in 2008 in Avalon.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfo.....z1CXBCumgB

[Progressive Tory]

There's going to be some interesting races in NL in the next election for sure.

Harper's needs star candidates to be able to win seats though, he's still not liked here so he needs candidates who are going to win for being who they are and not for what party they are running for.

As well Harper will be best to advise Fabian Manning to stay in the senate and have Ottenheimer run in Avalon because I will be surprised if Manning can win that seat back. He has checked with the company that printed his signs for the 2008 election to see if they still had them on file though.

[Daveeire]

Stanfield actually did better in NF&L in the Truddeau landslide of 1968 than any Tory leader after that inclluding the Mulroney wave in 1984. Harper's got a shot here. Oh my. Is that uncile language?

[Progressive Tory]

St. John's East and St. John's South Mount Pearl(SSMP) have traditionally been safe tory seats, I've seen SSMP referred to as one of the safest tory seats outside Alberta and St. John's East was just as safe.

St. John's East will not go Conservative as long as Jack Harris is running and while the CPC can only attract people like Jerry Byrne and Beth Crosbie to run.

Loyola Sullivan should be able to beat Siobhan Coady, I like both of them so it's disappointing they are running against each other.

Avalon is now made up of a large part of SSMP and St. John's East so there's a large Conservative base there which historically wasn't.

Currently the Conservatives only have a chance of winning 2 and that is if they can get the right candidates.

[cosmostein]

I tend to agree with the sentiment.
Two Tory seats in the next election, and that is the ceiling.
Short of getting Rick Hillier to run as a CPC candidate.

However considering that if the Tories retain all their seats they won in 2008 and beyond they need only nine more seats and two go a long way.

[Progressive Tory]

I don't know where Hillier would run too, maybe against Jack Harris? Honestly though I don't know how he would do, I get the feeling Hillier is more popular outside NL then inside NL. When he was mentioned as a possible PC leadership candidate it seemed like the national media paid more attention then the local media and I never noticed many people commenting on him.

[cosmostein]

[Progressive Tory]

[cosmostein]

[Progressive Tory]

Well Rex Barnes had won that seat in a by-election in 2002 so that's why he did so well in 2004. He just barely won the by-election though and voter turnout was very low so it was really just a fluke that he won. This was Senator George Baker's seat so I think he was the MP for 28 years.

Scott Simms has done well in the seat since being first elected but I think there is a definite Conservative vote in the riding. I was told that religion plays a big role in the riding. Paul Oram is Pentecostal and that's why he was unsure of his chances.

I think religion plays a role not becuase all Roman Catholics say vote Liberal or because people aren't going to vote for someone because they are a certain religion but because you know people who are your own religion.

[Roger Langille]

No Problem at all
It only take a few words from Steven Harper for it to happen

Those words:

The federal Funding for the Subsea Cables is approved !

And wala

[Progressive Tory]

[Roger Langille]

Ya but Churchill will provide thousands of Job in Nfl and Lab

Lets not for get the investment in Marine Atlantic

Those sub sea cables will not only get votes in Labrador and NFL

But also NS and NB

Also I believe the plan was to have another route for Power From the Churchill Falls as well as the New Dams that is votes
As they are not happy having been cheated a few times already by Quebec on the Churchill Fall power !

[Progressive Tory]

[Progressive Tory]

A provincial poll has been conducted in Newfoundland and Labrador and though the numbers won't be released till the NTV News at 6:00 the Conservatives have seen a major resurgence in the province and aren't in third place anymore. The party recieved 16.5% in NL in 2008.