The Dartmouth-Cole Harbour riding is the site of one of the federal election’s true heavyweight bouts, with incumbent Liberal Mike Savage looking to fend off a challenge from the NDP’s Robert Chisholm.
Both bring significant star power to the competition. Savage has served in Parliament since 2004, is currently vice-chair of the standing committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities and is the son of former Dartmouth mayor and Nova Scotia premier John Savage. Chisholm is no slouch either, a former provincial NDP leader who transformed the party into a serious player in the late 1990s.
Chisholm, who left politics in 2003, says he was inspired to re-enter the fray by the devolving tone of federal politics and the apathy this has created in voters.
“I don’t feel like I can sit by and add to that kind of cynicism by complaining about it and not stepping up and doing something about it,” Chisholm says.
For those voters who feel the best thing to do is defeat the Harper Conservatives at any cost—including a “strategic” Liberal vote—Chisholm has a message.
“I don’t think things have been any better under the Liberals than they are under the Conservatives,” he says. “The Liberals are nicer, maybe, but I don’t think their policies are that much different.”
Savage, meanwhile, says he’s happy to stand on his record as an active Parliamentary debater and a voice for poverty reduction. He also thinks the voter perception of the Darrell Dexter government will hinder Chisholm.
“The provincial NDP government has disappointed some traditional NDP supporters,” Savage says. “As a government, it’s a lot more difficult to promise things than when you’re not in government, and that helps (the Liberals).”
A riding that typically goes red or orange will send either Savage or Chisholm to Ottawa. Regardless, Dartmouth-Cole Harbour will have an experienced voice in Parliament.
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2011.
Is there a PC candidate or a Green candidate?
After the debate on tuesday night My vote gos to the only one that can Quentin on building this great country of ours Mr. Harper. Seeing the way the other three were bickering not debating shows what was going on in Ottawa we deed a majority government lead by Harper to keep this country on the right track.
After the debate on tuesday night My vote gos to the only one that can Quentin on building this great country of ours Mr. Harper. Seeing the way the other three were bickering not debating shows what was going on in Ottawa we deed a majority government lead by Harper to keep this country on the right track
Wanda Webber – Conservative (school teacher, Prince Andrew)
Paul Shreenan – Green (bus driver, Metro Transit)
Advance polls on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday. That should piss off the Muslims, Christians and the Jews.
What “right track” would that be, Mr. Dacey? The right track to becoming a dictatorship? To making extreme right-wing Christian values into political policy? To silencing subversive speech? To becoming a complete international disgrace when it comes to both the environment and human rights? To ignoring foreign aid obligations? To denying First Nations Peoples the right to education, health care and clean water?
If a Harper majority is the “right track”, I sincerely hope we end up on the “wrong” one.
Savage has been completely useless for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour. Nothing has come here. Chisholm will be as useless, but the idiots around here will go red or orange, and we will wind up getting nothing as usual. Maybe they’ll split the vote, here’s hoping.
Meow, you really have to learn the definition of a dictatorship. You and others throw it so often and freely with nt understanding it.
Why did Chisholm choose Savage to run against? If the ultimate goal is to defeat Harper, why not take on a Conservative, like Keddy, for example. If Chisholm happens to take out Savage, he’s only maintaining the balance of Lib/NDP vs Cons. Worse, he may split the vote, and the Con gets in. He must have had a reason. I’d sure like to hear it. Any guesses?
Bro Tim, I understand exactly what a dictatorship is. Harper has continually been defying Parliament, derailing public inquiries, muzzling/firing civil servants who don’t fall in line, demonizing critics, dragging the military into partisan politics, consolidating executive power, eviscerating the legislative branch….you name it.
Throughout King Harper’s reign, he’s operated under extreme secrecy by keeping an iron grip on information, through endless court challenges and censoring/redacting documents, and he’s been riding the coattails of the military, and repeatedly questioning the patriotism of political opponents. Not to mention his delightful removal of the “Government of Canada” to be replaced by his own “Harper Government” branding, and his unprecedented elusiveness with media.
I don’t care where your political affiliations lie, we have laws and an established political process in this country. Harper has stepped outside of both the law and acceptable process on far too many occasions and seems to think he is above being accountable to the Canadian people. If we give that maniac more power, it might not be a total dictatorship by textbook definition, but it sure as hell isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows for anyone who isn’t faithful to the almighty church of Harper.
Every PM were “dictators” as you describe it. You forgot the only PM to order troops against their own people was Trudeau (FLQ crisis) at the request of Bourassa (Liberal Premier of Quebec) . I know, I know, you’re going to respond about the OKA crisis when Mulroney was PM, however, it was done through the Solicitor General, when Bourassa (Liberal Premier of Quebec), demanded it, as was his right under the NDA. The difference is the willingness that the PMs had in calling out the troops. Mulroney did not want troops involved but his hands were tied. Trudeau said “Just watch me”. I’m not saying either was right or wrong, just stating facts.
Afghanistan was a Liberal decision but to be fair it was a UN sanctioned, NATO led operation as is Libya.
All PMs had their secrets, kept things from the public, and accused of being dictators, including Trudeau, Mulroney, and Chretien (in recent times). And all of their times in officer were referred to as the Trudeau Government, Mulroney Government, Chretien Governemnt, etc.
meow – Harper has behaved as though he had a majority. All the information that Iggy & Layton want would have been denied during the Chretien years because he had a majority in the HOC and its committees.
Don’t confuse democracy with parliament. If you want to see democracy I suggest you look to our southern neighbour. A president does not control his party and the legislative branch to the extent that a PM with a majority controls everything that happens in HOC. A PM with a majority will never be found in contempt even when doing exactly what Harper has done.
If you want democracy in Canada it will not be obtained without dramatic rule changes in HOC affairs and no party leader wants to throw away the chance of ramming through whatever takes their fancy.
What would Layton or Ignatieff do with a majority ?
I met Chisholm at a Health community event and he hopped from one table to another, at first blush it seemed to be someone who wants to partake however afterward when I asked him if he was planning to introduce himself to Dartmouth North community he said he was working on it and his assistant handed me a flier for Woodlawn instead..and there you have it… He has made no attempt to engage the most vulnerable community for his area …it is shameful when politicians highjack community events in the guise of being sincere..shame on you Robbie…having said that, Mike was a no show…
A vote for the NDP or Greens is a vote for Stephen Harper.
The most notable “achievement” for Savage since becoming an MP in 2004 is perpetuating the Liberal billion dollar gun registry fiasco .
As for Chisholm, his altruistic reasons given for getting back on the public teat is not convincing. Is the money drying up for his company Simon Chisholm Consulting Inc?
He was successful in lobbying the Dexter government on behalf of Cherubini for millions & got his cut. Why didn’t he use his lobbying expertise in reducing tuition fees as a member of the Board of Governors at Dal U.? Instead, the Dexter N-dippers increased tuition fees! Makes you wonder, eh?
Dang, who is the lesser of the diablos….I cannot tell any more..no one came to my neighbourhood of Dartmouth North- were they too ascared