Is Linda Duncan, the NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona, getting nervous?
Here is a sign that she is: from the Edmonton Journal a few weeks back. More distressing, she said, is that Ryan Hastman, the Conservative nominee in Edmonton Strathcona, did appear at a number of funding announcements in the riding over the summer. "I find it really inappropriate," she said. "I am the elected official for this riding, whether they like it or not. I have been duly elected. In protocol, it would be the appropriate thing to simply invite me."
Taking shots in the press at your main political opponent, in this case Conservative Party candidate Ryan Hastman, is a good sign that Ms. Duncan has at a minimum been paying attention to the competition.
Since his nomination win back in June of this year, Ryan has been going door to door almost non stop meeting the constituents of Edm_Strathcona. He has already knocked on 1000's of doors and he plans do knock on many more before any possible upcoming election. I went door knocking with Ryan back when the weather was much more pleasant than it is today and I can tell you first hand the he is getting noticed and making a very favorable impression on the ground. The impression I got that night was that the MP previous to Duncan, and Duncan herself were 'not very active' in the riding and they appreciated being able to talk with Hastman.
Her complaint that Ryan Hastman attending some funding announcements is somehow inappropriate is laughable when you consider that she also said the following"To tell you the truth, I've noticed that I am attracting a lot of money to my riding," she said. "We had a very nice, sizable grant to the Fringe, grants to Kings University, Newman College, LRT expansion and so forth." Duncan, though, was critical of the way the grants have been handed out, calling the various infrastructure plans "political slush funds. Nice try. Duncan wants to be able to claim credit in attracting money into the riding but also is maintaining that infrastructure plans are just"Political slush funds". You can't have it both ways , pick one Linda. Oh, and having Ryan Hastman, or any other resident of Edmonton Strathcona for that matter, attend a public announcement is neither distressing or inappropriate.
So what do you think. Is Linda Duncan getting nervous?
I believe she is, but if I am wrong and she isn't, she should be. With Hastman's work ethic, a dedicated team backing him up, and the ability to run a fully funded campaign, Linda Duncan is going to be in for quite the battle when ever the writ is dropped. That she can count on.
Monday, November 02, 2009
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28 comments:
Based on his twitter page it looks like Ryan'ss pretty busy www.twitter.com/ryanhastman
This is going to be a good race!
Ms Duncan, VOTED AGAINST the stimulus initiatives.
It would seem to me that based on her voting decision, she did not support the good things that were to occur in her riding so why would she feel it necessary to give the appearance that she did?
Don't they have a name for people like that?
Why wouldn't she be nervous. It is a tight riding. I am sure she has been nervous all along.
"Taking shots in the press at your main political opponent, in this case Conservative Party candidate Ryan Hastman, is a good sign that Ms. Duncan has at a minimum been paying attention to the competition.'
Yeah. No politician in their right mine would pay attention to the person running against them, especiallly if that person's party is pouring all of their resources into the riding in order to try to win it back.
Sheesh.
"The impression I got that night was that the MP previous to Duncan, and Duncan herself were 'not very active' in the riding and they appreciated being able to talk with Hastman."
Duncan spent the entire time between the last two elections campaigning in this riding. Of course, it is easier for the non-MP to do that since s/he does not have to be in Ottawa half the time.
I really think the smartest thing she did was run in two elections. All too often, when a candidate fails, they go away. Here she was able to remain the candidate and therefore continue campaigning, instead or being nominated a few weeks/days before the election call.
In any event, don't get too excited. A large percentage of people in this riding vote CPC, but you can not forget the fact that a large percentage of people in this riding also vote ABC.
PS - of course she is responsible for the money being spent here. Harper wants his riding back - and he is going to spend our money until he gets his way.
Did she vote in favour of EAP or any specific measure of the CPC spending announcements since her October 2008 victory?
If she has been voting along the NDP lines rejecting out of hand everything from the CPC than she is out of luck.
She has put her party above her constituents for one year by not cooperating or working with the government in getting aboard ANY of these policies.
She is free to produce her own publicity stunts with/out a prop to demostrate she has been working hard on behalf of her party, let's wish her best of luck.
Her party, office, riding association can contact the Press for tea and cookies and talk about the wonderful things she has done on behalf of her constituents.
Her voting track record in the HOC rejecting the Budget in January and rejecting every policy up until Sept 2009. She had not voted in demostrating confidence in the Government.
The Government is free to demostrate a lack of confidence in the current MP.
They do have a name for people like that...., politicians.
NeilD
i'm sure the next election will be close. but Hastman has it. Hes a young guy starting a family. he is working hard. the layton team doesn't fit, socalist spending programs? Shutting down the oil sands? I don't think so.
So how is she going to vote on the
gun registry Bill ?
"So how is she going to vote on the gun registry Bill ?"
Not a lot of long gun owners in the University area I should think.
CS - you missed the whole point - again. She was elected because people do not like Harper or the conservatives. I somehow doubt voting against their policies is going to hurt her chances.
This may come down to a GOTV thing.
" the layton team doesn't fit, socalist spending programs? Shutting down the oil sands?"
Do you live in this riding?
Gayle:
Yeah, sure do live in the riding, just not on Whyte ave, or the U of A area. Thank you, you've highlighted exactly why the NDP doesn't ring true in say, Ottewell, or the rest of the communities in this riding.
I'm a little confused AA. She wins a riding where no one gave her a chance. Her opponent is given the opportunity for photo ops with giant cheques and she isnt? I'm more Conservative then most and even I dont find this fair. The only politician's who should be in the photo op's are the winning ones..not the ones running in the next election. I dont know much about Ms Duncan but, she won and that's all that matters. Unless there is more t the story. billg
My brother in law lives in Ottwell. I seem to recall a lot of NDP signs out there during the last election.
She did not win with U of A support alone.
If Duncan played such a big role in the funding being received, why did none of the stakeholders invite her? Seems to me she's been MIA since the day she got elected.
I was being facetious about her role. The CPC want this riding back. Of course they are going to pour money into it and parade their nominee in order to get coverage.
Personally, I have not paid attention to any of it. I hear more about Hastman on this blog than anywhere else. He and his people certainly have not been to my neighbourhood.
By the way, if you are the same anon who was making the previous points, could you at least have the courtesy to give yourself a name that distinguishes you from all the other anons? It would be nice to know if I am having one conversation or two.
Gayle, has the MP been to your neighborhood since the last election?
No.
Maybe we can do a poll here. How many people have been personally visited by their elected MP since the last election?
Not once have I been visited by a sitting MP outside an election period. Just walked around the office to ask my colleagues the same question. Same answer.
If you really want to start assessing an MP's worth by whether or not she or he visit each and every constituent between elections, I think you are going to have a lot of embarassed conservative MP's.
Again I ask - is the simple courtesy of a consistent ID too much to ask? Is there some problem being polite?
Re your poll, I have been visited in my home by my former MLA on numerous occassions, had phone calls and other meetings. I have also been visited in my home by my MP, on more than one occassion. I even ran into him at Costco, he was coming out with his cart and I was going in and we really ran into each other. He also called out to my hubby, by name, from a float in a parade.
I also have pictures hanging on my wall with my MP, PMSH and myself.
My MP has visited my NDP riding numerous times, bearing big fun looking cheques. (It´s been very well done and appreciated for sure).
In the 1990´s, while living in the city, the Liberals used their local nominee to help hand out big fun looking facsimile cheques of spending announcements too. I don´t know why the sitting MP Ted White wasn´t invited.
Maybe it was because he handed Warren Kinsella´s rear end to him in the election. And then the little wafer-gater himself got on a plane to promptly head back to Ontario despite promising during the election that he was now a permanent resident of North Van, not simply an astronaut candidate.
That wouldn´t surprise anyone of course.
"My MP has visited my NDP riding numerous times, bearing big fun looking cheques."
Which is not the same as going door to door, right? Linda Duncan has been in her own riding numerous times too - it is just that the government of the day decided her rival should be the one handing out the cheques.
And mary - that is all very nice, but I have to ask if all those visits were part of a door knocking measure to get out and meet constituents. Sounds to me like you know your MP on a personal basis - and those photos of you with Harper suggest you probably volunteer for the party, so it is not the same thing.
Sorry to disappoint you Gayle, but I have never gone door knocking for any candidate. Whenever my MP is in our town he stops to say hello and chat. Same for my former MLA, Paul Hinman. I do not volunteer, other than to work at polls.
These visits occur between elections, not during a campaign.
Maybe I should mention, that my sister-in-law was a roommate with Senator Joyce Fairburn during university days, and we have been friends for years.
Politicians do have friends.
So you are personal friends with your MP?
Anyone have any examples of your MP door knocking between elections when that MP is a complete stranger to you?
By the way mary, I was not asking if you went door knocking. My point was that your MP showed up at your door to visit you personally, and not because he or she was out door knocking getting to know all the constituents.
I have never had an MP who is a complete stranger to me, or an MLA, except when we were moved into a riding represented by Premier Strom, till the next redrawing of boundry lines. We never moved our farm, but our farm was moved into several ridings. As such, one MLA had been a close family friend for years, before being elected, and served in several cabinet posts. Then we had a local teacher, who had taught all my kids, so was a personal friend and served in cabinet. The next one grew up a mile from us, so again, I knew him as a school mate of my kids.
And during his term his wife taught my grandchildren.
Over and out.
That is all very well and good Mary, but it has nothing to do with the original question from anon, who seemed to suggest Linda Duncan is not doing her job because she is not in my neighbourhood trying to speak with me.
I am sure she would drop by for coffee if we were old friends.
I am a conservative party member (since the 1980's!) Ryan came to my door last April, I had never met him before that. He seems like a really hard worker. Im glad to hear he's kept it up since then.
Who's this Gayle woman? Seems to live in a lot of ridings! I see her in a lot of blogs posting, posting, posting. You work for the Liberals, Gayle? You gonna come knock on my door and induce me to vote for the Libs, or are you running for office in a particular riding? Sure seem to mind a lot of blogger's business all over the place. You're just everywhere. You should just start your own blog, dearie and butt out of other's.
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