Turner gets nod as Western Arctic candidate
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 01/00) - Lifetime Northerner Fred Turner will be leading the Canadian Alliance Party colours this election.
Turner won the nomination as the Alliance candidate in the Western Arctic by a count of 50-30 at a nomination meeting Monday night at the Yellowknife Inn.
The son of a Cree mother and a British father, the 55-year-old candidate said he is not running for the sake of ideals alone.
"I didn't come here to build up the party for next time around, I came here to win," Turner told the 80 people at the meeting. He said he has the connections, including aboriginal connections, that can push the party to victory.
Turner's opponent for the candidacy was construction consultant Bob Maddigan.
Support growing
Party organizer David Wind said the turnout was more than double that of a meeting held two weeks ago to gauge local support for establishing a riding association.
The crowd included many long-term Yellowknifers like Ter Hamer, who donated space in the Panda II Mall for campaign headquarters.
"I'm a small 'c', large 'c' and extra large 'c' conservative," said Hamer. He said the party's promotion of family values, social conservatism and platform of fiscal restraint appealed to him.
The conservatism was evident from the start of the meeting, which began with everyone standing and singing the national anthem.
Darold Jackman was not a long-term resident, having moved North from Alberta in July. He said he voted Reform in the last election.
"It's time for a change," Jackman said. "(The Canadian Alliance) is more in touch with the common person than the Liberals are."
A federal government worker involved in the Reform campaign last election said there were three or four times as many people at Monday night's meeting than at any Reform meeting here.
"It's definitely a sign of the times," said the man, who did not want his name used. "I think people are fed up with what the Liberals are not doing in the North."
