Ethel Blondin-Andrew wins fourth term in Parliament
Detailed coverage in Wednesday's Yellowknifer
| At the Polls(unofficial count) | |
 Ethel Blondin-Andrew (Lib) |
5,854 (45.6%) |
 Dennis Bevington (NDP) |
3,429 (26.7%) |
 Fred Turner ( Alliance) |
2,283 (17.8%) |
 Bruce McLaughlin (PCC) |
1,282 (10%) |
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 27/00) - Chalk up four in a row for the North's Liberal machine.
Three-term incumbent MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew has easily won re-election, helping push the Liberals to a massive majority in the House of Commons.
 Ethel Blondin-Andrew |
In her victory speech in front of packed house at the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife, Blondin-Andrew thanked her volunteers and said appearing in all the NWT's communities was the key to her win.
"We took the Dogribs by a landslide," said Blondin-Andrew. "I owe a great deal to the chiefs and grand chiefs."
Territorial premier Stephen Kakfwi was on hand to congratulate Blondin-Andrew on her victory. The two embraced and Blondin-Andrew thanked him for his support.
Kakfwi praised Blondin-Andrew for her efforts on behalf of the NWT during her previous three terms.
"She's been a very good and effective Member of Parliament," said Kakfwi, adding that her doggedness brings about results.
"It's important to support people who put their heart and soul into their work," he said.
Second place-finisher, NDP candidate Dennis Bevington said he ran into a Liberal juggernaut.
"We ran a really good campaign here (in Yellowknife), but I think we were bucking a national trend and lost a lot of protest votes to the Alliance," he said after conceding defeat.
Alliance candidate Fred Turner was disappointed he and his party didn't do better in the North.
"It appeared as though I was going to do better," he said when asked about the Alliance's third-place showing.
Tory Bruce McLaughlin said he was handicapped from the start.
"Picking a candidate 10 days into the election after writ's dropped makes it really difficult," he said.
"I think if I had made my mind firmly in my own head to be the candidate two or three weeks earlier than I did, it would have made a big difference."
Even so, he was "disappointed that I didn't do as well in Yellowknife and Hay River as I hoped I would."
