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12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 15, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Determination pays off for Young Continued from page 1 date Michelle Bilek got 4,143. Young's sizable lead was in stark contrast to the 2006 federal election when Brown defeated Young by just 744 votes. This time it was Young's turn to celebrate with the newly-elected MP receiving a hero's welcome as he entered Via Mia's restaurant on Kerr Street where more than 100 supporters showered him with applause and chanted his name. "I've lost an election and I've won an election and winning is better," he said. "For 15 years Oakville has been under Liberal representation and tonight the people have spoken for change. I want to thank you for all your help and your confidence in Elections Canada Unofficial Results for Oakville -- 238/238 polls -- Conservative Terence Young Liberal M.A. Bonnie Brown Green Party Blake Poland NDP Michelle Bilek Total number of valid votes: "The carbon tax could have devastated Oakville's economy," said Young. "It was a bad idea at the wrong time." Young described his feelings as `cautiously optimistic' after polls closed. At around 10:31 p.m. a reporter arrived on scene and noted Young was being declared the winner. "I hope your right," said Young. Around 11:51 p.m. Brown 26,011 20,428 4,681 4,143 43,397 47.1% 37.0% 8.5% 7.5% KAREN NEWMAN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SUPPORT: A supporter gives a round of applause to Terence Young. me and I want to thank the people of Oakville for their confidence in me." Young said there was no single key to his victory, but said the public's fear of the Liberal carbon tax was a major factor. arrived at Young's campaign headquarters to offer her concession. She was greeted with applause from Young's supporters and an embrace from Young himself. "You may find this hard to believe, but in the last two campaigns Terence and I have had a few laughs together. I've come to concede and wish him well in his new career as MP of Oakville," said Brown. Brown plans to retire after election loss By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF It was not the happy ending Bonnie Brown had hoped for. After five consecutive federal election victories, the Liberal incumbent was defeated by Conservative candidate Terence Young. After narrowly beating Young by 744 votes in the 2006 election, Brown fell to that same opponent by just more than 5,500 votes Tuesday night. The mood at her campaign party was a sombre one. Brown conceded early in the evening, after the margin between her and Young grew too large to overcome. She stood tall as she addressed the crowd of roughly 100 supporters and said goodbye to politics. Her voice did not crack, nor did she cry as she publicly thanked her campaign team and those who believed in her. "Don't feel sorry for me because I'm quite happy," said Brown, who confirmed to The Oakville Beaver that she is retiring from politics. "My philosophy is that you never lose when you participate and take part in the fight for LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER HUG: Bonnie Brown receives a consoling hug from one of her supporters. your country with the ideals you believe in. So, tonight, I did not lose." When asked why she did not emerge victorious this time around, Brown said that vote splitting was a major factor. "Too many people chose to go with the Greens," she said. "I haven't seen the final numbers, but voting for a third or a fourth party is almost selfindulgent in this riding in particular, when it has always historically been between the Conservatives and the Liberals." She also cited the media as working against the Liberals during this cam- paign. "We hit every door we could possibly hit. We phoned every person we could possibly phone. I've talked to every group I could possibly speak to and tried to take the Liberal message to them," she said. "But I have to say that some days it felt like I was running against the CBC and the scenario they predicted seemed to come true." While national media report there are already rumblings about Dion's ability to lead among party members, Brown maintains he is the best leader for the Liberals. "I think he's the best man to lead the country," she said. "He isn't a heavy-handed kind of leader. He's the kind of man who pulls people together and I think with the crunch we are entering now, both with the economy and with the oil-producing provinces being so against the carbon tax, someone is going to have to pull the country together because the west is adamant that they stay as rich as they are, and yet we can't keep depending on fossil fuels. Somehow we've got to make the switch to save the planet and we need someone who pulls people together and finds consensual solutions." Brown said that the party's carbon tax is something that will happen eventually. "A friend of mine called it Canada's `Churchillian' moment, to rise to the challenge that faces us or to resist it for a couple more years, and Canadians have chosen to resist it for a couple more years," she said. Brown also questioned the Conservative's ability to lead, especially in uncertain economic times. She said it is a good time for the Liberals to work on their strategy and come back and defeat Harper in the next federal election. "Maybe it is not such a bad thing not to be in government with the hard times we are facing," she said. "It hasn't really hit here yet.... But many more people will feel it as many more jobs are lost." As for what is next, Brown said she is taking a well-deserved rest. She said she is looking forward to spending more time with family. "I'm done (with politics)," she said. "Do you think I might be entitled to relax?" Green candidate feels party made gains in Oakville By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF It might not have been easy being Green on election night, but there's no better party to run for, according to Blake Poland. The political newcomer came in third in the Oakville riding. Preliminary results showed he increased votes by nearly 2,000 compared to Green candidate Laura Domsey, who earned 2,873 votes in the 2006 federal election. Poland said his first federal campaign experience was a good one. "I'm hoping we get to 10 per cent (support in Oakville), which means we've close to doubled our votes from last time, so we need to be happy about that," he told The Oakville Beaver at his campaign celebration at The Tied House on Speers Road. Poland pointed the finger of blame at strategic voters for the Green Party failing to make more progress in the riding. "I had hoped we would do a bit better, but I think a lot of people were doing strategic voting and we have to acknowledge that was a factor in this election," he said. Poland said he is concerned about the future of Canada under another Stephen Harper Conservative minority government. He is particularly worried about the impact that administra- tion will have on the environment. "We were hoping Bonnie Brown would win because the Liberals are far ahead of the Conservatives on the issue of climate change and the need for action," he said. "Their Green Shift was a watered-down version of what was in the Green platform, which we support." Poland added he isn't sure when Canadians will go to the polls again. "It's anyone guess," he said when asked how long this minority government will last. "My hope is that we see a coalition government of the opposition parties so we can have more effective pressure on Harper to move on issues, like climate change, that absolutely need to be dealt with." The Green Party was banking on winning 12 seats across the country, but this goal proved too ambitious, as Green candidates did not take a single riding. "I can't get into the heads of every voter," he said. "People were probably swayed to some extent by Dion's lastminute appeal for all Greens to vote Liberal and there's no question he had elements of the Green party platform, with our blessings, in their platform. People probably felt that this was their best chance at getting some of these issues dealt with." Poland said that although the Green Party did not win a seat last night, with leader Elizabeth May losing Central Nova to Conservative incumbent Peter MacKay, the party will likely continue to stand behind May. "Elizabeth is enormously popular and she draws so much inspiration from people right across the country," he said. "I have no question that she's a fabulous leader and that the majority of Green Party support is behind her." He said the party needs to regroup and return stronger next time. "We're going to have to think about what Canadians want," he said. "I think the biggest problem has been strategic voting and lot of people have been struggling with that issue. I think the next step is a progressive coalition."