NDP 'ghost' knocks out veteran Bloc MP

After 18 years of political leadership in the Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel riding, the Bloc Québécois was toppled and incumbent federal MP Mario Laframboise was replaced by a paper candidate from the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Mylène Freeman, who was notably absent from political debates and interviews, chose not to put up posters or advertise within the riding, would have been virtually unknown to the 25,268 people who voted NDP on Monday, May 2.

But, like much of the political wave that swept through Quebec that day - one that brought the NDP to official opposition status with a total of 102 seats across the country - Freeman claimed the riding and a seat in Parliament with a landslide 44-per-cent share of the vote.

As the federal MP, Freeman is expected to represent the interests of all the residents in her riding, in exchange for a $157,000 annual salary and a healthy federal pension.

"It's like she won a lottery and now she can begin collecting her cheques," said Laframboise.

The veteran Bloc MP said he was prepared for the results of the election, following the unprecedented landslide of support for NDP leader Jack Layton and his party, but added he was worried about its impact on the future of Quebec. He also suggested that had the election been held a week earlier, the results would have been staggeringly different.

As a husband, father and new grandfather, Laframboise said he intends to enjoy time with his family and refocus on his career as a notary. "When you love politics, it is never over," added the politician of 30 years.

At the campaign headquarters for Liberal Party candidate Daniel Fox, the atmosphere was grim but optimistic on election night. Surrounded by friends and supporters, 26-year-old Fox said he was disappointed by the results but they wouldn't sway him from pursuing a political career.

"Mylène Freeman has two years of catching up to do," he stated. "I have been campaigning in this riding for two years and I have familiarized myself with the needs of this region and the people who live here. Whereas I would be jumping into the fray to help this riding, Mylène will be spending the next two years catching up."

Fox said he felt voters were seduced by the NDP leader's promises without being given tangible plans to realize them: "Layton has won this riding and he now has the burden of backing up his words with actions, and I am convinced that people will quickly realize that he can't back up his goals and they will return to the Liberal Party, which offers a platform that defines strong family values."

This year's election made significant changes to the Canadian political map; notably, the Bloc Québécois has been reduced from 47 seats in the province to four, while the Liberals have been pushed to a distant third - replaced with an NDP opposition and a majority Conservative government.

"People everywhere were being beaten, even people who were doing great things for their ridings were lost in the sea of change," said Fox.

Green Party candidate Stephen Matthews said he enjoyed his campaign and felt that Green Party leader Elizabeth May's success in winning her riding represented a strong foundation to grow the party. Reached at home in Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Matthews said he was shocked by the results of the election.

"People in this riding voted for a ghost," he said. "People wanted a change and unfortunately the national media didn't include the Greens and give them a voice."