Statement from Lisa Vollans-Leduc and the NDP Campaign Team to supporters and volunteers (but shared with everyone)
September 27, 2022
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on this campaign — and to your families, because when people are at the campaign office until late hours there is often someone at home caring for children and puppies.
Thank you to everyone who voted for me and the NDP.
And to everyone else: New Democrats are still here for you!
We ran a strong, issues-based campaign. We were honest, critical and compassionate. We spoke about the struggles people have gone through in this pandemic and advocated for real solutions.
In the Yukon, the NDP received a marginally higher percentage of votes than we received in 2019 federal election though fewer votes due to low turnout (almost 10% lower voter turnout). We can say we grew our support and further analysis will determine in what ways we grew.
We ran a great campaign with amazing volunteers – we had a wonderful mix of old loyalists, to whom it’s a duty to drop leaflets or put up a sign, and new faces. On election night, a new volunteer who helped scrutineer and count ballots remarked how much more positive this experience was compared to his previous experience doing the same in a different country.
There were so many new faces excited to get involved at our busy campaign office. So many amazing people giving their time to be part of something because they want to help build a better country, a better Yukon!
New voices came forward to show their support on social media. To those who stood up, put up a sign, volunteered, and showed their support for me and the NDP, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
In the end it was not enough for an electoral breakthrough in the Yukon. Our analysis of what happened and what we can do better next time begins right away – and I hope you will be a part of this feedback.
From what we heard on doorsteps, it’s clear we still struggle with “strategic voting” – that a sizeable number of people vote for the “lesser of two evils” rather than the party that has the best action plan and most aligns with their values. Further proof of why the broken promise on electoral reform is so critical to Liberal quests for power. I am proud of the results we achieved and we will grow from here even if the system is rigged against real progressive politics.
The people decided, and in a virtually unchanged parliament told politicians to “get back to work”. The pressure is on the Liberals to make meaningful change. New Democrats – and the community organizers, activists, caring citizens in our universe of values – will be watching, organizing, and working for improvements. I wish you the best Brendan Hanley and know that we will be watching and expecting you to be a strong voice in Ottawa for the territory.
When the short, snap election period began 35 days ago, not many people knew about me, Lisa Vollans-Leduc. Folks living in the Yukon know about me now and I am committed to staying involved in federal politics and holding the government accountable. You haven’t heard the last from me!
NDP politics are not just about me: our politics are about us, our team, our values, and working together to accomplish important demands – like universal pharmacare and meaningful reconciliation. From the labour movement we borrow the line “don’t mourn, organize”. We need to keep working so long as:
- Meaningful action doesn’t happen around the climate crisis
- There isn’t enough good, quality, affordable housing
- The cost of living goes up and up, while wages stagnate, and the rich get richer
- Canada’s relationship with Indigenous People continues without meaningful reconciliation
Although our work around this election is finished, the work of building a movement for change and standing up for people continues – in community organizations, in churches, in unions, in the streets, and in schools. Wherever we go we have an opportunity to speak up and speak out against injustice. This is what we are ready for.
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