Long time Conservative MP Gary Lunn called to congratulate Green Party leader Elizabeth May before heading to Haro’s Restaurant in Sidney to meet with his supporters.
“You gotta love what happened tonight, you really do,” Lunn said putting a positive spin on his loss in Saanich Gulf Islands. “This is a great day for Canada.”
“We’ve had so many volunteers here and I know each and every one of you were here for the big picture as I was … We’re here to fight for our values, our principles.”
The nation spoke out, he said.
“Canada gave our prime minister … a very, very strong mandate to govern this country for the next four years.”
“As much as we would have loved to be part of that in Saanich Gulf Islands … we did a great job, we can hold our heads proud. We delivered our votes.”
“We also have to congratulate Ms. May who also ran a very, very strong campaign and deserves our congratulations.”
Lunn singled out his daughter Victoria Lunn, 16, who volunteered on the campaign.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this young girl. It’s the one person I’m going to single out. Canada is in great hands. We’ve got a great future.”
Victoria was proud to be part of the campaign.
“It’s our future we’re talking about,” Victoria said. “I’ve connected to so many constituents in this riding. I can do events at school, but I wouldn’t learn what I learned here.”
“We lost the battle but we won the war,” Victoria said after her father’s speech. “In the future we’ll win again, that’s politics.”
May too had the support of her daughter Victoria Cate May Burton, whose hand she continued to hold throughout the evening.
“My goal as an MP is to be of service,” said May. “And I don’t want any (resident) coming to my office and being told ‘sorry we’re not the right place, go somewhere else.’ I want to be a problem solving hub and that will mean finding some very good staff.”
“Today we proved that Canadians want change in politics. We ran a very non-partisan campaign, we ran a cooperative campaign … I had a very gracious telephone call from Gary Lunn congratulating me on this victory.
“I stand here today as the first elected Green member of parliament in Canadian history, and I remain committed … to rejecting the politics of cynicism and fear, to embracing hope, to respect and bringing respect back to our House of Commons.
- with files from Laura Lavin