Conroy sails easily into second term
Trail Daily Times
May 13, 2009
By Raymond Masleck

New Democrats rolled over another once-popular local politician in Kootenay West, as MLA Katrine Conroy increased her share of the vote ….

"We sent a real message to Gordon Campbell," Conroy told her supporters at an election night party in the Portuguese Hall in Castlegar. "He has abandoned rural B.C., and it is time for him to pay attention to what is happening here.

"We heard that loud and clear."

… The Liberals would have faced an uphill struggle even if they had waged a tough campaign, which they didn't. Binnie was nominated at the last minute by the Liberals, who did not put much effort into the riding locally or at the provincial level.

Premier Gordon Campbell didn't visit, few voters reported receiving phone calls from the Liberals, the party didn't buy much advertising and on election day had few scrutineers at the polls working to help get out the party's supporters.

Like her campaign, Binnie's election night focus was on the provincial party.

"The voters of B.C. have spoken. They've decided that Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell is the leader that does in fact have the strategy to take us through these tough economic times," she said…. "But then, the people of Kootenay West have spoken and again they've chosen to be the opposition."…

"OK, there is the focus on the Olympics. But there has to be a focus on the concerns of ordinary working people in the rest of the province."

Green candidate Andy Morel was satisfied with the result, despite his distant third-place finish….