National Post ePaper

Voters sound off about `waste' of taxpayer cash

WINNIPEG — Canadians woke up to a virtually unchanged political landscape Tuesday after an expensive pandemic election they didn't want and with many venting their fury at the $612-million cost.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals won the election, but it was unpopular for its timing, two years ahead of schedule and during a rising fourth wave of COVID-19.

Voters gave Trudeau a third term, but denied him the majority he called the election to win.

The Grits were leading or elected in 158 of 338 ridings as of Tuesday afternoon, just three more than they entered the election with. A majority requires 170 seats.

Other parties didn't fare much better, ending up largely with the same number of seats they had before the election.

“Six-hundred-million dollars and all I got was this lousy pencil,” one Calgary man tweeted, referring to the

stubby pencil used to mark ballots.

“Waste of money” trended on social media as voters questioned the time and expense involved.

Elections Canada projected that it cost $110 million more than the 2019 election, which cost $502 million.

NEWS

en-ca

2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://nationalpost.pressreader.com/article/282024740403999

Sun Media