NO RAE ELECTION Alternate History
Background[]
The last week of July, 1990. Ontario Premier, David Peterson, sat down with strategists and advisors, and debated calling a snap election. "The economy is going downhill, we need to go now" the advisors advised. "We are far ahead in the polls, we'd win a majority for sure" the strategists commented. Peterson mulled this over and decided.... No. There would be no 1990 election. There was just too great of a chance of the voters being upset at this early call.
Plans were made to hold the election in the spring of 1991.
The Liberals entered the 1991 election neck and neck with the NDP, and over the first half of the election, the two parties traded the top spot a number of times in the polls. The Liberals, however, were seen as good governors and trustworthy, and by the last week of the election, a Liberal majority was more clear.
Results[]
66-Lib-37%
45-NDP-31%
19-PC-26%
Peterson won a significantly reduced majority with 66 seats, as opposed to 64 for the opposition. Peterson would be lucky and not lose any seats to the opposition though by-elections. For the Liberals however, this meant the party was in power throughout Ontario's economic downfall. By the time of the 1996 election, voters were angry, and it was clear that the Liberals would be tossed from office... but perhaps more importantly was the impact that all of this had on the federal stage
Federal Impact[]
Stay Tuned.
Notes to self: NDP "ties" with the Liberals for first in 1993. Branchpoint after this.