The incumbent in Scarborough-Guildwood believes that his victory and the majority win for the Liberals in Monday’s federal election are proof that positive campaigning wins over negative.
Liberal MP John McKay held his victory party at his campaign office on Kingston Road, Monday night, when he celebrated his seventh consecutive re-election, and fifth consecutive in the Scarborough-Guildwood riding. McKay earned just over 60 per cent of total votes in the riding, defeating Conservative candidate Chuck Konkel, whom he barely edged out in 2011, by over 12,000 votes this time.
“When you don’t have anything positive to say, and you have no basic platform other than cutting taxes, then surprise, surprise, you’re going to end up in a situation where you are eternally negative,” McKay said. He indicated the Conservative view of the niqab as an example of the negative approach the Harper campaign used.
According to McKay, the Liberal’s approach of rejecting Tory negative advertising resonated with Canadians. In a small room at the back of his campaign office McKay spoke to dozens of supporters.
“(Justin) Trudeau projected our values — how we went to see ourselves as a nation, and how we want others in the international community to see us,” McKay said. “For the last nine or 10 years, we have not wanted to look in that mirror, because we’ve become uglier over time as a nation. … We’re back.”