Voters in one P.E.I. riding face a tough choice in the April 23 provincial election: Matthew MacKay, or Matthew MacKay.
Seeking re-election in the provincial district of Kensington-Malpeque, Progressive Conservative Matthew MacKay is being challenged by Green party rookie Matthew MacKay.
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B次元官网网址淚 was a little worried that come election day some people might get confused,B次元官网网址� says the Tory incumbent, a 37-year-old real estate agent who has represented the district since 2015.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the talk of the community right now.B次元官网网址�
To avoid confusion, his Green party rival has agreed to use his middle initial, which means his name will appear on the ballot as Matthew J. MacKay.
Matthew J. says the IslandB次元官网网址檚 Scottish settlers helped create this odd predicament.
B次元官网网址淭he Scots are very frugal people, we recycle everything B次元官网网址� we even recycle names,B次元官网网址� says 64-year-old Matthew J., a semi-retired graphic artist who worked at the University of Prince Edward Island.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of MacKays and thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of Matthews B次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檙e not really creative when it comes to new, trendy names. IB次元官网网址檓 surprised it hasnB次元官网网址檛 happened in P.E.I. before.B次元官网网址�
Local media are referring to the two men as Green MacKay and PC MacKay. The Liberal candidate is Nancy Beth Guptill.
The Green contender, who refers to himself as B次元官网网址淥ld Matthew,B次元官网网址� says he has come to the conclusion there will be no confusion on voting day, thanks to a quirk of Island politics.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an only-on-P.E.I. story, in the sense that District 20 has only 4,000 voters B次元官网网址� and most of us know everybody here anyway,B次元官网网址� Matthew J. said in an interview.
B次元官网网址淲e (both) grew up here B次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檙e not separated at birth. We donB次元官网网址檛 look remotely similar. And most people would know who is who B次元官网网址� Nobody is going to be confused in P.E.I.B次元官网网址�
As well, a spokesman for Elections P.E.I. says each candidateB次元官网网址檚 party affiliation and hometown will be clearly indicated on the ballots.
In the 2000 federal election, two men named John Williams faced off in AlbertaB次元官网网址檚 St. Albert riding. Before the vote, the local returning officer drew their names out of a hat to determine which one would appear first on the ballot.
At the time, it was thought to be a first in federal election history.
In P.E.I., Premier Wade MacLauchlan called for an early election on Tuesday, saying the Liberal party can take credit for stoking the fires of the IslandB次元官网网址檚 red-hot economy.
Under the provinceB次元官网网址檚 election law, voters were slated to go to the polls Oct. 7, but MacLauchlan moved up the date, partly to avoid a conflict with the federal election on Oct. 19.
The latest opinion polls suggest the Liberal party has lost favour with the electorate after 11 years in power.
A Corporate Research Associates survey released this month suggests the Greens had a healthy lead, followed by the Progressive Conservatives, who picked a new leader, Dennis King, in February. The Liberals were in third place, followed by the NDP, led by Joe Byrne.
As a rookie leader with no political baggage, MacLauchlan B次元官网网址� a constitutional lawyer and former law professor B次元官网网址� led the Liberals to a majority win in 2015.
On Tuesday, MacLauchlan set the tone for the campaign by dismissing the Conservative party as a group in chaos, noting theyB次元官网网址檝e had five leaders in four years. And he suggested voting for the Greens would be too risky, saying the future of the province was too important to B次元官网网址渞isk on uncertain, expensive social experiments.B次元官网网址�
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
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