What’s in a name? In this election, confusion

By: Gord Mackintosh Posted: 4:00 AM CDT Saturday, Sep. 7, 2019

Brar or Brar? Brown or Brown?

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2019 (2194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brar or Brar? Brown or Brown?

As Manitobans prepare for voting day, it seems some recent election slogans, and even the names of some provincial candidates, have created confusion.

Emboldened by the Manitoba New Democratic Party’s 2007 re-election slogan, “Forward, Not Back,” and perhaps by U.S. president Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election slogan, “Forward,” many know that for the 2016 provincial election slogan, the NDP chose “Moving Manitoba Forward.”

GORD MACKINTOSH PHOTO
Campaign signs along Jefferson Avenue, where the choices couldn't be more clear. — GORD MACKINTOSH PHOTO Campaign signs along Jefferson Avenue, where the choices couldn't be more clear.

And for the Progressive Conservatives in the 2019 election, Brian Pallister apparently stayed up late thinking and chose — you guessed it — “Moving Manitoba Forward.”

Considering the dismal 2016 election outcome for the NDP, you can’t say the line was all that effective. If Pallister is bent on borrowing NDP slogans, I suggest he lift its mid-1990s one, “Time for a Change.”

Meanwhile, a fledgling party that promises new ideas named itself “Manitoba Forward.”

And federally, Justin Trudeau’s slogan for the Liberals is “Choose Forward.”

And from what I hear, the federal Conservatives chose the slogan — although some might find it insults their intelligence — “It’s Time for You to Get a Head.”

There are also laughs, and confusion, in this political season over names.

Some Canadians chuckled during Prince Edward Island’s election in April when Green party candidate Matthew J. MacKay faced off against Progressive Conservative MLA Matthew MacKay.

When I was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1990s, the education minister in premier Gary Filmon’s Progressive Conservative government was Linda McIntosh. In 1996, a highly publicized political panel on education was organized by the Seven Oaks School Board and parents to focus on cuts to education funding.

Ms. McIntosh failed to attend. I attended, and I was loudly critical of her snub.

Yes, I wished she had been there — not only because we should expect accountability from government ministers, but also because the headline in the local community newspaper, delivered to every door in my riding, was utterly painful; knowing that few people get Scottish names right and many readers don’t get beyond a headline, it announced, “McIntosh skips education forum.”

I met future provincial MLA and cabinet minister Kevin Chief in 2010, during his hard-fought federal byelection campaign in Winnipeg North against the former Liberal MLA for Inkster, Kevin Lamoureux. It was Chief’s first try at politics, and I marvel at how he motivated a dedicated team of eager inner-city election workers.

Partway through a packed and boisterous rally in his campaign office, Chief announced, “And now I want to introduce a big supporter of mine. Let’s all welcome… Kevin Lamoureux!”

The crowd went instantly silent. Like the others in that room, I thought, “Can it be? I know Chief is a great motivator, but… wow.”

Waving and smiling, a tall, lanky guy came forward, who looked not at all like the opponent. It was another Kevin Lamoureux, a scholar and University of Winnipeg administrator working for greater Indigenous inclusion.

Chief did resist the temptation to create a slogan, and perhaps a beautiful billboard, that proclaimed, “Kevin Lamoureux endorses Chief.”

Recent studies show that candidate name recognition attracts votes, but they apparently didn’t consider this year’s Manitoba provincial election.

In this campaign, it seems, there are only so many candidate names to go around.

But here’s help.

There’s another Lamoureux in the electoral division of Seine River and a Lamoureux in Tyndall Park, moving from Burrows.

In Burrows, you can vote for Brar, or for Brar.

Unless it’s Brar in the Maples. Or choose Gill in Burrows, or the Maples — where there’s also Sandhu, and Sandhu.

Or in Radisson, Sandhu.

In Flin Flon, vote for Lindsey. Or for Lindsay.

In Brandon West, there’s Brown, or there’s Brown.

And Marcelino in Tyndall Park, or Marcelino in Notre Dame.

Or Martin. Or Martin in McPhillips.

Where there’s Smith, and Smith in Point Douglas, and Smith in Lagimodiere.

Or vote for Lagimodiere.

Throw in Cindy Friesen and Cyndy Friesen, and another Friesen, two Johnstons and a Johnson, plus a couple of Andersons, Beddomes and Larkins, and there’s your clear choice for Sept. 10.

Gord Mackintosh was the MLA for St. Johns from 1993 to 2016, and served in several cabinet roles under premiers Gary Doer and Greg Selinger. He is the author of Stories Best Left Untold: Tales from a Manitoba legislator, and currently teaches political science at the University of Winnipeg.