Opinion
Voters will return politicians to sender if backs turned on rural Canada
By Brenda McAuley August 28, 2019
All federal candidates should remember the history of election outcomes when rural postal service is threatened with cuts.
Despite the present government putting a halt to the reduction of operating hours at rural post offices, Canada’s rural communities continue to experience the threat of closures and the downgrading of service when a Postmaster retires or a post office building comes up for lease, writes Brenda McAuley. Photograph courtesy of Canada Post
Compared to vote-rich urban Canada, rural ridings can seem unappealing to federal candidates. Due to their sparser demographics, they are tougher and more resource-intensive to campaign in. Rural ridings often resist change, sticking to traditional voting patterns (which favour the Conservatives). Priorities and issues for rural residents may differ greatly from their urban counterparts, which is sometimes difficult for urban-based politicians to wrap their heads around.
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