Lambton—Kent—Middlesex (provincial electoral district)

Infobox Canada electoral district
name = Lambton—Kent—Middlesex
province = Ontario

---

caption =
prov-status = active
prov-created = 1999
prov-abolished =
prov-election-first = 1999
prov-election-last = 2007
prov-rep = Maria Van Bommel
prov-rep-link =
prov-rep-party = Liberal
prov-rep-party-link = Ontario Liberal Party
demo-census-date = 2006
demo-pop = 107635
demo-electors = 75997
demo-electors-date = 2007
demo-area = 5277
demo-cd = Chatham-Kent, Lambton County, Middlesex County
demo-csd = Lambton Shores, Warwick, Brooke-Alvinston, Dawn-Euphemia, Southwest Middlesex, Newbury, Adelaide-Metcalfe, Strathroy-Caradoc, Oneida 41, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation 42, Walpole Island 46, Chatham-Kent, North Middlesex, Lucan Biddulph, Middlesex Centre:"For the federal district, see Lambton—Kent—Middlesex"

Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is a provincial electoral district in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

It was created in 1999 from parts of Lambton, Chatham—Kent and Middlesex when ridings were redistributed to match their federal counterparts.

From 1999 to 2007 the riding consisted of the municipalities of Lambton Shores, Warwick, Brooke-Alvinston, Dawn-Euphemia, Southwest Middlesex, Newbury, Adelaide-Metcalfe, Strathroy-Caradoc, Oneida 41, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation 42, Plympton-Wyoming, Enniskillen, Petrolia, Oil Springs, Walpole Island 46, Chatham-Kent north of the Thames River and not including the former city of Chatham, and the southwest third of North Middlesex.

In 2007, the riding was redistributed, and it lost Plympton-Wyoming, Enniskillen, Petrolia, Oil Springs while it gained the rest of North Middlesex, Lucan Biddulph and Middlesex Centre.

Considered a bellwether or swing riding, the area tends to attract frequent visits by party leaders during elections. The political instability of the riding is largely attributed to the diversity of political and religious opinion within its borders. A rural riding by nature, the issues of gun control and abortion arise frequently during town-hall meetings and elections. At the same time the largely Liberal areas of Strathroy and Petrolia tend to balance the more conservative rural regions. The New Democratic Party of Ontario (NDP) also has pockets of support in Wallaceburg.

During the 1999 election, the riding attracted controversy as it included Ipperwash Provincial Park - the sight of the 1995 stand-off between the Ontario Provincial Police and native land protesters. Political events in the riding became frequent targets for further protests by natives unhappy with the Conservative Government's handling of the Ipperwash Affair and the associated shooting death of protester Dudley George. Despite the controversy, Progressive Conservative MPP Marcel Beaubien was re-elected to the Ontario Legislature, despite a strong campaign by Liberal and municipal politician Larry O'Neil and an aggressive campaign by New Democrat Jim Lee, then-President of UAW Local 251 [http://www.uaw251.ca] [http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Lambton-Kent-Middlesex&
] .

Members of Provincial Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

#Marcel Beaubien, Progressive Conservative (1999-2003)
#Maria Van Bommel, Liberal (2003-present)

Provincial election results

Election box begin | title=Ontario general election, 2007
-
Maria van Bommel
align="right"|18,191
align="right"|43.2
align="right"
-
Monte McNaughton
align="right"|15,281
align="right"|36.3
align="right"
-
Joyce Jolliffe
align="right"|4,522
align="right"|10.8
align="right"
-
James Armstrong
align="right"|3,326
align="right"|7.9
align="right"|
-
Bill McMaster
align="right"|547
align="right"|1.3
align="right"|
-
Brad Harness
align="right"|208
align="right"|0.5
align="right"|

Election box begin | title=Ontario general election, 2003
-
Maria Van Bommel
align="right"|18,533
align="right"|45.11
align="right"|+2.17
-
Marcel Beaubien
align="right"|15,060
align="right"|36.66
align="right"|-8.34
-
Joyce Jolliffe
align="right"|4,523
align="right"|11.01
align="right"|+1.42
-
Tim Van Bodegom
align="right"|1,133
align="right"|+2.76
-
James Armstrong
align="right"|1,053
align="right"|+2.56
-
Wayne Forbes
align="right"|780
align="right"|1.9
align="right"|-0.58

OntElec5|1999
-
Marcel Beaubien
align="right"|19,561
align="right"|45
-
Larry O'Neill
align="right"|18,665
align="right"|42.94
-
Jim Lee
align="right"|4,170
align="right"|9.59
-
Wayne H. Forbes
align="right"|1,076
align="right"|2.48

External links

* Elections Ontario [http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/results/1999_results/stat_summary.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&
] and [http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/results/2003_results/stat_summary.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&
]