The Liberal candidates suffered embarrassing defeats Monday night as voters in Newfoundland and Windsor, Ont., delivered a slap to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's casual expectation of electoral success.

Mr. Chrétien didn't even bother to campaign in local ridings, and was out of the country Monday night when voters delivered their midterm judgment. His reputation as a political grand master has suffered a bit of a dent.

In Gander-Grand Falls, Mr. Tulk, who had served briefly as Newfoundland premier and is a major Chrétien loyalist, lost in a shocker to Progressive Conservative candidate Rex Barnes, 49, a town councillor and paramedic.

The riding had been held for 28 years by former federal Atlantic development minister George Baker, who was appointed to the Senate earlier this spring, and few had expected it to change hands.

The big rap against Mr. Tulk is that he was a parachute candidate, handpicked by Mr. Chrétien to run in a riding that was not his home — no small oversight when trying to woo rural voters fiercely loyal to their community. Source.

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