Four federal by-elections to be hold tomorrow should give Canadians a good idea of Canada's political temperature, as voters in three provinces (British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia) will have the opportunity to elect new Members of Parliament.
The British Columbia riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam is going to be an interesting battle, as British Columbia has chosen to adopt the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax). The riding had long been held by veteran NDP member Dawn Black, who resigned in April to run in the provincial election in British Columbia. NDP candidate Fin Donnelly has made the HST a hot-button issue in the campaign.
Meanwhile, the Quebec riding of Montmagny-L'Islet-Kamouraska-Riviere-du-Loup has been without a representative since the Bloc Quebecois' Paul Crete stepeed down in May to run in a provincial by-election.
The district, which has the highest percentage of francophone people and the most Catholics of any riding in the country, but could be primed for a Conservative upset. Bernard Genereux, who was the popular mayor of a town in the riding until he announced his candidacy for the Conservative Party of Canada, has been in a dead heat with Bloc Quebecois candidate Nancy Gagnon.
A Conservative victory in the riding would be kick-ass for the party, and would increase their Quebec seats from 10 to 11.
In Montreal, Bloc Quebecois Candidate, former provincial cabinet minister Daniel Paille, is widely expected to win the riding of Hochelaga. That riding had been held by Bloc Quebecois MP Real Menard since 1993, until he resigned this year to run in Montreal's municipal elections.
Finally, on the east coast, Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley voters are widely expected to elect Conservative Scott Armstrong, as the party has had support in the central Nova Scotia riding for decades. Independent MP Bill Casey had held the seat for as much of the past two decades as a Conservative before being dismissed from the caucus for voting against the Government of Canada's 2007 budget. He vacated his office in April to accept a position as a representative of the Nova Scotia government (now run by the NDP) in Ottawa.
Four federal by-elections to be hold tomorrow should give Canadians a good idea of Canada's political temperature, as voters in three provinces (British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia) will have the opportunity to elect new Members of Parliament.
Post a Comment