What to know
- Two Toronto ridings, Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, could help determine whether the Liberals secure a majority government.
- Federal by-elections will take place April 13, with advance voting running April 3 to 6 and mail-in applications due April 7.
- The Liberals are currently just two seats short of the 172 needed for a majority, making these races especially significant.
- Both Toronto ridings are considered Liberal strongholds, with polls and experts pointing to likely Liberal wins.
Two Toronto ridings could determine whether the federal Liberals secure a majority government. With by-elections set for two weeks from now, some voters can begin casting their ballots as early as this week.
Three federal by-elections are scheduled for April 13 in the ridings of Terrebonne in Quebec, Scarborough Southwest, and University-Rosedale in Toronto.
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Advance voting will take place from April 3 to 6, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Voters can also vote by mail if they apply by April 7 at 6 p.m.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals are currently two seats short of the 172 needed for a majority government. This follows several MPs crossing the floor in recent months, including Nunavut MP Lori Idlout, who left the NDP to join the Liberal caucus earlier this month.
Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale are considered Liberal strongholds, with experts and recent polls pointing to a likely Liberal victory.
The Scarborough Southwest seat was previously held by former Liberal Party MP Bill Blair, who resigned to become Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in February. Former NDP MPP Doly Begum is running as the Liberal candidate for the riding.
Other candidates in Scarborough Southwest include:
- Diana Filipova – Conservative Party
- Pooja Malhotra – Green Party
- Fatima Shaban – New Democratic Party
In University Rosedale, the by-election was called following the resignation of Chrystia Freeland. Candidates include:
- Danielle Martin – Liberal Party of Canada
- Andrew Massey – Green Party of Canada
- Serena Purdy – New Democratic Party
Before Idlout’s switch, the Liberals would have needed to win all three ridings to secure a majority. With the Nunavut MP now joining Carney, obtaining a majority appears more achievable according to experts.
