What to know
- Prime Minister Mark Carney has called six federal byelections for Dec. 7, including two in Ontario: Scarborough North and Brantford—Brant South.
- Scarborough North was vacated by former Liberal MP Shaun Chen, while Brantford—Brant South was previously held by Conservative Larry Brock.
- Three of the six races are in Quebec, with the final contest in Yorkton—Melville, Sask.
- The Liberals currently hold a narrow majority, so wins would give Carney more breathing room in the House.Advance voting runs from Nov. 27 to 30, with election day set for Dec. 7.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has called six federal byelections for Dec. 7, setting up a pre-holiday test for a Liberal government holding one of the narrowest possible majorities in the House of Commons.
The races will take place across Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, Elections Canada confirmed Sunday.
Two seats are up for grabs in Ontario: Scarborough North and Brantford—Brant South. Quebec will hold three votes in Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. Yorkton—Melville is the lone Saskatchewan contest.
The six vacancies were previously split across four parties, making the night more than a simple defence exercise for the Liberals.
Why the byelections matter for Carney
The Liberals currently hold 173 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons, according to current parliamentary standings.
That is enough for a majority, even if the party loses every one of the six vacant seats.
But winning additional ridings would give Carney more breathing room on close votes — and offer another indication of where voters stand following a Liberal sweep of three federal byelections earlier this year.
The Conservatives currently hold 137 seats, followed by the Bloc Québécois with 21, the NDP with five and the Greens with one. Six seats are vacant.
Ontario races include a Toronto seat
Scarborough North became vacant after longtime Liberal MP Shaun Chen stepped down in August, citing health concerns.
The Liberals are running former Toronto District School Board trustee James Li in the riding. The Conservatives and NDP had not announced candidates as of Sunday morning.
Brantford—Brant South, meanwhile, was previously held by Conservative Larry Brock, who resigned in September to return to work as a Crown prosecutor.
That race could prove more complicated for the Conservatives.
The party appointed former Brantford mayor Kevin Davis as its candidate, while longtime Conservative Dave Carroll is running as an independent after the local nomination process became a source of tension.
The Liberals are running Joy O’Donnell, president of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant.
Three Quebec seats are also up for grabs
Quebec accounts for half of the Dec. 7 races.
Laurier—Sainte-Marie was previously held by Liberal former environment minister Steven Guilbeault. The Liberals are running former Desjardins CEO Guy Cormier there.
Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie had been represented by longtime NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice, while Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton was held by the Bloc Québécois.
That gives the Liberals opportunities to gain seats from both opposition parties while defending one of their own.
In Saskatchewan, voters in Yorkton—Melville will replace former Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall, who stepped down at the end of August.
Liberal candidate Aaron Kienle and Conservative Nelson Pohl are among those running.
Elections Canada says advance voting will run from Nov. 27 to Nov. 30. Voters can also cast special ballots before Dec. 1, with election day set for Monday, Dec. 7.
