Canadian by-elections, 2017 (next event: Calgary-Lougheed, AB prov.: Dec 14)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[RogueBeaver]

Markham-Thornhill: Mary Ng is the next MP.

[RogueBeaver]

Sault Ste. Marie: councilor Matthew Shoemaker won't run for Team Wynne.

[Hatman 🍁]

Looking more and more like a PC-NDP race.

[lilTommy]

Looking more and more like a PC-NDP race.

With Hydro being 'UGE in the North, more so then southern/urban Ontario and the PCs having no plan... this is feels more advantage NDP, but, it is the Soo so anything can happen (the riding tends to buck trends, 95 the NDP vote increased as the party went down in flames to Harris, and 2011 federally the NDP MP was defeated by the CPC during the Orange Crush)

[RogueBeaver]

Gouin: confirmed that GND will be the QS candidate and he'll also run to be co-spox.

[RogueBeaver]

Saint-Laurent: James lost the nomination to a local schoolteacher. She also came a distant 3rd. SAD! (which is why you appoint)

[DC Al Fine]

Saint-Laurent: James lost the nomination to a local schoolteacher. She also came a distant 3rd. SAD! (which is why you appoint)

Lol

How hard is it for the LPC to sign up instamembers en masse? If they want to rig a nomination, they should do it the old fashioned way.

[Jeppe]

Oh wow, she's probably gonna be in that seat for 40-50 years, considering how young she is and how safe the riding has been for the Liberals.

[Hatman 🍁]

Saint-Laurent: James lost the nomination to a local schoolteacher. She also came a distant 3rd. SAD! (which is why you appoint)

Lol

How hard is it for the LPC to sign up instamembers en masse? If they want to rig a nomination, they should do it the old fashioned way.

yeah, this is just incompetence, or perhaps the Liberals have been feeling the heat on electoral reform, so are trying to avoid any democratic scandals by avoiding meddling in nomination races?

[lilTommy]

Saint-Laurent: James lost the nomination to a local schoolteacher. She also came a distant 3rd. SAD! (which is why you appoint)

Lol

How hard is it for the LPC to sign up instamembers en masse? If they want to rig a nomination, they should do it the old fashioned way.

yeah, this is just incompetence, or perhaps the Liberals have been feeling the heat on electoral reform, so are trying to avoid any democratic scandals by avoiding meddling in nomination races?

They aren't doing a good job at that either then! i.e. Markham-Thornhill's nomination mess

[Poirot]

The Saint-Laurent LPC nomination vote was for the first round:

Rizqy 539
Lambropoulos 431
James 398

And after it was 626 for Lambropoulos to 508. I think they used preferential ballot so I don't know if a candidate can lose vote on the secound round. These are the numbers that were reported.
http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/03/08/la-candidate-liberale-dans-saint-laurent-sera-connue-ce-soir-1

The other candidates are Jimmy Yu who also ran in the last election for the Conservatives. Mathieu Auclair for the NDP. For the Green party it's longtime environmentalist Daniel Green who is deputy leader. William Fayad for the Bloc, he ran previously for the BQ, PQ and for borough mayor of Saint-Laurent with Projer Montréal last municipal election. 

[136or142]

By-election day today.  Polls close in just over an hour.

Taking a look at the candidates.  The Conservatives seem to be doubling down on appealing to their hardcore base.  Four of their five:

1.Bob Benzen, Calgary-Heritage,  spearheaded the “Decade of Excellence” project to thank Stephen Harper for his nearly ten years as our prime minister. The “Decade of Excellence” campaign involved placing print advertisements and billboards across Canada with a public thank you to Mr. Harper from Canadians “coast to coast to coast.” At the 2016 Conservative National Convention in Vancouver, the “Decade of Excellence” display was covered by several media outlets and praised by Conservatives from across the country.

2.Stephanie Kusie, Calgary-Midnapore, Executive Director of Common Sense Calgary, a municipal anti tax organization similar to the so-called Canadian Taxpayer's Federation. To be fair to her though, prior to this was a foreign service officer.  I hope she isn't the next Chris Alexander.

3.Ragevan Paranchothy, Markham-Thornhill, recently discovered to have recently tweeted a number of global warming denial tweets (along the lines of "if the world is warming, why are there more polar bears?")

4.Jimmy Yu, Saint Laurent, In a speech following the announcement, Yu highlighted his immigrant roots and panned the Liberals for authorizing safe injection sites.

"The Liberal government already approved three injection sites, and I will never allow [one] to be in my riding."

And while he wouldn't formally endorse any Conservative leadership candidates, leadership hopeful Kellie Leitch was there to show her support.

Of course, Canadians have a right to vote for whoever they want. But, I don't think these are the sorts of candidates that will expand the Conservative Party base.

In contrast, for instance, the NDP is running several candidates not frequently associated with the NDP:

1.Emilie Taman, Ottawa-Vanier a former federal prosecutor (essentially fired for seeking the NDP nomination for the 2015 election, she's now a law professor.  Personally I can see both sides of whether a a public servant in a non partisan position should be allowed to run politically)

2.Khalis Ahmed, Calgary-Heritage, a professional geologist and senior project manager at Lily Petroleum Ltd.  In his speech at the nomination meeting (on the NDP website) he spoke of the need for building the Energy East Pipeline, but in a way that is environmentally sound.

3.Gregory Hines, Markham-Thornhill, the CEO of DOAHL Academy of Dance (Dance on a Higher Level) Dancing School

[King of Kensington]

I expect these all to be real sleepers.

[Poirot]

John Turmel is a candidate in Ottawa-Vanier.

[2952-0-0]

...with one poll reporting, Cons leading in Markham Thornhill!

[MAINEiac4434]

...with one poll reporting, Cons leading in Markham Thornhill!

tudeau needs to resign right now

[136or142]

...with one poll reporting, Cons leading in Markham Thornhill!

tudeau needs to resign right now

Liberals now lead 124-114.

[MAINEiac4434]

...with one poll reporting, Cons leading in Markham Thornhill!

tudeau needs to resign right now

Liberals now lead 124-114.

liberals are unbeatable

[MAINEiac4434]

In all seriousness the NDP is only at 50 votes in Markham while the Liberals and Tories are approaching 1,000.

[136or142]

John "The Engineer" Turmel has one vote.

[MAINEiac4434]

Progressive Canadian Party is above the Greens in Markham for now. The NDP is not having a good night thus far.

[2952-0-0]

It's telling that while both opposition parties are in leadership races, the Conservatives have held their base while the NDP has crashed to fringe party status.

[136or142]

It's telling that while both opposition parties are in leadership races, the Conservatives have held their base while the NDP has crashed to fringe party status.

Except in Ottawa-Vanier.

[MAINEiac4434]

It's telling that while both opposition parties are in leadership races, the Conservatives have held their base while the NDP has crashed to fringe party status.

Except in Ottawa-Vanier.

Yes, but the NDP is much, much stronger in Ottawa-Vanier than in any of these other ridings.