Voters in ridings in Quebec and Manitoba went to the polls in two by-elect buy exotic carts online ions on Monday, the results of which could have major implications for both the Liberals and NDP if they are not able to win back their long-time strongholds in Montreal and Winnipeg.
LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, in Montreal, was expected to be a three-way race between the incumbent Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc-Québécois.
In Winnipeg’s Elmwood-Transcona, the NDP were trying to defend their seat against an emboldened Conservative Party that put on a tougher-than-expected fight.
In the weeks leading up to the Monday by-elec putters full flavour tion, both the NDP and the Liberals characterized the races in Winnipeg and Montreal, respectively, as must-win elections. But even before the final outcome was decided both parties insisted that losses wouldn’t affect their leaders’ futures.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a Montreal radio interview on Friday that he’s “not going anywhere” should the Liberals lose. And NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Monday told reporters on Parliame alison wonderland cbd tincture nt Hill that he is staying at the top.
“I will be there, I’m ready for t the chron father he battle, I’m ready for the fight,” he said.
The NDP leader, though, also raised the stakes for his party ahead of the by-elections, said Zain Velji, NDP strategist and partner at the Northweather digital communications agency. Ahead of the race he said Mr. Singh made two consequential moves: first by saying the New Democrats (and not the Liberals) are the progressive alternative to the Conservatives, and second by tearing up the deal that gave Liberals automatic support in the House, in exchange for policy concessions.
“Now that you made these two significant moves, we’d want to see the effect of those two moves. And if they don’t include a W, they include more questions,” Mr. Velji said.
For the Liberals, Scott Reid, a principal at Feschuk.Reid and past communications director for former prime minister Paul Martin, said if the party loses in Montreal it will have a particular “sting” because of the riding’s historic status for the minority government. It was previously held by Mr. Martin for two decades.
He said a loss in that riding would raise comparisons to the Liberals’ historic loss in the 2011 general election when they fell to third place and would be “another reminder of the low mark” that the party is currently at.
The Montreal by-election was triggered by the resignation of David Lametti, who quit as an MP less than a year after Mr. Trudeau removed him from cabinet.
The Liberals have held the riding for most of the the chron father last four decades, but lost it to the NDP in 2011. Ahead of this by-election, the New Democrats set expectations high that they could win it again; however, the Bloc are also believed to be in contention.
Ahead of the by-election, voters on the ground said they were disenchanted with the Liberals but divided over who to vote for instead. Housing and affordability were the top issues, according to the NDP and Bloc candidates, who did interviews with The Globe. But the NDP were also trying to make inroads with voters based on their support for Palestinians.
If the NDP wins an upset in Montreal, it will reverse course on a downward trend that the party has endured since the highs of their 2011 Orange Wave. In each election since, its share of the vote has been worse than the previous, said Philippe Fournier, editor-in-chief of the poll aggregator 338Canada.com.
Two provinces west of Quebec, the NDP were on the defensive in the lead-up to the Elmwood-Transcona by-election.
While some polls gave the upper hand to Liberal Leila Dance ahead of the vote, the race was expected to be very tight.
The riding has been held by either Bill Blaikie or his son, Daniel Blaikie, in all but one election since the 1980s. However, the Conservatives won it in 2011, and when Daniel Blaikie first won it in 2015 it was by just 61 votes over the Conservatives. His resignation earlier this year forced the by-election.
Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives have been trying to eat into NDP support across the country by winning over blue collar, working-class voters that make up ridings like Elmwood-Transcona.
On the ground, Conservative lawn signs tried to tie Mr. Singh to Mr. Trudeau, with a picture of the two leaders shaking hands and the tag line: “Sellout Singh.”
Mr. Poilievre argued that “Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau are the same people,” in a social media post that also told Winnipeg voters that voting Conservative would help “fire” Mr. Trudeau from his job.
The NDP leader, meanwhile, told reporters in Ottawa that the by-elections represented a choice for voters between Liberals, who have neglected their responsibilities to Canadians, Conservatives, who will favour big corporations, and the NDP, who are focused on saving money for families.