By-elections to the 43rd Canadian Parliament

Last updated

By-elections to the 43rd Canadian Parliament
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg

By-elections to the 43rd Canadian Parliament were held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons of Canada between the 2019 federal election and the 2021 federal election. The 43rd Canadian Parliament has existed since 2019 with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the Canadian federal election held on October 21, 2019. The Liberal Party of Canada had a minority government during this Parliament.

Contents

Two by-elections were held on October 26, 2020 due to the resignation of Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Liberal, Toronto Centre) on August 17, 2020 to run for Secretary-General of the OECD, [1] and the resignation of Michael Levitt (Liberal, York Centre) effective September 1, 2020 to become the President and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies. [2]

A third by-election was pending in the riding of Haldimand—Norfolk following the resignation of Conservative MP Diane Finley on May 20, 2021, but was cancelled due to the 2021 Canadian federal election being called for September 20, 2021. [3]

The writ for a by-election must be dropped no sooner than 11 days and no later than 180 days after the Chief Electoral Officer is officially notified of a vacancy via a warrant issued by the Speaker. Under the Canada Elections Act, the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days between dropping the writ and election day. [4]

Overview

By-electionDateIncumbentPartyWinnerPartyCauseRetained
York Centre October 26, 2020 Michael Levitt Liberal Ya'ara Saks Liberal Resigned to become CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust StudiesYes
Toronto Centre October 26, 2020 Bill Morneau Liberal Marci Ien Liberal Resigned to run for Secretary-General of the OECD Yes

October 26, 2020 by-elections

Scheduling

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced both by-elections on Friday September 18, along with Liberal candidates for each riding. [5] Annamie Paul, the newly elected leader of the Green Party and Green candidate for Toronto Centre, called on the government to delay the by-elections, citing increased restrictions on movement and activity in Toronto in light of rising cases of COVID-19. [6] Trudeau rejected changing the schedule, saying that the by-elections have to be held within a certain time period of the seats becoming vacant, and that the pandemic may be worse later in the year. [7] Any changes to by-election dates would be approved by the cabinet, but would have to first be proposed by the independent Chief Electoral Officer. [7] Paul responded by calling on parliament to pass new legislation – proposed by Elections Canada – that would give the agency more flexibility to respond to the pandemic. [8]

Toronto Centre

The riding of Toronto Centre was vacated on August 17, 2020 following the resignation of Liberal MP and Minister of Finance Bill Morneau to seek election as Secretary General of the OECD [1] Morneau had represented the riding since 2015, while the Liberals have held the riding since 1988.

Note: Candidates' names are as registered with Elections Canada. [9]

Canadian federal by-election, October 26, 2020: Toronto Centre
Resignation of Bill Morneau
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Marci Ien 10,57941.98–15.39
Green Annamie Paul 8,25032.73+25.66
New Democratic Brian Chang4,28016.98–5.29
Conservative Benjamin Gauri Sharma1,4355.69–6.44
People's Baljit Bawa2711.08–
Libertarian Keith Komar1350.54–
Independent Kevin Clarke 1230.49–
Free Party CanadaDwayne Cappelletti740.29–
No affiliationAbove Znoneofthe560.22–
Total valid votes/Expense limit25,203  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout25,20330.96-35.12
Eligible voters81,400
Liberal hold Swing -20.53

York Centre

The riding of York Centre became vacant on September 1, 2020, when Liberal MP Michael Levitt resigned to become the president and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies. [2] The riding had been held by Levitt since 2015, when he won the riding from Conservative incumbent Mark Adler.

By September 7, five candidates had launched their campaigns for the Liberal nomination including 2019 Thornhill candidate Gary Gladstone, former chief fundraiser of the provincial Ontario Liberal Fund, Bobby Walman, as well as former Canadian Jewish News editor Yoni Goldstein. [10] It was announced on September 17 that communications specialist Ya'ara Saks would be appointed as the Liberal candidate. [11]

Rumoured candidates for the Conservative nomination included 2019 candidate Rachel Willson, York Centre MPP Roman Baber, and former parliamentary staffer Melissa Lantsman; they all declined. [12] [13] [14] Wilson announced on September 18 that she would not be running.[ citation needed ] The Conservatives ultimately nominated Julius Tiangson, who previously ran for the party in Mississauga Centre in 2015. [15]

The NDP candidate, Andrea Vásquez Jiménez, [16] previously ran for the seat in the 2019 election.

People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier said he intended to run in either the Toronto Centre or York Centre by-election. [17] Bernier decided he would run in York Centre when the by-elections were announced. [18]

Perennial candidate John "The Engineer" Turmel registered as an Independent candidate. [16]

The Speaker's warrant regarding the vacancy was received on September 1, 2020; under the Parliament of Canada Act the writ for a by-election had to be dropped no later than February 28, 2021, 180 days after the Chief Electoral Officer was officially notified of the vacancy via a warrant issued by the Speaker. [19] Under the Canada Elections Act, the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days between dropping the writ and election day. [19]

Note: Candidates' names are as registered with Elections Canada. [16]

Canadian federal by-election, October 26, 2020: York Centre
Resignation of Michael Levitt
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Ya'ara Saks 8,25345.70−4.50
Conservative Julius Tiangson7,55241.82+5.11
New Democratic Andrea Vásquez Jiménez1,0465.79−4.05
People's Max Bernier 6423.56–
Green Sasha Zavarella4612.55−0.7
Independent John The Engineer Turmel 1040.58–
Total valid votes/Expense limit 18,058
Total rejected ballots
Turnout18,058 25.64 −36.12
Eligible voters 70,434
Liberal hold Swing −4.81

Cancelled by-election

Haldimand—Norfolk

The riding of Haldimand—Norfolk had been vacant effective May 20, 2021 following the resignation of Conservative MP Diane Finley announced on May 11, 2021. [3] The riding had been held by Finley since it was created in 2004.

The date of the by-election had to be announced between May 31, 2021 and November 16, 2021. [20] However, the by-election was cancelled and replaced by the federal election which was called on August 15 to be held on September 20. [21]

Prior to Finley's resignation, lawyer and 2020 Conservative leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis had been nominated as the party's candidate in the constituency for the next federal election, [22] while Karen Matthews had been nominated as the Liberal candidate. [23]

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Centre (federal electoral district)</span> Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

    Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto (1872–1903), Toronto Centre, Rosedale (1935–1997), and Toronto Centre—Rosedale (1997–2004).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Diane Finley</span> Canadian politician

    Diane Finley is a former Canadian politician. From 2006 through 2015, she served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Her ministerial portfolios included Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or CMHC, and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. She was a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Haldimand—Norfolk for the Conservative Party from 2004 to 2021. In August 2020, she announced that she would not be running in the 2021 Canadian federal election. She resigned from office on May 11, 2021.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Marci Ien</span> Canadian politician and journalist

    Marci Ien is a Canadian politician serving as the minister for women and gender equality and youth since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, Ien represents Toronto Centre in the House of Commons. Previously, she was a broadcast journalist for CTV. She co-hosted the CTV daytime talk show The Social from 2017 until 2020. Previously, she was a reporter for CTV News and a co-anchor on the CTV morning program Canada AM. As a child she appeared regularly on the Christian children's show Circle Square.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">By-elections to the 39th Canadian Parliament</span> 2006–2008 elections for vacant seats

    By-elections to the 39th Canadian Parliament were held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons of Canada between the 2006 federal election and the 2008 federal election. The Conservative Party of Canada led a minority government for the entirety of the 39th Canadian Parliament, although their seat total increased as a result of by-election results.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">By-elections to the 41st Canadian Parliament</span> 2011–2015 elections for vacant seats

    By-elections to the 41st Canadian Parliament were held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons of Canada between the 2011 federal election and the 2015 federal election. The 41st Canadian Parliament existed from 2011 to 2015 with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the Canadian federal election held on May 2, 2011. The Conservative Party of Canada had a majority government during this Parliament.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Canadian federal election</span>

    The 2019 Canadian federal election was held on October 21, 2019. Members of the House of Commons were elected to the 43rd Canadian Parliament. In keeping with the maximum four-year term under a 2007 amendment to the Canada Elections Act, the writs of election for the 2019 election were issued by Governor General Julie Payette on September 11, 2019.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">By-elections to the 42nd Canadian Parliament</span> 2015–2019 elections for vacant seats

    By-elections to the 42nd Canadian Parliament were held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons of Canada between the 2015 and the 2019 federal elections. The 42nd Canadian Parliament existed from 2015 to 2019 with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the Canadian federal election held on October 19, 2015. The Liberal Party of Canada had a majority government during this Parliament.

    The People's Party of Canada is a federal political party in Canada. The party was formed by Maxime Bernier in September 2018, shortly after his resignation from the Conservative Party of Canada. It is placed on the right to the far-right of the political spectrum.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">43rd Canadian Parliament</span> Parliamentary term of the Parliament of Canada

    The 43rd Canadian Parliament was in session from December 5, 2019, to August 15, 2021, with the membership of its Lower House, the House of Commons of Canada, having been determined by the results of the 2019 federal election held on October 21, 2019. Parliament officially resumed on December 5, 2019, with the election of a new Speaker, Anthony Rota, followed by a speech from the throne the following day. On August 15, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advised Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and issue the writ of election, leading to a 5-week election campaign period for the 2021 federal election.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Canadian federal election</span>

    The 2021 Canadian federal election was held on September 20, 2021, to elect members of the House of Commons to the 44th Canadian Parliament. The writs of election were issued by Governor General Mary Simon on August 15, 2021, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requested the dissolution of parliament for a snap election.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslyn Lewis</span> Canadian lawyer and politician

    Leslyn Lewis is a Canadian lawyer and politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Haldimand—Norfolk since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, Lewis contested the party leadership in the 2020 leadership election, placing third. She was the first visible minority woman to run for the federal Conservative Party leadership. She is known for her socially conservative views.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Annamie Paul</span> Activist, lawyer, and former Green Party of Canada leader

    Annamie Paul is a Canadian activist, lawyer, and former politician who served as the leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2020 to 2021. She was the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to be elected leader of a federal party in Canada.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Toronto Centre federal by-election</span>

    A by-election was held in the federal riding of Toronto Centre in Ontario on October 26, 2020, following the resignation of incumbent Liberal MP and Minister of Finance Bill Morneau. After 5 years in Parliament, and as many years as finance minister, Morneau resigned both positions on August 17, 2020, to seek the position of secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in the wake of the WE Charity scandal.

    A by-election was held in the federal riding of York Centre in Ontario on October 26, 2020 following the resignation of incumbent Liberal MP Michael Levitt after 5 years in Parliament. The seat was held for the Liberals by businesswoman Ya'ara Saks, albeit on a much reduced majority. People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier ran in this election to attempt to gain his party's first seat in Parliament, to little success, winning just several hundred votes.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Scarborough—Agincourt federal by-election</span>

    A by-election was held in the federal riding of Scarborough—Agincourt in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario on December 11, 2017 following the death of Liberal MP Arnold Chan. The seat was held for the Liberals by Jean Yip.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Canadian federal election</span> Next general election in Canada

    The 45th Canadian federal election will take place on or before October 20, 2025, to elect members of the House of Commons to the 45th Canadian Parliament. The date of the vote is determined by the fixed-date provisions of the Canada Elections Act, which requires federal elections to be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year after the polling day of the previous election, though a current government bill proposes to postpone the date to October 27, 2025 to avoid conflicting with Diwali. In addition to the statutory fixed election date provisions, Canada has a constitutional requirement specified in both section 50 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and section 4 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that elections for the House of Commons must be called no more than five years after the writs for the preceding election are returned.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Lantsman</span> Canadian politician (born 1984)

    Melissa Lantsman is a Canadian politician and public relations executive who serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Thornhill since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, she is the party's co-deputy leader and the co-deputy leader of the Official Opposition, serving with Tim Uppal. Lantsman is the first openly gay and first Jewish woman ever elected as a Conservative MP. Upon Pierre Poilievre's election as Conservative Leader, he named Lantsman one of two deputy leaders along with Uppal.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Markham—Thornhill federal by-election</span>

    A by-election was held in the federal riding of Markham—Thornhill in Ontario, Canada on 3 April 2017 following the resignation of Liberal MP and Minister of Immigration John McCallum, who was appointed to a diplomatic post. The seat was held by the Liberal candidate Mary Ng on a reduced majority.

    By-elections to the 44th Canadian Parliament may be held to fill vacancies in the House of Commons of Canada between the 2021 federal election and the 45th federal election. The 44th Canadian Parliament has existed since 2021 with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 44th Canadian federal election held on September 20, 2021. The Liberal Party of Canada has a minority government during this Parliament, supported by the New Democratic Party in a confidence-and-supply agreement. The Conservative Party of Canada forms the Official Opposition.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Toronto—St. Paul's federal by-election</span> Federal by-election in Ontario, Canada

    A by-election was held in the federal riding of Toronto—St. Paul's in Ontario, Canada on June 24, 2024, following the resignation of incumbent Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett.

    References

    1. 1 2 Zimonjic, Peter; Cochrane, David (August 17, 2020). "Bill Morneau resigns as finance minister and MP, will seek to head up OECD". CBC News . Retrieved August 18, 2020.
    2. 1 2 "Toronto Liberal MP resigns to helm Jewish human rights organization". CBC News . August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
    3. 1 2 "Veteran Conservative MP Diane Finley resigns seat in House of Commons". CTV News. May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
    4. ↑ "Journalists vying for seat in Commons shows politics changing: Spector". The Hill Times. August 12, 2013. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
    5. ↑ Gilmore, Rachel (September 18, 2020). "PM Trudeau announces two Toronto-area byelections to be held Oct. 26". CTVNews. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
    6. ↑ Staff writer (October 11, 2020). "Green Party's Annamie Paul calls for suspension of Toronto by-elections". NOW Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
    7. 1 2 Rabson, Mia (October 9, 2020). "Byelections being held now because pandemic risks could get worse: Trudeau". CBC News . The Canadian Press . Retrieved October 9, 2020.
    8. ↑ Alhmidi, Maan (October 13, 2020). "New law needed to allow safe byelections in COVID-19 pandemic: Greens' Annamie Paul". CTVNews. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
    9. ↑ Final list will be available on 7 October. "List of candidates - Toronto Centre (Ontario)". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
    10. ↑ "Saks and Gladstone entering hotly contested Liberal nomination race in York Centre". The Hill Times. September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
    11. ↑ Gilmore, Rachel (September 17, 2020). "Broadcast journalist Marci Ien will be Liberal nomination in Morneau's former riding". CTV News. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
    12. ↑ Rana, Abbas (August 31, 2020). "Ontario MPP Baber, former senior staffer Lantsman, and former candidate Willson said to be eyeing Conservative nomination in York Centre". The Hill Times. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
    13. ↑ Baber, Roman [@Roman_Baber] (September 1, 2020). "(1/3) I'm grateful for the support received in the last day. Despite media speculation, I am not eyeing a Federal nomination at this time" (Tweet). Retrieved September 6, 2020– via Twitter.
    14. ↑ Lantsman, Melissa [@MelissaLantsman] (September 3, 2020). "Thanks 🙏 for all of the love. This ⬇️ is a big decision and for me, it's not the right time" (Tweet). Retrieved September 6, 2020– via Twitter.
    15. ↑ Conservative Party [@CPC_HQ] (September 23, 2020). "Congrats to Ryan Lester & Julius Tiangson on their nominations in the by-elections for Toronto Centre & York Centre" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2020– via Twitter.
    16. 1 2 3 Final list will be available on 7 October. "List of candidates - York Centre (Ontario)". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
    17. ↑ "Maxime Bernier plans to run in a Toronto-area byelection". iPolitics. September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
    18. ↑ Benzie, Robert (September 18, 2020). "Maxime Bernier, Marci Ien running in two Toronto byelections called for Oct. 26". Welland Tribune . Retrieved September 19, 2020.
    19. 1 2 "Vacant Seats in the House of Commons Since the 2019 General Election". Elections Canada . Retrieved September 1, 2020.
    20. ↑ Grenier, Eric (May 13, 2021). "How a vacancy in a safe Conservative seat could mean headaches for Erin O'Toole". CBC News. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
    21. ↑ Aiello, Rachel (August 15, 2021). "Trudeau calls federal election, voters to go to the polls Sept. 20". CTV News. Bell Media. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
    22. ↑ Hristova, Bobby (October 16, 2020). "Leslyn Lewis acclaimed in Haldimand-Norfolk after local entrepreneur denied candidacy". CBC News. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
    23. ↑ "Karen Matthews acclaimed federal Liberal candidate for Haldimand Norfolk". The Haldimand Press. March 25, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.