So on Sunday, Justin Trudeau called a by-election.
Just one.
There are four open seats but only one of them had the election called.
That ladies and gentlemen is Justin Trudeau playing games.
An election to try and replace an honourable man.
On December 3, voters in Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, an Ontario riding just south of Ottawa, will pick a new MP.
This is the riding that was formerly held by the late, great Gord Brown.
I’ve been up front, I considered Gord a friend. Not a close one but a friend. We got to know each other through mutual friends rather than politics and he was a good man.
He died suddenly in his Parliament Hill office on May 2 after suffering a heart attack.
The race in this riding will be between Conservative Michael Barrett and Liberal Mary Jean McFall. McFall ran against Brown in the last election and lost. Which mean she got a patronage appointment from Trudeau and was appointed Chief of Staff to the Agriculture Minister.
No conflict of interest there, McFall comes from the family behind Burnbrae Farms, one of the dominant families in the supply management protected egg sector. She was in fact dubbed the Egg Queen by opponents in the last election.
Voters should pick Barrett, a man I’ve gotten to know a bit over the last few years and a man that would make a great MP.
So, how is Trudeau playing games?
Well there are four empty seats and he has only called one of them.
One of the seats that is open is Burnaby South, the riding that Jagmeet Singh wants to run in so he can get a seat in the Commons.
In the past federal party leaders, once they had announced where they were running, were not kept waiting. Previous PMs allowed party leaders to seek a seat as soon as possible.
Pierre Trudeau did that for Brian Mulroney. Mulroney did that for Jean Chretien. Chretien did the same for Stephen Harper.
Singh left cooling his heels.
Jagmeet Singh, who has announced he will run in Burnaby South in British Columbia, has been left waiting.
Trudeau could have easily called all four by-elections at once.
That would have meant Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Burnaby South, Outremont and York Simcoe all called at the same time.
But that wouldn’t benefit the Liberals would it?
See, for Trudeau, it is all about him and his party.
It was just 10 days ago that the Liberals officially nominated McFall as the candidate in Leeds Grenville.
Anyone with any knowledge of the area has known McFall was the candidate from the day the riding became open.
But they waited. And waited.
Then when it was good for the Liberals, they called the election.
In Burnaby South, where NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is ready to run, the Liberals are not quite set.
So Singh gets to cool his jets while the Liberals get themselves ready.
See, for Trudeau, it isn’t about being sporting, it isn’t about the best candidate winning, it is about him and the Liberals dominating.
