Mississauga-Lakeshore byelection a chance to ‘try something new’ says candidate
Posted December 11, 2022 6:19 pm.
Last Updated December 11, 2022 6:30 pm.
A federal byelection Monday in Ontario will be the first time Canadians get a chance to vote for the Conservatives since Pierre Poilievre became party leader.
Voters in Mississauga-Lakeshore, a riding in the Greater Toronto Area, are going to the polls after former Liberal MP Sven Spengemann announced his resignation in order to take a job at the United Nations.
There are a record 40 names on the ballot, the highest number of candidates to run in any electoral district in a federal election or by-election. Due to the large number of candidates, Elections Canada has had to adjust the traditional ballot by using a two-column design instead.
Running for the Liberals is Charles Sousa, a former Ontario Liberal finance minister who represented Mississauga South in the provincial legislature.
“People just want respect, they don’t really care about the in-fighting and the toxic nature that politics seems to have brought recently,” says Sousa. “I grew up in the community, I’ve been in the private sector for many years, 30 years prior to politics. So, I understand the engagement that people have every day and the struggles that they face.”
Ron Chhinzer, a police officer in the area, is the Tory candidate and party insiders are keeping expectations of winning low. They cite an expected low voter turnout given the byelection is just two weeks before Christmas. CityNews reached out to Chhinzer for an interview, but he did not get back to us in time for publication.
RELATED: What could an Ontario byelection say about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre?
While many may be keeping a close eye on the number of Conservative ballots, some experts do not believe this byelection will set the pace for future elections.
“I don’t think the ‘Poilievre election factor’ is going to be much of a factor,” says political science expert Nelson Wiseman. “I think it helps the Conservatives that they now have a leader, but I find it revealing that (Poilievre) doesn’t seem to have spent much time campaigning very publicly and openly for the Conservative candidate in the riding.”
Julia Kole, a former provincial constituency assistant is the NDP candidate.
“Byelections are amazing opportunities to try something new, to deviate away from the status quo, and to really look at the person rather than the party,” says Kole. “This one seat isn’t going to change anything on the grand landscape of Canada, but it will send a message.”
Mary Kidnew, a lifelong Mississauga resident, is representing the federal Greens.
“I saw a calling to step up and serve my community in a better way,” says Kidnew.
Elections Canada estimates just over 9,000 people in the Mississauga-Lakeshore riding cast a ballot during advanced polls earlier this month.
“Some people think that the holiday season is going to impact turnout, I am not one of those,” says Wiseman. “I think a much bigger impact will be weather. I mean, today we got all this snow in the GTA.”
Polls will be open for 12 hours on Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
