Liberals hold cards close to chest in Layton’s riding – for now
The Liberals are riding high after the defection of an MP from the rival New Democrats but they are several steps behind the NDP in the only looming contest on their political horizon.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper could at any time call a by-election in the riding of Toronto-Danforth which was left vacant by the death of Jack Layton. He must do so by Feb. 22 – six months after the former NDP leader succumbed to cancer.
On Monday, the New Democrats nominated law professor Craig Scott to run for the seat, which sits empty in the House of Commons. But the Liberals have not yet set a date for their own nomination meeting and, as of Tuesday, had no registered nominees.
“We absolutely do have some candidates who are about to come forward,” Liberal Party president Alf Apps said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I can’t name them but we were waiting for the NDP nomination to get over to see who they picked.”
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