Wynne slammed for plan to leave Toronto seat empty

Downtown riding will be left without representative after Glen Murray’s resignation

When Liberal MPP Glen Murray rides off into the sunset Sept. 1, residents of Toronto Centre will go without a representative at Queen’s Park for more than nine months.

That’s because Premier Kathleen Wynne has opted not to call a byelection since there will be a provincial election on June 7, 2018.

By law, Wynne is allowed to do that, but NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said it is unfair to those living in the downtown riding and “extremely inappropriate.”

“It’s quite shocking that the people of Toronto Centre will be without an MPP for nine months. I think that’s quite shocking and I’m surprised,” Horwath said Thursday.

“The premier is prepared to allow that riding to be without representation here in the legislature for two more sessions. The end of this year and then the spring of next year,” she said.

Murray announced his resignation from cabinet on July 31to take a new post as executive director of the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based environmental think tank. His tenure as an MPP ends Sept. 1.

Wynne defended her decision, noting “there’s a significant cost associated with running a byelection” — as much as $500,000.

“There will continue to be a community office in place. There will continue to be service to the residents and the constituents of Toronto Centre ... but I think it is only responsible that we not — so close to an election — incur the cost of a byelection,” she said two weeks ago.

“We’re moving into that period well within a year of a general election and historically, there has been a practice when you get that close it’s not necessarily responsible to call a byelection. So, we won’t be doing that.” Under provincial law, a byelection must be called within six months of a vacancy unless an election is imminent. But the premier’s decision to forego a byelection was surprising since Toronto Centre is considered a safe Liberal seat provincially and federally, where Finance Minister Bill Morneau is the MP. One senior Toronto Liberal, speaking on background in order to discuss internal party machinations, expressed astonishment that Wynne would cede the political advantage in a key riding. “It is not smart to leave territory open,” the person said, warning the NDP, the traditional runner-up in Toronto Centre, could exploit the vacuum there. “Toronto Centre can be an energy and money source — not a cost (for the Liberals),” the insider said.