FEDERAL BYELECTIONS

NDP leader’s fate to be determined in one of three races across the country,

The stakes are high for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a Metro Vancouver byelection race, but an expert says recent Liberal turmoil has been a “gift” to his campaign.

The 40-year-old former Ontario legislator has lacked a voice in Parliament since becoming party leader in the fall of 2017.

Now he finally has his chance in Burnaby South as voters in the riding cast their ballots on Monday after a six-week race.

The Liberals got off to a rocky start when their first candidate, Karen Wang, resigned after pointing out Singh’s ethnicity online.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been besieged by allegations his office pressured former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

Trudeau has denied he or his office directed Wilson-Raybould on the matter.

Michael Wernick, clerk of the Privy Council, recently said Trudeau repeatedly assured Wilson-Raybould a decision on the prosecution was hers alone to make.

Richard T. Lee, the Liberal candidate who replaced Wang in Burnaby South, said few people are raising the issue on the doorstep.

Byelections typically have low turnouts, but there is evidence the results of them are driven by the popularity of the government and its leader, said Richard Johnston, a University of British Columbia political science professor.

“(Singh) may have been handed the gift of some voters as a result of all this,” he said.

“Although it’s just one thing amongst many, boy, he could use a win right now.”

Singh has faced criticism for poor fundraising and low poll numbers.

Burnaby South occupies historically strong NDP territory, so if Singh can’t win in the riding, it adds to the interpretation that he hasn’t secured the support of party loyalists, Johnston said.

Lee said local issues, especially affordable housing, are more important to Burnaby South voters than the situation in Ottawa.

He has touted the Liberal government’s national housing strategy, which promises $40 billion over 10 years, while Conservative candidate Jay Shin has called for lower taxes and job-creation measures to help residents earn and save more money.

Singh has unveiled a plan to build 500,000 affordable homes across Canada. He challenged Trudeau to eliminate the GST for developers building affordable homes, subsidize low-income renters and double the first-time homebuyers’ tax credit.

Byelections will also take place in York-Simcoe and Outremont in Montreal on Monday.

The results might provide insight into whether Quebec MP Maxime Bernier’s new rightwing People’s Party of Canada can snatch votes from the Conservatives.

BYELECTION: For full coverage and results, see thestar.com