Liberals, NDP to wage battle for Rae’s riding
Grits say they need clear-cut wins in Toronto and Montreal ridings to prove party’s strength
Expect the battle for Bob Rae’s Toronto Centre riding to be fierce: It’s a microcosm of a full-blown war that the federal Liberals and New Democrats are about to wage.
With Rae’s announcement this week that he will step down as an MP, two apparently solid Liberal ridings — his, and the Montreal riding of Bourassa, where Liberal Denis Coderre also recently stepped aside — will be at stake.
The third-party Liberals admit anything less than a clear-cut victory in both contests would be a blow to the party’s momentum heading into the 2015 federal election.
“If we lose them, people are going to say the Liberals are fading away,” said Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis. “We’ve got to hold them at all costs. the New Democrats.
Among the names already bandied about for the orange team: former MuchMusic VJ Jennifer Hollett, homelessness and transgender activist Susan Grapka and longtime New Democrat, union rep and lawyer Susan Wallace, who ran for the party against Rae.
“These are three very strong candidates,” Cifani said. “And it’s great that they’re all women. We’ve had a lot of men in Toronto Centre.”
Still, he doesn’t dismiss the impact a big name like Brian Topp — the former party president and leadership contender — or Mike Layton — the Toronto city councillor and son of Jack Layton — can have.
While Layton couldn’t be reached for comment, Topp confirmed in an email that he would not seek nomination in Toronto Centre or the Montreal riding of Bourassa.
But Topp said his party has “an excellent chance” in both ridings.
“Toronto Centre has been a heartbreaker for us. Jack Layton ran there unsuccessfully in the past, but we made a remarkable advance in May 2011. As we did … in Montreal. Those are gains we can build from to give the Liberals a run for their money in these core Liberal seats.”
Cifani said the search for a candidate has begun and he hopes to hold a nomination meeting within the next 30 days. The first election planning meeting is next week.
The Liberals, meanwhile, are cautiously optimistic about holding on to Toronto Centre and Bourassa.
Bourassa will be an important test for both Trudeau and Mulcair as they grapple to win the hearts of Quebecers.
Coderre lost ground to the NDP in 2011 during the Orange Crush, he was still able to win by more than 3,000 votes.
Toronto Centre will likely be the bigger fight and an important gauge of newly elected leader Justin Trudeau’s appeal with voters in Toronto and its suburbs, where the Conservatives made a breakthrough in 2011.
A number of names have already surfaced as potential Liberal candidates, including former CTV Canada AM host Seamus O’Regan; Zach Paikin, son of respected political show host Steve Paikin; and former Ontario minister George Smitherman.