The provincial government finally announced two long-awaited byelections Thursday for the under-fire Liberal strongholds of Chilliwack-Hope and Port Moody-Coquitlam.
The byelections provide the first opportunity for opposition parties to test the most recent Ipsos-Reid polling results, which suggest the NDP has 44 per cent of the popular vote, well ahead of the incumbent Liberals at 32 per cent and the B.C. Conservatives at 16 per cent.
“The obvious thing is these are an enormous challenge and test to the Liberal party,” Simon Fraser University public policy Prof. Doug McArthur said.
The B.C. Conservatives will run candidates in both electoral districts, which could split the Liberal vote to the benefit of the NDP, McArthur said.
“That would be a huge blow to Liberal fortunes, not just in terms of the impression it creates, but interpreted within the Liberal party as a damning of the current leader,” McArthur said.
Christine Clarke, Conservative candidate for Port Moody-Coquitlam, said she expects to run a strong campaign against the Liberals’ Dennis Marsden and former Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini with the NDP.
“We are the party that doesn’t represent special-interest groups,” said Clarke. “Mr. Trasolini — who, up until the eleventh hour, was running for the Liberals — does he know what he stands for?”
Trasolini said he still regards himself as the underdog, despite the tendency of opposition parties to win byelection seats.
“This has been a stronghold for the Liberals since 1996,” Trasolini said, adding he will focus on affordability.
Residents in both byelection districts had expressed mounting frustration at a lack of representation after Liberal MLAs Barry Penner and Iain Black left to pursue private-sector positions.
Premier Christy Clark became the first government candidate in 30 years to win a byelection with her success in Vancouver-Point Grey last May.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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