Dion visits Montreal riding as byelection looms

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion brought in some high-profile party members to the Montreal riding of Outremont on Saturday, hoping to shore up support ahead of Monday's byelection.

"On Monday we'll have optimistic results. I'm quite confident," he told CTV News.

A recent poll suggested Liberal candidate Jocelyn Coulon is trailing NDP hopeful Thomas Mulcair, a former Quebec environment minister.

An NDP victory would be seen as a serious blow to Dion's leadership, CTV's Craig Oliver reported Saturday.

"It's one of the safest Liberal seats in history," he told Newsnet.

The Liberals have only lost the riding once since 1935. A Progressive Conservative candidate won the seat in 1988, but only served one term.

"It is an important crossroads, because it's the first electoral test of (Dion's) party since he became leader," said Antonia Maioni, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

Dion visited Outremont Saturday morning, and brought along Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden and Justin Trudeau.

He said the Liberals will have to fight hard to keep the riding, but also said a surge in support for the NDP was partly due to frustration with the Conservative government.

"It's clear that the people in Outremont are looking for a way to express their protest against the current government," he said.

"Right wing is not something they want."

Mulcair attributed the jump to NDP Leader Jack Layton's guidance.

"The strong leadership of Jack Layton is one of our strongest suits, and the weakness of Stephane Dion is obviously a problem for the Liberal candidate," he said.

On Friday, a Unimarket-La Presse poll suggested Mulcair had a six percentage-point lead over Coulon.

If Mulcair wins, he would be the first NDP MP from Quebec since consumer advocate Phil Edmonston won a byelection in 1990.

The same poll hinted that the Conservatives could win a byelection in the Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean riding Monday, where voters have traditionally backed the Bloc Quebecois.

The riding is also located in an area where the provincial Action democratique du Quebec made big gains in an election last March. The ADQ is philosophically similar in many ways to the federal Conservatives.

The third riding up for grabs Monday is Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot, where poll numbers suggested the Bloc candidate has the most support.

With reports from CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin and The Canadian Press

Comments are now closed for this story

C VU
said

We put too much ink in these by-elections, don't we? Should we give a damn upon who is going to win? This Parliament is NOT going to survive through this year. Whoever is going to win is just insignificant and irrelevant. Money wasted.

Rob
said

This only shows the bad leader that Dion is and the arrogance of the Liberal party. I can't wait for a TV debate between Dion and Harper. Dion will get slaughtered. Bring on the majority Harper deserves!!

Bob K
said

Thanks Riley for saying what I was thinking. I am also fed up with American bashing and left-wing whining. Harper is the first PM in a long time to do what he promised. Why shouldn't our PM get along with our friends to the south? The last government's approach sure as hades didn't accomplish anything.

Raymond
said

Regarding the daily poll on this topic; Perhaps you could clarify: WHAT leadership skills?

Craig
said

Tim and Michele, did you even read the whole article.

The same poll said that the Conservatives could possibly win the riding of Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean from the BQ.

If this happens, coupled with the numerous seats Conservatives has ripped from the Bloc and Liberals in the 2006 elections, Mr. Harper can definitely claim that support is strengthening in Quebec.

The Conservatives do not have a chance in Outremont because they are fighting the established party (Liberals) and a popular NDP candidate.

Riley W
said

B. Kiechle, "baby-Bush party". Come off it. This is something I can't stand about the loony left in this country. Everything American is somehow bad. Mr Harper is his own man and WILL work with the United States - regardless of what party is in power - for the interest of Canadians.

This brings back the memories of Canada's loony left going crazy over the fact Mulroney and Reagan - 2 Irish men , dancing and singing on St. Pats day.

The Lefties need to get over their Anti-Americanism. This country would be a 2nd world nation, if we were not next to America.

Dion is not looking like a leader to the Canadian people. I expect Outremont to go NDP, Roberval to go Conservative, St. Bagot to go Bloc.

I agree with Dennis LeDrew, the Liberals have this attitude of god-given entitlement. They have become too corrupt and will not get my vote for a LONG time. I would vote NDP or Green before I vote Liberal.

The air in this country is a Conservative majority, and I think Harper deserves a shot at it.

bonnie
said

If the Conservatives beat the Bloc in Roberval then be ready for Harper to trigger an election by forcing the opposition to bring down his government over the throne speech!

Ryan P.
said

Dion's leadership will be all but over come the zero for three his party will bat on Monday. The new Liberal leader failed to sell himself to Canadians over the ever so important summer BBQ circuit. Harper and the Tories have calculated his weaknesses and are exploiting them successfully.

Richard
said

As a Montrealer who is familiar with the riding of Outremont I believe the Liberal$ will unfortunately win come Monday. But the mere fact that Dion had to bring all of his big guns in from Ontario and elsewhere shows a severe problem within the ranks of the Liberal$.

Ryan
said

This byelection is making me think along the lines of a Dion quote from one of those Tory attack ads: "This is not fair!"

What is happening is this multi-party farce we have experienced for several decades is now falling apart. Soon we will have a true left vs. right matchup when the Liberals are eclipsed by the NDP and the Bloc splits between the Tories and NDP.

Fred
said

If they lose Outremont it means they lost Quebec... We must however keep in mind that Muclair is a star candidate. It's their own mistake for not letting Justin Trudeau run in Outremont (which he would of taken in a heart beat) or another high profile candidate. This is a very humiliating defeat for the Liberals and it smells like a landslide for the Conservatives in the next election after the BLOC gets slaughtered.

Michele
said

I wish there was a viable alternative to Harper, but I don't think it is Dion. I just might have to vote for a fringe party come the next election. One that is against deep integration with the U.S. (anti-SPP).

B. Kiechle
said

Very clearly despite Harper's bribing of Quebec with all of the handouts he's handed the province, Quebecers are still smart enough not to vote for Baby Bush's party.

Jack
said

Mr Dion is (finally) done like dinner!!

Dennis LeDrew
said

Why is it that Liberal leaders are slow to act in times of electoral crisis? Remember when Chretien almost blew the last Referendum and lost the country? When Martin squandered his so-called certain majority? And then the Liberals' stupor during the 2006 Election? Now this!

There is only one thing that expains this - the Liberals are arrogant and expect to win. They think that they are entitled to our vote. Why else does the moniker "Natural Governing Party" exist? I, for one, refuse to reward that type of attitude.

There is a palitable sense of a Tory majority in the air. After over a decade of Liberal corruption and arrogance, and the fairly decent job the Tories have done with this minority Government, there is no reason why they shouldn't have their shot at it.

Michael
said

About the only thing Ken Dryden can do is to teach the Montreal kids how to stop a slap shot. It certainly won't help the desparate Dion gain any political ground. Quebeckers see through the ploys to bring in the "names" in hopes of persuading people's votes their way. Dion & his Liberals are desparately losing ground in the province that gave them such mandates in the past. NO MORE!

B.V.
said

"He said the Liberals will have to fight hard to keep the riding, but also said a surge in support for the NDP was partly due to frustration with the Conservative government."

If People were fed up with a CONSERVATIVE government, they would vote for the obvious opposition: the Liberals. But the surprising rise in NDP support shows that Liberals are losing their credibility even as an opposition party... and mind you this is in QUEBEC, where people don't usually vote NDP. Dion is oblivious. How low and desperate can he get?

Tim
said

What does it say about the two major parties when they lose a byelection to the NDP in Quebec? A lot. The Conservatives are still very weak in Quebec despite Harper's pretendions to the contray, and the Liberals, well i'm starting think they might a new leader, but you never know Dion might just surprize everyone, like he did in winning leadership in the first place.

Barb
said

Let's just hope the people of Quebec hasn't forgot what the Liberals have done, including Mr. Dion. Also I hope they remember the NDP is not going to help their cause same as Bloc. Give Mr. Harper your support if you want things to happen in the best interest of Quebec for you in Quebec

Steven Booth
said

Might DeYawn be the first Liberal leader to not lead his party into even one National election before being ousted by the membership?

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