Bergen's formal departure sets clock ticking down to Portage-Lisgar byelection
Byelection even closer for Winnipeg South Centre
Former Conservative MP Candice Bergen has formally left the House of Commons, setting a clock ticking down toward a federal byelection in southern Manitoba's Portage-Lisgar riding.
Bergen, who announced her resignation from politics at the beginning of February, formally left office on Feb. 28, according to Elections Canada.
In the absence of a general federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must announce a byelection in Portage-Lisgar by Aug. 27. The latest possible date to hold that byelection is Oct. 17.
Portage-Lisgar is one of the most reliably Conservative seats in Canada. The Conservative Party and its forerunners have won every election in the riding since it was created in 1997.
This means whoever wins the Conservative nomination for Portage-Lisgar will be the overwhelming favourite to become the riding's next MP.
So far, five people have declared their intention to seek that nomination: Former Manitoba PC finance minister Cameron Friesen, former Elmwood-East Kildonan Conservative MP Lawrence Toet, former Friesen assistant Liz Reimer, former Bergen campaign manager Branden Leslie and former Bergen volunteer Don Cruikshank.
No nomination meeting date has been announced.
Winnipeg South Centre byelection
In the absence of any general federal elections, Trudeau also must announce a byelection in Winnipeg South Centre by June 11. The latest allowable date to hold that byelection is Aug. 1.
Whoever wins the Liberal nomination in Winnipeg South Centre has a strong chance of becoming the next MP for the Winnipeg riding, a reliably but not exclusively Liberal riding.
The Liberals have held Winnipeg South Centre for all but four years since the riding was created in 1988. Conservative Joyce Bateman represented it from 2011 to 2015.
So far, the only candidate to declare he's seeking the Liberal nomination for Winnipeg South Centre is educator Ben Carr, the son of the late former MP for the riding, Jim Carr.
Charles Feaver, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg South Centre Liberal riding association, said no date has been set for a nomination meeting.
"I hope it's fairly soon, because it takes two weeks to get through all the paperwork," he said.
