Stevie comes out to playay

According to Election Canada rules Steve has to call a by-election for the vacant Westmount-Ville Marie riding by this weekend. So late yesterday the Tories leaked that Harper will be calling three by-elections before Parliament returns on September 15th.

The vote will be held on September 2nd, the earliest possible date or the following Monday September 8th. Here’s the line up for the three seats up for grabs.

Westmount-Ville Marie

Although won by the Liberals in 2006 with 45.7% of the vote, the NDP are hoping for another Quebec upset. The contest should be between former astronaut Marc Garneau for the Liberals and Anne Legace Dowson a CBC radio personality for the NDP.

St. Lambert

This riding was won by the Bloc in 2006 with 45.3% of the vote with the Liberals and Tories respectively coming in 10,000 and 11,000 votes back. It seems both parties believe the seat will remain with the Bloc since they didn’t even bother to plug their candidates for the CP article.

Guelph

Should end up being the most fun to watch with three parties all having a shot. In 2006 the Liberals won the seat with 38.4% of the vote. The Tories came in second with 29.8%, followed by the NDP with 22%.

This time around the Tories are running Gloria Kovach, a former city councillor against another CBC radio personality for the NDP, Tom King. The Liberals are offering up a newcomer, lawyer Frank Valeriote.

Even though Guelph is a real test for Steve in this by-election, the Tories are trying to make it all about Dion.

“They are all opposition-held ridings and anything less than two Liberal victories will be a huge defeat for Stéphane Dion's Liberals,” said Tory spokesman Ryan Sparrow.

The reality is that Steve needs more urban Ontario seats to get a chance for a majority and Dion needs Quebec seats to get a chance for a minority.

We are going to have a national election this fall anyway, so this is just the prelude.

Let the games begin.

Reference the Globe here.

PS: Sorry about the title, but I've been wanting to use this picture of David Patrick Kelly for a while now, with the title being a play on his brilliant and impromptu scene at the climax of The Warriors.

I was hoping Steve would remain in hiding in Calgary for the rest of the week, so I could use it on the weekend. But I guess the big guy has his marching orders and the plan is set. So bring it on Steve, this should be fun.