A federal byelection in Terrebonne on April 13 could help the Liberals secure a majority government.
The vote was ordered after the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the Liberal candidate’s one-vote victory from the last federal election due to an uncounted mail-in ballot.
The rematch will see Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste face Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who lost the seat by one vote last April.
“Every vote is equal, every vote should count,” Sinclair-Desgagné told Global News on Thursday. “Those are principles that are taught at a very young age.”
The outcome of the election was later challenged after it emerged that an Elections Canada employee had printed the wrong postal code on some mail-in ballots.
The Supreme Court of Canada officially annulled the result on Feb. 13.
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Auguste said the situation has been a rollercoaster, but that she is ready to return to the campaign.
“I feel like it’s been a rollercoaster with everything that’s happened,” she said. “But I feel this chapter is closed and now we’re on to a new election and we’re ready, and I am very motivated.”
Speaking in Terrebonne on Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said his party is ready for the new challenge.
“I often say that I want my adversaries as good as possible in order to force me, us, to be better and do better,” he said.
“I think we have learned that lesson. Watch us.”
The Terrebonne vote is one of three byelections taking place the same day, with two Toronto seats also up for grabs after Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair vacated their seats.
A Liberal win in Terrebonne could give the party a majority with 172 seats, something Blanchet said should not influence voters.
“The main argument for the Liberals is (telling voters) that a vote for us (means) there will be no more election,” Blanchet said. “What the hell is that?”
Auguste, who has had almost a year as MP, said she hopes voters now see her as a familiar face and believe she has proven herself worthy of the role.
“Since the beginning I have been very anchored in this election,” she said. “It’s about the community of people here in Terrebonne, it’s not about what’s happening at the national level.”
The Terrebonne riding had been held by the Bloc Québécois since 1993.
Sinclair-Desgagné has represented the seat from 2021 to 2025.
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