April 13 By-Elections
Liberals Attempt to Secure Majority in Canada's Parliament
Elections Canada Announces By-Election Candidates and Use of Special Ballot in Terrebonne
Nominations for the three federal by-elections taking place on April 13 closed on Monday, March 23 at 2:00 pm. Elections Canada published the list of confirmed candidates for all three ridings on March 25. In Scarborough Southwest (Ontario), a total of eight candidates have been nominated. In University--Rosedale (Ontario), a total of 10 candidates have been nominated. In Terrebonne (Quebec), a total of 48 candidates are running.
On March 24, Elections Canada announced that due to the large number of candidates in Terrebonne, "special ballots" will be used. The ballots provide a space for the selected candidate's name to be written in and, optionally, the candidate's party, if applicable. Ballots are rejected if they only show the name of a party, while errors in the candidate's name are accepted if the voter's intent is clear.
This is the second time that the special ballot will be used in response to the Longest Ballot protest, the first being in the August 2025 Battle River--Crowfoot by-election which saw a record-breaking 214 candidates. The 48 candidates in Terrebonne are the exact same number as in the June 19, 2023 by-election in Winnipeg South Centre, the fourth federal election in which the Longest Ballot participated. In that case, a two-column long ballot was used.
Elections Canada cited ballot rejection rates as one factor it took into consideration, without providing stats. Since special ballots have only been used once before, the comparable ballot rejection rates are 0.48 per cent in Winnipeg South Centre (long ballot) and 0.41 per cent in Battle River--Crowfoot (special ballot). Elections Canada says it also based its decision on previous consultations that "confirm a write-in ballot is the preferred approach."
People will receive a list of candidates when they go to vote, with large print and Braille versions available. Elections Canada has not yet said how the 48 candidates will appear on the list. In Battle River--Crowfoot, two versions were available: one that listed party candidates first, followed by independent candidates. The other listed all candidates alphabetically.
Elections Canada writes, "Counting the ballots takes time, and counting the write-in ballot may take more time." It promises to keep the public posted.
The
by-election was called because the Supreme Court annulled the results
of the general election in Terrebonne which, due to a mail-in ballot
error by Elections Canada, gave Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste
a seat, which she held for over eight months, on the basis of a
one-vote win over Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie
Sinclair-Desgagne. None of the arguments for or against the annulment
are being discussed by either the parties nor the media. To detract
attention from the need for electoral reform which the results of this
by-election revealed, media commentators, pundits and cartel party
spokespersons engage in diversionary discussion. For instance, pollster
Nik Nanos told the Globe & Mail that it is unlikely that the
Longest Ballot candidates would influence the by-election's outcome.
the annulment are discussed. The electoral system and how it functions
and its aim are not discussed. On the contrary, in a situation in which
both the Liberal and the Bloc candidate are running again, Nik Nanos
said, "I can't see a situation where the long ballot, in this
particular case, when it's a coin-toss, could really favour either of
the two likely front-running parties, the Liberals and the Bloc
Québécois."
Nanos likened the by-election to a "yes/no" vote with "two competing referendum questions." The Liberals will be asking people to give them a majority "for Mr. Carney to lead the country," while the Bloc will call on them to "send a message to Ottawa and make the Bloc stronger to advocate within Canada."
Nanos also told the Globe that even though the Liberals are leading in national polls, "by-elections are wild cards," pointing out that "parties can bring volunteers to bear on a small level of geography." Indeed, many social media posts show "volunteers" such as Finance Minister Philippe Champagne, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Steve MacKinnon, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather and even Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigning for Auguste.
John Beebe, director of Toronto Metropolitan University's Democratic Engagement Exchange, told the Globe
that "when elections are tight and people's confidence in the electoral
system is challenged, such as in Terrebonne, a protest by a group would
be another wrinkle that would not add to ensuring the health and
vitality of Canada's democracy."
Why blame the Longest Ballot
for the bad shape Canada's Electoral system finds itself in when the
cartel parties and electoral system do such a good job of this
themselves? For instance, additional proof that Canada's electoral
system is corrupt is provided by the fact that the Terreboone
by-election was called precisely when the Liberals' are holding their
Party Convention in Montreal mere days beforehand.
Terrebonne By-Election "Coincides" with Liberal Convention in Montreal
The Liberal Party is holding its National Convention in Montreal, April 9-11, the weekend before the April 13 Terrebonne by-election. The party announced the convention in May 2025, so when Prime Minister Mark Carney called the by-elections for April 13 he was well aware of all the free publicity his party would get in the by-elections.
It also means a slew of Liberals, who will descend on Montreal from across the country for the convention, can be deployed as canvassers in nearby Terrebonne. Will the Liberal propaganda which advantages the Liberal candidates in the by-elections and the travel expenses of conventioneers who go out to campaign for Tatiana Auguste in Terrebonne be included in her election campaign expense return?
If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck and smells like a duck, well perhaps it is a duck -- and a foul smelling fowl at that.
Aside from the Liberals' self-promotion of their convention, such as live-streaming open sessions, the government-subsidized media is more than likely to provide coverage and commentary amounting to incalculable free advertising during the by-elections. To provide a rough idea of the money involved, when the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs recently questioned Michel Cormier, Executive Director and Acting Leaders' Debate Commissioner, as to why the debates cost so much to produce, he replied that the $1.5 million production costs for the French and English two-hour debates is in keeping with industry standard.
According to the spending limits set for the by-elections, the Liberal Party can spend a maximum of $350,000 on campaigning since it has candidates in all three ridings. In contrast, the Bloc Québécois is limited to spending $118,000 because it is fielding only one candidate, in Terrebonne. Candidate spending limits in each of the three ridings average $139,000. During an election, expenses incurred to promote a party counts towards the spending limits. This would include the cost of rallies and meetings. How will the Liberals' convention be factored into these limits?
Add to this the use of government resources to promote Tatiana Auguste, as has occurred with several ministers, including Prime Minister Carney, making appearances with her and promoting her through their social-media accounts. Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy, posted on Facebook on March 17, "Tonight I was in Terrebonne with Tatiana Auguste [...] Tatiana is a committed young leader and the best candidate [...] For a strong Terrebonne -- and a strong Canada -- vote for Tatiana on April 13!" It included a link to Auguste's campaign website.
How are such activities to be accounted for since government ministers conducting partisan election activities is illegal? Or will they say they did this in their "off hours" – when they were not on duty?
Many people did not respond well to LeBlanc's post. "This is the only time the government will ever go to Terrebonne; did you look it up on Google to find out where it is?" one person wrote.
This is just one aspect of the fraudulent claim that elections are "free and fair" because the Canada Elections Act imposes spending limits on election campaigning and government ethics guidelines prohibit ministers from conducting partisan activities during elections. Such activities are beneath contempt.
This is why across the country, people are taking action to get rid of the current electoral process which is designed to keep them out of power. The Liberal manoeuvring around campaign spending laws and government "ethics" guidelines, and the silence of the other cartel parties who would do the same if they could is one more reason to defeat the Liberals in Terrebonne.
Defeating them in Terrebonne is a way of expressing contempt for an electoral system based on using positions of power and privilege to entrench the self-serving cartel parties to lord over the polity.
This article was published in
Volume 56 Number 10 - March 25, 2026
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/TML2026/Articles/T560101.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca