A lot on the line in 3 federal by-elections, with all eyes on Singh in Burnaby-South

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – There are three federal by-elections being held Monday, including one in Burnaby-South.

All eyes are on this local riding, where NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is not just running for a seat in the House of Commons, but also to keep his job as leader, according to Maclean’s Ottawa Bureau Chief John Geddes.

“If he loses, there’s definitely going to be a substantial faction of the party that wants to get rid of him. There’s obviously already been some informal discussion about how that might happen.”

“It’s not just a by-election. It’s a test of Jagmeet Singh’s ability to assert that he’s a credible leader for the NDP,” he added.

Richard T. Lee is the Liberal candidate in Burnaby- South, while Jay Shin is running for the Conservatives.

Laura-Lynn Thompson is running under the People’s Party of Canada banner, while independents Terry Grimwood and Valentine Wu are also running for the seat.

The polls in Burnaby-South are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

So what are voters thinking about as they head into their local polling place?

“Affordable housing is the most important issue,” said another.

“Child care for my grandchildren. It’s so expensive, nowadays,” said one voter.

RELATED: Facebook ads stir controversy ahead of Burnaby South vote Monday

The other two by-elections are happening in Montreal and the Toronto area.

The SNC Lavalin affair may have an impact on two of the three by-elections. In Burnaby, there is a lot of sympathy for former justice minister Jody Wilson Raybould, which may hurt the Liberals.

But in Montreal, where many SNC jobs are on the line, the controversy may help the Liberals as they try to retake Outremont after former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair called it quits.

The riding of York-Simcoe in the Toronto area has long been Tory blue and polls show it may stay that way.

Geddes says despite what the results are tonight, by-elections are rarely a reflection of what will happen in a general election, so don’t read the tea leaves for the fall just yet.

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