NDP MP Trudeau Slams for Burnaby South

OTTAWA – New Democrats are blasting the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a call to be elected to a riding race where NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has been named a candidate.

Trudeau called a byelection Sunday for the riding of Leeds – Grenville – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. But there are currently vacant seats in Parliament, including Burnaby South, where Singh has said that he will be called byelection is called.

New Democrat MP Peter Julian says Trudeau's decision is to be "petty and manipulative," and he accused the prime minister of playing around with elections.

"For him to pick and choose which riding is democratic representation is outrageous," Julian said.

The government must call a byelection within six months, and it has until March 18 at Burnaby South. According to Elections Canada, the government had to announce the byelection for Ontario riding by Oct. 30.

Voters in Leeds – Grenville – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes will head to the polls on Dec. 3 to elect their new member of Parliament. The Gord Brown, a conservative MP who died suddenly in the aftermath of a crime in the Hill Parliament.

Julian said that while Trudeau was forced by the Canada Elections Act to call the byelection for Leeds – Grenville – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, there is no reason why

A spokesperson government said the other seats were only vacated more recently.

In addition to Burnaby South, the other vacant ridings include the Quebec riding of Outremont, who was previously held by former leader of the NDP Thomas Mulcair, and the Ontario riding of York-Simcoe, previously held by Conservative MP Peter Van Loan. Both announced their political withdrawals over the summer.