New Democrats score upset in Ontario's Parkdale-High Park by-election
{{date|September 15, 2006}}
__NOTOC__
The [[w:Ontario New Democratic Party|Ontario New Democratic Party]] has scored an upset victory in a hotly contested provincial [[w:by-election|by-election]] in the [[w:Toronto|Toronto]] [[w:riding|riding]] of [[w:Parkdale--High Park|Parkdale—High Park]]. [[w:Ontario New Democratic Party|New Democrat]] [[w:Cheri DiNovo|Cheri DiNovo]] defeated [[w:Ontario Liberal Party|Ontario Liberal Party]] candidate [[w:Sylvia Watson|Sylvia Watson]] by over 2,000 votes. DiNovo received 41% of the vote compared to 33% for Watson. [[w:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] [[w:Dave Hutcheon|Dave Hutcheon]] was third with 17% of the vote while [[w:Green Party of Ontario|Green Party]] leader [[w:Frank De Jong|Frank De Jong]] was fourth with 6%. 

The by-election was an important one for the ruling Ontario Liberal Party as the province enters an election year. The Liberals held the riding until former [[w:Member of Provincial Parliament|MPP]] [[w:Gerard Kennedy|Gerard Kennedy]] resigned, earlier this year, to focus on his bid to win the leadership of the federal [[w:Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal Party of Canada]]. In the [[w:Ontario general election, 2003|2003 provincial election]] he held the riding with a commanding 57% of the vote. 

Speaking Thursday night, NDP leader [[w:Howard Hampton|Howard Hampton]] said "There are no safe seats for the McGuinty government. People see us as a viable option."

Despite having been considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the province the by-election campaign has gone badly for the Grits who have pulled out all the stops in the past week after internal polling showed them in danger of losing. On Monday, [[w:Premier of Ontario|Ontario Premier]] [[w:Dalton McGuinty|Dalton McGuinty]] and eleven of members of his [[w:Executive Council of Ontario|cabinet]] spent much of the day campaigning in the riding. The last seven days has also seen a series of aggressive accusations aimed at DiNovo, a [[w:United Church of Canada|United Church]] minister. The allegations, which were initially made on blogs and anonymous fliers have, in the past few days, been issued in official Liberal Party press releases and statements and accuse her of not being suited for sitting in the provincial legislature.  They focused on her admitted drug use when she was a street kid in the 1960s and what a ''Toronto Star'' column called "carefully edited excerpts from her sermons". Liberal candidate Sylvia Watson, a [[w:Toronto City Council|Toronto City Council]]lor, issued a press release alleging that DiNovo described the media's treatment of murderer [[w:Karla Homolka|Karla Homolka]] to the "persecution of Jesus Christ". DiNovo, who has billed herself as the "Radical Reverend" responded by saying the comments were taken entirely out of context and threatened to sue Watson's campaign.

Toronto mayor [[w:David Miller|David Miller]] issued a statement denouncing the Liberal tactics as a "smear" while the media has been generally critical of the Liberal attacks on DiNovo as has the Progressive Conservatives whose candidate, Dave Hutcheon accused the Liberals of trying to "assassinate the character" of DiNovo. Premier McGuinty responded to the negative reaction saying "Look, it's a tough by-election for us."

Some Liberals and some columnists have argued that the anti-DiNovo campaign is payback for the 2001 [[w:Beaches—East York|Beaches—East York]] by-election in which the NDP suggested that a sex scene in a novel written by Liberal candidate [[w:Robert Hunter (journalist)|Bob Hunter]] condoned pedophilia.

Graham White, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, told the ''Globe and Mail'' that the tactics might hurt the Liberals. "It just looks like really bad politics," he said. "Even if this is enough to sway voters in the riding for the by-election, it seems to me the larger risk is very substanial."

===Final vote count===

220 POLLS OUT OF 220 
 
Candidate-Political Affiliation-Votes-% 
 
*Frank DE JONG, [[w:Green Party of Ontario|GREEN PARTY OF ONTARIO]], 1758, 6.2 
 
*Cheri DI NOVO, [[w:Ontario New Democratic Party|NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ONTARIO]], 11675, 41.0 
 
*Stan GRZYWNA, [[w:Family Coalition Party of Ontario|FAMILY COALITION PARTY OF ONTARIO]], 366, 1.3 
 
*David HUTCHEON, [[w:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF ONTARIO]], 4921, 17.3 
 
*Jim MCINTOSH, [[w:Ontario Libertarian Party|ONTARIO LIBERTARIAN PARTY]], 162, 0.6 
 
*[[w:John C. Turmel|John C. TURMEL]], INDEPENDENT, 77, 0.3 
 
*Silvio URSOMARZO, [[w:Freedom Party of Ontario|FREEDOM PARTY OF ONTARIO]], 111, 0.4 
 
*Sylvia WATSON, [[w:Ontario Liberal Party|ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY]], 9387, 33.0 

''source:Elections Ontario''

== Related news ==

*{{Wikinews|title=Parkdale-High Park, Ontario by-election campaign goes negative|date=September 14, 2006}}

== Sources ==
{{original}}
*{{source|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060914.wxtory14/BNStory/National/home
|title=Ont. by-election race finishes on a sour note
|author=Karen Howlett
|pub=Globe and Mail
|date=September 14, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060914.wbyelection14/BNStory/National/home
|title=NDP defeats Liberals in Ontario by-election
|author=Karen Howlett, Canadian Press
|pub=Globe and Mail
|date=September 14, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060913/byelection_060913/20060913?hub=TorontoHome
|title=Liberals accused of byelection 'smear' campaign
|author=
|pub=CTV
|date=September 13, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1158054428493&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795
|title=By-election gets down and dirty
|author=Ian Urquhart
|pub=Toronto Star
|date=September 13, 2006}}

*{{source|url=https://secure.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060913.BARBER13/TPStory//?DENIED=1&brand=
|title=Brand new slime, same old smell
|author=John Barber
|pub=Globe and Mail
|date=September 13, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060913.DINOVO13/TPStory/?query=dinovo
|title=Liberals step up attack in messy by-election - Candidate hammers at New Democrat's allusions to Jesus and Karla Homolka
|author=Karen Howlett
|pub=Globe and Mail
|date=September 13, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/09/11/byelection-doors.html
|title=Premier, cabinet hit hustings before Parkdale-High Park byelection
|author=
|pub=CBC
|date=September 11, 2006}}

{{Publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:Ontario]]
[[Category:Canada]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Dalton McGuinty]]
__NOTOC__
The Ontario New Democratic Party has scored an upset victory in a hotly contested provincial by-election in the Toronto riding of Parkdale—High Park. New Democrat Cheri DiNovo defeated Ontario Liberal Party candidate Sylvia Watson by over 2,000 votes. DiNovo received 41% of the vote compared to 33% for Watson. Progressive Conservative Dave Hutcheon was third with 17% of the vote while Green Party leader Frank De Jong was fourth with 6%. 

The by-election was an important one for the ruling Ontario Liberal Party as the province enters an election year. The Liberals held the riding until former MPP Gerard Kennedy resigned, earlier this year, to focus on his bid to win the leadership of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. In the 2003 provincial election he held the riding with a commanding 57% of the vote. 

Speaking Thursday night, NDP leader Howard Hampton said "There are no safe seats for the McGuinty government. People see us as a viable option."

Despite having been considered one of the safest Liberal seats in the province the by-election campaign has gone badly for the Grits who have pulled out all the stops in the past week after internal polling showed them in danger of losing. On Monday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and eleven of members of his cabinet spent much of the day campaigning in the riding. The last seven days has also seen a series of aggressive accusations aimed at DiNovo, a United Church minister. The allegations, which were initially made on blogs and anonymous fliers have, in the past few days, been issued in official Liberal Party press releases and statements and accuse her of not being suited for sitting in the provincial legislature.  They focused on her admitted drug use when she was a street kid in the 1960s and what a Toronto Star column called "carefully edited excerpts from her sermons". Liberal candidate Sylvia Watson, a Toronto City Councillor, issued a press release alleging that DiNovo described the media's treatment of murderer Karla Homolka to the "persecution of Jesus Christ". DiNovo, who has billed herself as the "Radical Reverend" responded by saying the comments were taken entirely out of context and threatened to sue Watson's campaign.

Toronto mayor David Miller issued a statement denouncing the Liberal tactics as a "smear" while the media has been generally critical of the Liberal attacks on DiNovo as has the Progressive Conservatives whose candidate, Dave Hutcheon accused the Liberals of trying to "assassinate the character" of DiNovo. Premier McGuinty responded to the negative reaction saying "Look, it's a tough by-election for us."

Some Liberals and some columnists have argued that the anti-DiNovo campaign is payback for the 2001 Beaches—East York by-election in which the NDP suggested that a sex scene in a novel written by Liberal candidate Bob Hunter condoned pedophilia.

Graham White, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, told the Globe and Mail that the tactics might hurt the Liberals. "It just looks like really bad politics," he said. "Even if this is enough to sway voters in the riding for the by-election, it seems to me the larger risk is very substanial."

220 POLLS OUT OF 220 
 
Candidate-Political Affiliation-Votes-% 
 
*Frank DE JONG, GREEN PARTY OF ONTARIO, 1758, 6.2 
 
*Cheri DI NOVO, NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ONTARIO, 11675, 41.0 
 
*Stan GRZYWNA, FAMILY COALITION PARTY OF ONTARIO, 366, 1.3 
 
*David HUTCHEON, PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF ONTARIO, 4921, 17.3 
 
*Jim MCINTOSH, ONTARIO LIBERTARIAN PARTY, 162, 0.6 
 
*John C. TURMEL, INDEPENDENT, 77, 0.3 
 
*Silvio URSOMARZO, FREEDOM PARTY OF ONTARIO, 111, 0.4 
 
*Sylvia WATSON, ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY, 9387, 33.0 

source:Elections Ontario

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Ontario Canada Elections Dalton McGuinty