Ontario Premier Doug Ford has called a byelection to fill the seat held by his former education minister days after he resigned, also ruling out an early election in the fall.
On Wednesday, the government announced a byelection had been called in Bay of Quinte, the riding represented by Todd Smith, who stood down as education minister and a local MPP on Friday.
The ballot will be held on Sept. 19, with the Progressive Conservatives having already nominated a candidate to run in the traditionally blue riding to replace Smith.
Smith’s resignation came as a surprise on Friday morning, when the MPP said he was leaving politics entirely and immediately to pursue a job in the private sector. He had served a brief two-month stint as education minister after years as energy minister for the Ford government.
The former Bay of Quinte MPP was reportedly unhappy at being shuffled into the education portfolio. In his resignation statement, Smith spoke in glowing terms about his time in other cabinet roles but made no mention of his brief stint in education.
Now, voters in the Bay of Quinte will vote on Smith’s replacement in less than a month when they go to the polls again.
The decision to hold a byelection almost immediately to replace Smith throws more intrigue into the rumours of an early election, sparked in May when Ford repeatedly refused to rule the possibility out.
Some had speculated the premier may not replace Smith if he was planning a snap poll soon. On Wednesday, at an unrelated event in St. Catharines, Ford ruled out an election in the next few months.
“No,” the premier flatly said to a question over whether or not he was preparing for an election in the fall.
Opposition parties, meanwhile, are taking no chances and continue their preparations for a full, province-wide ballot to be called early.