Three byelections have been called on November 26th in order to replace: Denise Savoie (NDP - Victoria, BC); Lee Richardson (Con - Calgary Centre, Alberta); and (last and least) Bev Oda (Con- Durham, Ontario). While the NDP has a candidate chosen in Victoria, the nomination meeting in the other 2 ridings have not been held. Since Savoie won by 16,000 votes, this should be an easy NDP victory. However, the NDP, IMO, missed an opportunity to make its candidates in the other two ridings better known by having earlier nomination meetings and then starting campaigning before the official byelection call. It is obvious that Harper sees the rise of Trudeau and Liberal popularity (however long this bubble lasts) as an opportunity to split the opposition vote giving his candidates a better chance of winning. Nevertheless, byelections give the population a chance to send a message to a government that has been arrogant, extremely ideological, disrespectful of Parliament and scandal-ridden.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2012/10/by-election...
Murray Rankin, "a prominent Canadian environmental and aboriginal rights lawyer ... former President of the British Columbia interest Advocacy Centre (BCPIAC), former president of West Coast Environmental Law , and past Chairman of The Land Conservancy of British Columbia" is the candidate in Victoria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Rankin)
The NDP have set Oct.27th as the selection date for their candidate in Calgary Centre and have three candidates nominated: Brian Malkinson, Matthew McMillan, and Dan Meades. Scott Payne pulled out to support Meades.
"Former MPP and Brock Township mayor Larry O’Connor announced earlier today on Twitter that he would be running for the NDP nomination in that riding. I don’t have it confirmed, but am hearing that October 30 is the likely date. If O’Connor is uncontested, he would join Conservative Erin O’Toole, Liberal Grant Humes, and a Green to be named later." (http://www.punditsguide.ca/2012/10/more-by-election-candidate-news/)