The Eglinton-Lawrence riding will be closely watched on election night as the Liberal and Conservative candidates face off, according to at least one election expert. Despite the fact that the provincial Conservatives didn’t win a single seat in Toronto in the last election, the Eglinton-Lawrence riding switched from Liberal to Conservative in the May federal election, which makes it likely to flip on Oct. 6, said Nelson Wiseman, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto.
In the previous provincial election, long-time Liberal incumbent Mike Colle only won by a six point margin, Wiseman said, with 43 per cent of the vote to the Conservatives’ 38 per cent.
Wiseman predicts that, if the provincial Conservatives gain five per cent over previous election results, Conservative candidate (and former Toronto mayoral candidate) Rocco Rossi will likely win. He adds that, if the NDP candidate, Gerti Dirvishi, or Green candidate, Josh Rachlis, gain any traction, the vote split could also tip the scales in favour of Rossi.
Colle and Rossi have both highlighted transit and gridlock as main issues facing the community, and both said they would work hard to make the Eglinton light rail transit (LRT) a reality.
They disagreed, however, on the future of spending. Colle said maintaining and improving on existing services should be the focus of the future government, whereas Rossi said tax cuts were the most important issue for voters. Rossi also pointed to the Lawrence Heights redevelopment as something that needed to be revisited, as he said the plans are currently unsustainable.
Wiseman said, if the seat flips, it will be a good indication that the Conservatives will win enough support to govern provincially.