Byelections set for Yarmouth, Glace Bay

Voters in Yarmouth and Glace Bay will head to the polls next month to elect two new MLAs.

Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter announced the June 22 byelection dates on Thursday.

The seats have been vacant since Richard Hurlburt and Dave Wilson resigned.

Hurlburt quit as MLA for Yarmouth on Feb. 9 after it became known that he spent $8,000 of taxpayers' money on a generator installed in his house.

Wilsonresigned his Glace Bay seat on March 11. He didn't give a reason, but stepped down after refusing to meet with the auditor general about expense claims.

Dexter downplayed his party's chances of winning both seats.

"We go into these byelections understanding that they are incumbent seats for other parties. So, I don't think there's any question that we'd be considered the underdogs in those ridings," he said.

In Glace Bay, NDP candidate Myrtle Campbell, whofinished a close second to Wilson in last June's election, is hoping to win the seat this time.

"I'm well known in the area, and I'm ready to work hard. I'm hearing that people want a representative on the government side," she said Thursday.

Campbell said people are talking to her about jobs and health care.

Geoff MacLellan, the new Liberal candidate in Glace Bay, said his focus is on the future, and the many important issues facing the riding. But he's worried that the expense scandal will overshadow the campaign.

"You know, the worst thing I've heard over the last few weeks is, 'Look, I'll be honest, I'm not even sure if I'm going to vote.' That's a sad day in democracy when people don't want to vote because they think it's just going to be the same," MacLellan said.

The Progressive Conservatives will nominate a candidate at the end of next week. The party hasn't been elected in the ridingin more than 20 years.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil said the public's distrust of politicians makes it impossible to predict who will win the seats.

"I don't think it's the Dave Wilson story, I think it's the expense story which will affect all parties. How do we convince people, who are very disappointed in all their elected members, how do we convince them to go to the polls?" he said.

Rob Batherson, PC Party president ,agrees.

"Obviously, the circumstances in terms of this election taking place aren't ideal for any party or politics in general," he said.

But Batherson said it's unlikely an NDP candidatecan win in Yarmouth, where the government cancelled funding for the CAT ferry between Nova Scotia and Maine,and the premier was recently heckled.

The Tories think they can still win the seat.

"I think voters are going to be asking themselves, 'How can we send a message to the sitting government coming out of the cancellation of ferry service,'" Batherson said.

A former NDP MLA John Deveau is running for the party in Yarmouth, while Zach Churchillis the Liberal candidate. The Tories have yet to nominate a candidate.