OTTAWA—The April 3 byelection results mean more than just fresh faces for the House of Commons: one observer says they represent a generational shift on Parliament Hill.
The five new Ottawa-bound MPs—two Conservatives and three Liberals—replace a group of politicians with a profound depth of experience, including four former cabinet ministers and a former prime minister.
It is rare to see such a dramatic turnover of legislative experience, says Duane Bratt, a political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
The change illustrates shifts in political Ottawa and a degree of evolution taking place inside both the Liberal and Conservative camps, Bratt added, noting it is an opportunity to bring in some new blood.
“That’s the more interesting element than the actual result,” he said in an interview. “They’re going to have some time to get their feet wet.”
Monday’s byelections—two in Alberta, two in Ontario and one in Quebec—contained no surprises and did not change the seat counts in the House of Commons.
