OTTAWA — The Liberals have selected family doctor Danielle Martin to run in the upcoming University-Rosedale byelection.
Martin, chair of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto, had been rumoured as a potential candidate for the byelection to replace Chrystia Freeland.
The party is skipping the usual nomination process to put Martin forward, and party sources have told the Star that the byelection is likely to come soon.
Freeland tendered her resignation as MP for the Toronto riding earlier this month shortly after it was announced she would be serving as an economic advisor to the Ukrainian government.
Martin is an advocate of public health care, and her defence of Canada’s system before a U.S. Senate committee in 2014 went viral online. She has also advocated for expanded pharmacare and wrote a book entitled, “Better Now: Six Big Ideas to Improve Health Care for All Canadians.”
The Liberals’ party president said she would continue that work in Parliament.
“Danielle Martin has spent her career working to improve health care for Canadian families,” said Sachit Mehra. “Danielle is ready to work with Mark Carney and our new Liberal team to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future for University-Rosedale.”
Freeland’s resignation came as the minority Liberal government was one vote away from a majority in the House of Commons, after two Conservative MPs crossed the floor last fall.
University-Rosedale is considered a relatively safe riding for the party. A Liberal victory in the byelection would keep them one MP short of a majority.
Freeland had represented the riding since 2015 and was re-elected with 64 per cent of the vote in last year.
