The Canadian Press is reporting that Liberal leader Stephane Dion will not field a candidate in the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, where incumbent Peter MacKay, the Foreign Affairs Minister will defend his seat against, among others, Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party.
“His decision will shorten the lengthy odds that May will be able to win the Greens' first seat in the House of Commons but she still faces an uphill battle,” The Canadian Press writes.
“… Dion and May have also been discussing various ways in which their two parties might co-operate in other ridings during the coming election. And Dion has said he believes May should be allowed to participate in the televised leaders' debates, even though her party has never yet won a seat.”
There are rumblings in Ottawa that Alexis Macdonald, who has carried the NDP banner in the last two elections against MacKay, may be moved to another riding, possibly to Halifax if incumbent NDP MP Alexa McDonough retires. The NDP would still run a candidate in Central Nova but the thinking among some NDP types is that Macdonald is a good candidate who could breakthrough, perhaps, elsewhere in Nova Scotia.