Williams calls 3 N.L. byelections for Feb. 8

Voters in three Newfoundland and Labrador districts will head to polling stations on Feb. 8 to pick candidates to fill three vacancies.

Premier Danny Williams announced the byelections for Kilbride, Ferryland and Port au Port districts on Wednesday.

Three politicians all members of Williams's Progressive Conservative caucus resigned their seats in recent weeks.

Ed Byrne, who was forced out of cabinet in June because of the legislative spending scandal, announced last fall that he would quit politics and his Kilbride seat, effective Jan. 1.

In late December, former finance minister Loyola Sullivan announced a surprise retirement from public life. He had represented Ferryland since 1992.

Last week, Jim Hodder a veteran backbencher with 21 years' cumulative experience on both sides of the house cited health reasons for quitting his seat in Port au Port. Hodder said he wanted to leaveimmediately so a byelection could be scheduled to coincide with voting in Ferryland and Kilbride.

Under amendments to the House of Assembly Act made in 2004, a byelection must be called within 60 days of a seat becoming vacant.

A general election is scheduled for Oct. 9. Williams said voters in the three districts should not have to wait that long.

"In an effective and successful democracy, there is nothing more important than ensuring that people have elected representation," Williams said in a statement.

"I look forward to an energetic campaign by all involved."

Current standings in the house are 32 PC members, 11 Liberals, two New Democrats and the three vacancies.

Apart from the advantage of incumbency in all three districts, the Tories have historically dominated two of them.

Kilbride citizens have elected only PC candidates since the district's creation in 1975. Ferryland has voted Tory since 1971.

Port au Port, on the other hand, has been a swing district through its history with Hodder himself sitting as Liberal from 1975 to 1985.