Trudeau, Mulcair campaign in Trinity-Spadina for upcoming byelection

The Liberals and NDP are offering differing takes onwhat the Ontario election results could mean for the federal
byelection contest in a downtown Toronto riding that switched fromNew Democrat orange to Liberal red in the provincial vote.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the upset win by hisprovincial counterparts to snatch the Trinity-Spadina seat long heldby the Ontario NDP is a good omen for candidate Adam Vaughan'schances in the federal riding -- vacated by former NDP MP Olivia Chow in the June 30 byelection.

"We're taking it as a very positive sign. During the provincialelection Adam and Han Dong, who's now the MPP for here, worked very,very closely, combining volunteers, working to help each other outand to make sure that Trinity-Spadina turns red," he said whilecampaigning with Vaughan on Saturday.

"Obviously there's a continuation of that."

But New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair is reading a different lessoninto the Ontario election tea leaves, saying the result on June 12 was solely reflective of campaign-specific issues including someNDPers voting strategically for the Liberals to block theausterity-heavy focus of the provincial Progressive Conservatives,which included axing 100,000 public sector jobs.

"It was a provincial election. People had their own take on whatwas necessary to stop Tim Hudak and his mad idea of starting off hiscampaign by proposing to fire the breadwinner in 100,000 Ontariofamilies. People made their own decisions based on that," he saidalongside party candidate Joe Cressy outside a Chinatown grocerystore in the riding.

"I realize a lot of people who were torn as they were voting inthe provincial election are all coming back to the fold. They
understand that the only progressive voice in Ottawa is the NDP."

With voting day looming both leaders gave their local candidatesa shot of star power as they joined them campaigning Saturday thesecond of three days of advance voting in what is seen as acrucial battle in the NDP-Liberal war overwhich opposition party isthe real government-in-waiting.

Trudeau and Mulcair have popped up in the riding multiple timessince the byelection was called last month, and Mulcair also hit thehustings with Cressy on Friday.

They both took shots at Prime Minister Stephen Harper forsetting voting day on a Monday just before Canada Day Tuesday aone-day gap many will likely treat as a de-facto long weekend,something that could weaken the number who show up at the votingbooth.

One other Toronto riding and two in Alberta are also up for grabsin byelections that day.