Prime Minister announces byelection in Mississauga-Lakeshore riding on Dec. 12

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has set the date for a federal byelection in the Greater Toronto Area.

Voters in Mississauga-Lakeshore will head to the polls to pick their new member of Parliament on Dec. 12.

The seat became empty earlier this year when former Liberal MP Sven Spengemann announced he was resigning to take a job at the United Nations.

The governing Liberals hope he's replaced by former Ontario Liberal finance minister Charles Sousa, who had represented a provincial riding in Mississauga for more than a decade.

The riding has largely been represented by federal Liberals, save for when the Conservatives held it under former prime minister Stephen Harper's majority government from 2011 to 2015.

Ron Chhinzer, a Peel Regional Police officer, is running for the Tories in the byelection, which will be the first held since Pierre Poilievre became party leader.

Julia Kole, a former provincial constituency assistant in the area, is the New Democrats' candidate, while Mary Kidnew, a lifelong Mississauga resident, will represent the federal Greens.

Whichever party wins the byelection in December will not change the balance of power in Parliament, where the Liberals hold a minority of seats.