TORONTO -- Ontario's New Democrats say the power to set byelections dates should be put in the hands of Elections Ontario, not the premier.
Premier Kathleen Wynne has called five byelections for Aug. 1, ahead of a long weekend.
The opposition parties, as well as a watchdog group, have decried the move as an attempt to suppress voting.
NDP critic Michael Prue says byelections shouldn't be timed to make it easier for the Liberals to win.
He says he plans to introduce a private member's bill in the fall that would allow Elections Ontario to schedule byelections to maximize voter turnout.
But the Liberals say the current rules, which require the premier to call a byelection within six months after the seat is vacated, work just fine.
