The New Democrats have won Kitchener-Waterloo in one of two provincial byelections, denying the Liberals a majority government even though they held onto the riding of Vaughan.

The byelections were held to replace retiring MPPs Conservative Elizabeth Witmer and Liberal Greg Sorbara.

The Liberals held on to Vaughan with Steven Del Duca taking 50 per cent of the popular vote to easily defeat Progressive Conservative Tony Genco. The NDP was a distant third.

However, in Kitchener-Waterloo, New Democrat Catherine Fife, supported by teachers and other public sector workers angry at the Liberals for imposing a two-year wage freeze, won the large, urban riding for the first time in the party’s history.

“I want to congratulate and thank our Ontario Liberal candidates – Eric  Davis in Kitchener-Waterloo and Steven Del Duca in Vaughan on running  strong campaigns. They championed our Ontario Liberal values with
 clarity, passion and pride,” Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a statement after the election results.

McGuinty joined Del Duca at his victory party in Vaughan.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in Kitcher-Waterloo to congratulate Fife on her victory.

Ahead of the byelections earlier this week, McGuinty said a majority government will make reducing the provincial deficit easier.

The premier said he is focused on his objective to reduce the deficit and policies like the anti-strike legislation for teachers.

With a majority government, the Liberals could achieve those things much more easily, he said. He added that he is confident that voters will make the right choice.

If the Liberals sweep by-elections in Vaughan and Kitchener-Waterloo, they would be able to form a majority.

Conservative leader Tim Hudak said his party will not be in a jam if they lose the Kitchener-Waterloo riding but added that residents there are not convinced by McGuinty.

“People say that Dalton McGuinty does not deserve a majority government. He hasn’t earned it,” Hudak said.

The riding of Vaughan is expected to stay Liberal, leaving Kitchener-Waterloo in wild-card status.

Hudak has been saying Kitchener-Waterloo was more of an Elizabeth Witmer seat than a Tory stronghold, insisting a loss would not hurt his leadership of the party.

The NDP are hoping for an upset in a riding they’ve never held with their candidate Catherine Fife.

Both opposition parties say Liberals picked a fight with teachers and recalled the legislature for an emergency session to distract voters from the scandal at the Ornge air ambulance service and the $190-million cost of shutting down a generating station days before last fall’s election to save Liberal seats in the Mississauga area.

“It was a very cynical ploy that people recognized for what it was, and I think voters of Kitchener-Waterloo were really disappointed that the government decided to go in that direction instead of addressing the real issues they have there,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

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