ANDREW Scheer, Conservative Party Leader, on Friday slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for playing political games with by-elections.

Scheer said in a statement: ““Last fall, Justin Trudeau played political games with the timing of important by-elections, calling only one despite the fact that four seats were vacant. Trudeau’s failure left thousands of Canadians unrepresented in Parliament, and further broke the public’s trust in his government.

“As 2019 begins, Justin Trudeau is once again putting his own partisan interests ahead of Canadians who deserve to have their voices heard in Parliament. Four seats are currently vacant, but Trudeau refuses to commit to calling all four by-elections.

“A fifth seat, held by Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio, will become vacant on January 22 – a day after the deadline to call by-elections in advance of the next federal election has passed. Having imposed this new deadline through Bill C-76, Justin Trudeau will leave voters in Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel without representation until the fall.

“With Canadians increasingly fed up with Justin Trudeau’s failures, voters in these vacant seats deserve the chance to have their voices heard. Justin Trudeau needs to do the right thing, and immediately call by-elections in all vacant seats.”