Too close to call. Too close to call.

That is how the Liberal MLA for Kamloops South is describing the byelection in Nanaimo where is working today to get the vote out.

Todd Stone says this is shaping up to be a tight race between his party’s candidate Tony Harris, and the NDP’s Sheila Malcolmson.

“Without question it is too close to call. The NDP have a machine like no other on Vancouver Island. They are pouring their heart and soul into this. Unions have come far and wide to help out their candidate. We have approximately 300 volunteers out today. If you think about that it is a small army. We are pulling out all the stops to do what we need to do to push our guy over the finish line.”

Stone says he feels the Liberals will in in a “squeaker.”

He notes if the BC Liberals win the result will have provincial implications.

“Bill have to go into what is called committee stage and in committee stage the NDP will have to put up Assistant Deputy Speaker half of the time. When that happens we actually will have 43 votes while the NDP and Greens combined would have only 42. So we could frustrate their entire legislative agenda in committee stage. That probably more than anything else would result in there being a provincial election sooner rather than later.”

However Stone says if Tony Harris wins in Nanaimo the Liberals will not go into the legislature seeking to pull down the government right away saying the people want everyone to work together.

To that end he says the government would be served notice they will have to meet the Liberals half way to get anything done.

Stone says but first they need to win in Nanaimo, which is in his opinion a two horse race between the Liberals and the NDP.

A Liberal win would give the party 43 seats a tie with the governing NDP and Greens combined.