Byelections highlight nasty divisions to come

Four federal byelections have come and gone, and on the surface, it looks like nothing has really changed.People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier failed spectacularly in his quest to pry the Manitoba riding of Portage—Lisgar from the Conservatives. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pal, Anna Gainey, romped to victory for the Liberals in the Quebec riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount. The Tories held the electoral district of Oxford, Ont., while the Liberals retained Winnipeg South Centre.Party standings in the House of Commons remain the same. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.Or not. For despite the lack of drama, there are some important lessons to draw from these contests. One involves nominations. Another foreshadows the tone of the next general election. And the third hints at who may — or may not — be running in it.Read the full column on the National Post website