The high-profile campaign for Toronto riding Etobicoke-Lakeshore officially begins this Saturday afternoon with a rally in support of NDP candidate, Liam McHugh-Russell. Russell, a 25 year-old U of T law student, is taking on Harvard professor and rumoured challenger for the Liberal leadership, Michael Ignatieff, famous for his pro-invasion, pro-torture support for the Bush administration’s adventures in the middle east.

Want to join the rally? Here’s the announcement:

Join NDP candidate in saying ‘No Thank You’ to pro-war Liberal in Etobicoke-Lakeshore

The campaign starts here. The Etobicoke-Lakeshore NDP and their candidate, Liam McHugh-Russell, are opening their campaign office with a rally this Saturday, Dec 17th at 1:00pm.

The rally will promote a candidate whose vision is grounded in the Canadian values of human rights, sustainable development and peace. The rally is for Canadians of all walks of life to gather and ask Canadians, riding residents and activists to say ‘No Thank You’ to the pro-war Liberal candidate.

When: 1:00pm on Saturday Dec. 17th.

Where: 2895 Lakeshore Blvd W (1 1/2 short blocks west of Islington on the south side)

Much has been written about the NDP’s tight races across the Greater Toronto Area—city-councillor Olivia Chow against confirmed Martinite Tony Ianno, economist Paul Summerville against Carolyn Bennett, union negotiator and prominent environmentalist Peggy Nash against Industry Parliamentary Secretary Sarmite Bulte in Parkdale High Park, etc., but the Etobicoke-Lakeshore race may be the most important for Jack Layton’s long-term goals. To begin with, it is eminently winnable—will Paul Martin really prioritize a political battle that may bring a powerful rival for his job into the Liberal caucus? And with the Liberal’s misguided and arrogant dropping of their candidate into the riding, their campaign now represents just the kind of cynical “power at all costs” type of politics Layton so vocally opposes.

No word yet on whether Layton will be showing up for the rally, but he sure should.