155 TO FORM MAJORITY Prime Minister Brain Harper
Harper captures his majority with NDP forming historic Opposition
The Conservatives have finally captured their coveted majority government in an historic election that vaulted the NDP to a stunning second-place finish, making them the official Opposition, pushing aside the Liberals to a humiliating third.
At the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper expressed elation at his huge win. "What a great night," Harper told more than 1,500 cheering Conservative supporters.
"A strong, stable, national Conservative government," he said.
Harper said Canadians "can now turn the page from uncertainties" with a majority government.
"They chose hope and unity of purpose," he said.
"We must be the government of all Canadians including those who didn't vote for us."
It is the first time in Canadian history that the Liberal party did not finish either first or second.
“It’s tough to lose like this,” said Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who lost his own riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
The Liberals have never suffered a crushing defeat, either in popular support or seat.
“Defeat is a teacher and now we have to learn the lesson of defeat and look at ourselves in the mirror,” Ignatieff said.
The night was full of surprises, but in the end Stephen Harper got what he has so long sought after – a healthy majority. The Tories won 167 seats, earning 40 per cent of the vote.
The NDP nearly tripled the 36 seats the party held at dissolution, winning 102 seats while the Liberals took 34
A triumphant NDP Leader Jack Layton strode through the crowd to speak to his supporters.
“I let Mr. Harper know that I look forward to working with his party and in fact with all parties to get things done for our families. And I shared with him my desire to bring a more positive and respectful tone to Parliament,” Layton said.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe lost his Montreal riding after a 21-year run. The 63-year-old Duceppe proved to be just another Bloc pushover on Monday as the NDP steamrolled to a crushing victory in Quebec.
Duceppe, who became the Bloc's first MP in 1990, was defeated by the NDP's Helene Laverdiere in Laurier-Sainte-Marie. He announced he would be officially resigning in the next couple of days but will continue to fight for Quebec sovereignty.
The Liberals were pounded in Ontario with the Conservatives making gains in Toronto. In the 905 belt around Toronto long-time Liberals MPs were falling, including Ruby Dhalla in Brampton-Springdale and Mark Holland in Ajax-Pickering where he conceded to political novice Chris Alexander, former ambassador to Afghanistan.
Of the 46 seats in GTA, the Conservatives won 31, at the expense the Liberals.
One of the stories of the night was the orange wave across Quebec, the NDP reducing the Bloc to single digits.
And for the first time the Green Party won a seat in the House of Commons after party leader Elizabeth May defeated Conservative incumbent Gary Lunn in the B.C. riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.
“Today we proved the Canadians want change in politics … I stand here today as the first elected Green member of Parliament in Canadian history,” May said after her victory.
In Atlantic Canada, the Conservatives led for the first time in 23 years.
It appears the much-talked-about surge by the NDP — it picked up two new seats in Atlantic Canada at the expense of the Liberals — has contributed mostly to vote splitting, allowing the Tories to come up the centre. The Conservatives picked up three new seats, up nearly seven per cent in support.
Former journalist Ryan Cleary easily won the riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl in Newfoundland in what was expected to be a tight race. He defeated Liberal incumbent Siobhan Coady and Tory candidate Loyola Sullivan, a former provincial cabinet minister.
“We did it, Jack! We did it!” Cleary yelled at a rally.
“Can you feel the winds of political change sweeping across Newfoundland and Labrador?
“Those winds are stirring a sea change in Canadian politics —a sea change that begins here.”
In Nova Scotia, where the first NDP government in Atlantic Canada was elected two years ago, star NDP candidate Robert Chisholm won Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, unseating Liberal Mike Savage. Savage, the son of a former Nova Scotia premier, held the riding since 2004.
Early rumours that Conservative heavyweight Peter MacKay, who was defence minister in the last government, could go down in Central Nova turned out to be just that —rumours. In fact, he won handily.
The NDP’s historic success came about as result of a strong performance by Layton, who defied political predictions and naysayers who questioned whether he would have the stamina for a tiring campaign just weeks after surgery to repair a broken hip. Yet as he hit the trail with cane in hand, voters, especially those in Quebec, embraced Layton as the “new” guy, a surprising twist for a politician who has led the NDP in Ottawa for the last eight years and campaigned in three previous elections.
As Harper and Ignatieff traded partisan shots, Layton seemed to engage voters with his folksy relaxed style and upbeat messages. He came into the campaign as the most popular leader and thanks in part to two solid debate performances, transformed that popularity into a surge of support for the NDP.
Harper made plain his election ambition from the start, when he stood on the front steps of Rideau Hall on the campaign’s first day. After falling short three times before —2004, 2006 and 2008 —he declared that he was going all-out this time to win a majority and put an end to the cycle of minority governments.
And he darkly warned that another minority Conservative would never get a chance to govern, toppled by opposition rivals who would seek to form government themselves.
Harper captures his majority with NDP forming historic Opposition
"Whether or not you cast a vote for us today our government must and will stand on guard for all regions, and we will do so faithfully,” Stephen Harper said last night.
GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES At the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper expressed elation at his huge win. "What a great night," Harper told more than 1,500 cheering Conservative supporters.
"A strong, stable, national Conservative government," he said.
Harper said Canadians "can now turn the page from uncertainties" with a majority government.
"They chose hope and unity of purpose," he said.
"We must be the government of all Canadians including those who didn't vote for us."
It is the first time in Canadian history that the Liberal party did not finish either first or second.
“It’s tough to lose like this,” said Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who lost his own riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
The Liberals have never suffered a crushing defeat, either in popular support or seat.
“Defeat is a teacher and now we have to learn the lesson of defeat and look at ourselves in the mirror,” Ignatieff said.
The night was full of surprises, but in the end Stephen Harper got what he has so long sought after – a healthy majority. The Tories won 167 seats, earning 40 per cent of the vote.
The NDP nearly tripled the 36 seats the party held at dissolution, winning 102 seats while the Liberals took 34
A triumphant NDP Leader Jack Layton strode through the crowd to speak to his supporters.
“I let Mr. Harper know that I look forward to working with his party and in fact with all parties to get things done for our families. And I shared with him my desire to bring a more positive and respectful tone to Parliament,” Layton said.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe lost his Montreal riding after a 21-year run. The 63-year-old Duceppe proved to be just another Bloc pushover on Monday as the NDP steamrolled to a crushing victory in Quebec.
Duceppe, who became the Bloc's first MP in 1990, was defeated by the NDP's Helene Laverdiere in Laurier-Sainte-Marie. He announced he would be officially resigning in the next couple of days but will continue to fight for Quebec sovereignty.
The Liberals were pounded in Ontario with the Conservatives making gains in Toronto. In the 905 belt around Toronto long-time Liberals MPs were falling, including Ruby Dhalla in Brampton-Springdale and Mark Holland in Ajax-Pickering where he conceded to political novice Chris Alexander, former ambassador to Afghanistan.
Of the 46 seats in GTA, the Conservatives won 31, at the expense the Liberals.
One of the stories of the night was the orange wave across Quebec, the NDP reducing the Bloc to single digits.
And for the first time the Green Party won a seat in the House of Commons after party leader Elizabeth May defeated Conservative incumbent Gary Lunn in the B.C. riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.
“Today we proved the Canadians want change in politics … I stand here today as the first elected Green member of Parliament in Canadian history,” May said after her victory.
In Atlantic Canada, the Conservatives led for the first time in 23 years.
It appears the much-talked-about surge by the NDP — it picked up two new seats in Atlantic Canada at the expense of the Liberals — has contributed mostly to vote splitting, allowing the Tories to come up the centre. The Conservatives picked up three new seats, up nearly seven per cent in support.
Former journalist Ryan Cleary easily won the riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl in Newfoundland in what was expected to be a tight race. He defeated Liberal incumbent Siobhan Coady and Tory candidate Loyola Sullivan, a former provincial cabinet minister.
“We did it, Jack! We did it!” Cleary yelled at a rally.
“Can you feel the winds of political change sweeping across Newfoundland and Labrador?
“Those winds are stirring a sea change in Canadian politics —a sea change that begins here.”
In Nova Scotia, where the first NDP government in Atlantic Canada was elected two years ago, star NDP candidate Robert Chisholm won Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, unseating Liberal Mike Savage. Savage, the son of a former Nova Scotia premier, held the riding since 2004.
Early rumours that Conservative heavyweight Peter MacKay, who was defence minister in the last government, could go down in Central Nova turned out to be just that —rumours. In fact, he won handily.
The NDP’s historic success came about as result of a strong performance by Layton, who defied political predictions and naysayers who questioned whether he would have the stamina for a tiring campaign just weeks after surgery to repair a broken hip. Yet as he hit the trail with cane in hand, voters, especially those in Quebec, embraced Layton as the “new” guy, a surprising twist for a politician who has led the NDP in Ottawa for the last eight years and campaigned in three previous elections.
As Harper and Ignatieff traded partisan shots, Layton seemed to engage voters with his folksy relaxed style and upbeat messages. He came into the campaign as the most popular leader and thanks in part to two solid debate performances, transformed that popularity into a surge of support for the NDP.
Harper made plain his election ambition from the start, when he stood on the front steps of Rideau Hall on the campaign’s first day. After falling short three times before —2004, 2006 and 2008 —he declared that he was going all-out this time to win a majority and put an end to the cycle of minority governments.
And he darkly warned that another minority Conservative would never get a chance to govern, toppled by opposition rivals who would seek to form government themselves.
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