Like this article? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.
In a surprise result the Liberal Party of Canada won a majority of seats and will form the next Canadian government with Justin Trudeau serving as prime minister.
The Liberals won 184 seats, the Conservative Party 99, the New Democratic Party 44, the Bloc Québécois 10, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May held her seat.
The biggest surge came from the Liberals who gained 148 seats; the Conservatives saw the greatest upset, with a loss of 60 seats.
Not far behind, the NDP lost 51 seats, mostly due to a massive electoral shift in Québec.
Prime Minister Harper announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Conservatives. Leader of the Official Opposition, Thomas Mulcair, gave no indication he would be doing the same with the NDP, despite relegation to third-party status.
While most national polls had the Liberals in first place, many saw a minority government on the horizon.
Several NDP upsets, including high-profile MPs Megan Leslie, Peter Stoffer, Peggy Nash and Paul Dewar losing their seats, paved way for a Liberal majority. Leslie, a deputy leader of the NDP, ran in the riding of Halifax, an NDP stronghold since 1997.
In his victory speech, Trudeau emphasized the power of “positive politics” and highlighted the defeat of divisiveness and cynicism, while Harper stressed the Conservative’s role in lowering taxes on individuals in his speech. Harper did not mention his resignation then, but the Conservative Party confirmed it in an email, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Many mainstream media outlets endorsed the Conservatives, including the Globe and Mail, National Post and the Sun newspaper chain. The Conservatives also bought the front page of several newspapers across the country on the eve of Election Day.
The Conservative’s campaign seemed to reek of desperation, from their approach to the niqāb debate, to photos with contentious politicians Rob and Doug Ford to manipulative ads sent to Punjabi and Mandarin communities claiming Trudeau backed brothels.
Several Conservative cabinet ministers ended up losing their seat, including Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander and controversial Finance Minister Joe Oliver.
While anti-Harper sentiment built as the election approached, the Trudeau Liberals have supported some of the Conservatives’ more controversial bills.
The Liberals voted for both Bill C-51 and Bill S-7 , the barbaric cultural practices act. In December 2014, Justin Trudeau and 14 other Liberal MPs voted against an NDP motion for mixed-member proportional representation.
In this election the Liberals won a majority with 39.5 per cent of the overall vote, mirroring the 2011 Conservatives who won with 39.6 per cent.
Tyson Kelsall is a freelance writer. Follow him online at @TysonKelsall
Like this article? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.
Support rabble today!
We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year.
rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today.
Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today.
Nick Seebruch, editor
