Categories: Need to know

Conservatives win majority

NDP to form official opposition, while the Bloc and the Liberals suffer devastating blows

by macleans.ca on Monday, May 2, 2011 11:01pm - 102 Comments

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have won the majority they’ve been pleading for since the start of the election campaign. The night’s other big winners are Jack Layton and the NDP, which will now form official opposition after more than doubling their seat count. The evening’s losers are just as plain to see: the Bloc Québécois has seen its caucus eviscerated by voters, leaving the sovereigntist party with less than 5 MPs after winning 49 seats in the 2008 election. Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe is notably among those who’ve lost their seat. The Liberals, meanwhile, were similarly punished by voters, who’ve cut the party’s caucus to less than half the 77 that were elected in 2008.

Tags: Election 2011

stewacide

So every Conservative MP from Quebec gets a cabinet post, and that's with all the steady hands losing their seats. Will be interesting to see how that pans, although their bungling will doubtless be overshadowed by the herd of kittens that will be the NDP's Quebec caucus.

Advice to NDP leadership: ban them from Twitter, blogging, and the internet entirely. And keep them safely away from the MSM until properly indoctrinated.
Turd_Ferguson

Wow!

Even I didn't see that spanking coming, and I'm blinded by my Alberta agenda.

noob_goldberg

Indeed. That's the problem with having no riding-level polls to look at in Ontario; it was impossible to know what's going on :(

hosertohoosier

Also, I'm watching Ignatieff's speech at the moment. All I have to say is – there is a classy guy.

stewacide

If only he'd held his seat they'd have been well advised to keep him on as leader. As things stand the Liberal Party is doomed as either Rae or Trudeau negotiates a merger with the NDP.

hosertohoosier

Leblanc is leader the Liberals need. Nobody but an Acadien (and a smart, politically deft one at that) can better represent just why Canada needs a party that believes in a strong Canada that defends the rights of minorities throughout the country.

stewacide

Not only do I disagree about Leblanc, but the worst thing the Conservatives could do is pick Lord as leader (not that there's a choice to make now)

hosertohoosier

Hey, what did New Brunswick ever do to you? :)
stewacide

I lived there for the past two years it was miserable (albeit in Fredericton not in Acadia)

I'd point out that I have a pretty positive view of Frank McKenna, although he's clearly well past his best-before date.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

McKenna won't touch politics with a ten foot pole. He's got seats on various corporate boards that provide him with a nice income, and he gets to spend oodles of time with his grandkids. He would not leave that to seek the leadership of a party that has a decade or more of rebuilding ahead of it. No chance. Apparently his wife and family quashed any talk of a draft McKenna movement the last two times the Liberals needed a leader. I don't imagine they've softened on that any.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

I said as much the other night. Lord is so mushy-middle that the Tories would become just one more party clamouring for the centre. Like they haven't done that enough already.

TimesArrow

Concur with H toH on Leblanc…Trudeau is not ready and is too much of a target…unless he has the real fire in the belly to go for it. Trudeau will not initiate any merger. That was clear this evening.

brooster2

Some day, he may come to be regarded as the best PM Canada never had, a tribute that until now has often been used to describe Bob Stanfield.

I predict he'll shortly wash up at the Munk Center at U.of T.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Nope. Back to Harvard.

brooster2

Bets?

At the Munk Centre, he'll be returning to his alma mater and will avoid the "just visiting" tag. Janice Stein may be looking for someone to whom to pass the torch.

FVerhoeven

si right you are!!

danR

.
Congratulations, Mr. Ignatieff. You're the first person in the history of this great nation to have made a machine-run absolute dictatorship look good. You've completely demolished a party in a way that even Mr. Dithers and Chretien could not manage.

We have 20-30 years of paying for those by year 2020 worthless paper-darts; mounting student debt, a crushing of opponents that stand in the Terminator's way, deregulation, national indentured labour to Beijing… a paradise regained for the Milton Friedman brain-damaged theorists…to look forward to.
.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

You're as classy in defeat as you were in (apparent) victory with the polls yesterday.

Linda

Well, the worst has happened. Harper's vision to put Canada in a Global Governance, means kiss this country good-bye. Harper will give Canada to the giant corporations, he has constantly worked for. Harper gave billions of our tax dollars to, banks, mines, large corporations, gas and oil company's. I saw that motion pass, on the House of Commons TV channel. He also gives them, huge tax reductions. He just gave them another reduction, which will come off Canadians paychecks.

Harper is an arrogant, vindictive, dictator. The price we will pay, will Canada will be gone and owned by the wealthy corporations, he works for.

I am very suspicious, 60% of Canadians, did not want Harper as leader. However, he won anyway. Canada became a very corrupt country, because of Harper. I don't trust the voting results. I would have taken Ignatieff or Layton any day, before Harper. We will now live in a dictator regime. I remember Hitler's plan for a thousand year Reich, which would have also been a Global Governance. This is a very sad day for Canada.

Turd_Ferguson

Hurray! You get to rant and rave like this for years to come!

See, tonight wasn't so bad.
Bill

Really?!
You're invoking Hitler?
Shame on you…

Crit_Reasoning

Godwin is working overtime enforcing his laws tonight.

Ariadne

Nastiness like that (the Americans, many of you always deride, has more class in comparison), very unCanadian, is one of the many reasons why Liberals get a whipping.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Linda, you really need to get laid more often.
Peaceful Resistance

Hey you know what, conservatism works great in the states. Look how many people have jobs, are not getting evicted from their homes, oh wait, I forgot, the regular people continue to struggle while wallstreet posts record profits. Conservatives want one thing, rule by the rich, and they pretend to care about hick values to gain the votes they need to win. Congratulations hicks, Harper wll outlaw abortion while bombing babies in another country. Pro-life my ass.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Try curling that lower lip of yours back up towards your mouth and demonstrating a little grace and stoicism in defeat.
stephano g muzzatti

Hey are you one of those brave peacenicks that shows up at G20 summits and destroys property whilst wearing a balaclava ?? The US is suffering due to a spending-out-of-control SOCIALISTS like you who want to exponetially expand the NANNY STATE they are becomming and we have become ! For every wing-nut socialist in our society there is X 10 silent conservative majority ! Once the environmentalist, global warming, snake oil sellers and kool-aid drinkers push too far we will step up and shut you down as per this election.

So feel free to respond when you get your protester backside out of bed at 1pm on your way to pick up your welfare check whilst rolling a fatty ….

stephano g muzzatti

Hitler ???? What odiotic statments ! Typical socialist drone. You would tax the hell out of the companies that provide employment in Canada ! In the meantime you want the government to regulate everything down to environmentally freindly ball point pens, what color socks you can wear, what side of the street to walk on and coddle you all the way to the grave . Your dream NDP socialist government would spend us into a deep dark hole such as the US with "re-distribution of wealth man" Obama. The Liberals would steal you blind AGAIN and people like you keep coming back for more ! I am betting you are awake at night fretting about "global warming " and how you can reduce "your carbon footprint" by composting for your "urban garden" whilst scheeming how you can "save the planet" !! Give me a freakin break !

People are such sheep I can hardly fathom it ……..cont'd ……

Stephano G Muzzatti

What I look to from Mr Harper is : scrapping the liberal feel -good billion dollare boondogle long gun registry, re-enforcing our Armed Forces so they can actually protect our country (people like you think Canada is so loved around the world whislt we are under threat by those way more fasist than Hitler) , cut back on Welfare pmts to include only those who really need it, stop programs to hand out free drugs to addicts (unlike the Liberals and NDP who are drug dealers ..I alwasy wondered why they dont give fee booze to alcoholics) , cut back blowing my tax dollars by handing them out to "artists" , get realisitic on who gets to immigrate to this country , etc etc …

Stephano Gino Olivo Muzzatti

http://my.opera.com/ZakMichigan/blog/ Jean Chicoine

My congratulations to the Conservatives, but it's a sad day for me because as far as I'm concerned, with Harper at the helm, our country will keep sliding backwards. Our children will pay for it.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Keep sliding backwards? Dare I ask how we've slid backwards so far?

rick

sad, sad day for Canada. Harper will now dismantle completely whatever is left of our health care, pensions, future youth,…
You got your Mini-Mulrooney. Now watch him slowly turn against Alberta, and B.C., ….
We're all in for a bad ending with Harper at the helm.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

You couldn't wipe the smile off my face with a rag soaked in bleach.
Citizen_of_Quebec

Politburo of formerly democratic Liberal Party will be remembered as body which destroyed just, peaceful and compassionate .Canada .RIP
stephano g muzzatti

what has changed about our health care ?? THe Harper govt allowing private clinics to perform surgeries like hip and knee replacements bumpes folks like you to the front of the line ! Tell me what kind of 'free' country this is where I cant go and pay a doctor for whatever it is I need if I can afford it ?? DO you think your conveted Health care is free ?? Unless you are on welfare it costs you more than a private policy for 1st rate care in the US would ! AS far as pensions go …what the hell good will $600 a month do me ?? I work hard and take care of myself. If I cant do it when I get old tough beans ! The problem with Canadians is they want big brother to do everything for them ….I suppose if you got Mr Layton as PM he would come to your house and wipe your backside for you …me ..I can do it on my own. Future youth ?? Young people these days dont know the meaning if hard work, self-reliance, responsibility …spoilt brats…let them take care of themselves

the Peoples Republic of Kanukistan ! Yeessshhh

brooster2

Anyone wanna' place bets on how long 'til the CBC is toast?

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Doubt it. Harper has MPs from ridings where they only get one channel. Doubt they'll be too thrilled with losing their only channel. Not everyone in rural areas has a satellite dish.

brooster2

Won't stop Harper from eliminating the competition. He now has his chance. He'll use it. I'm still offering odds.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Ever been to a rural area in your life? They won't be too happy if their only TV station disappears. Not everyone in rural Canada has a satellite dish you know.

Moss Limbayter

The CBC costs taxpayers over $1.1-billion per year. Time to get rid of this boring, pro anything Liberal, anti everything else dinosaur. It might even be less costly to buy or subsidize satellite service for rural Canadians. The downside… where would we find our next Governor General? Good riddance CBC.

KeithBram

Congratulations, Mr. Harper et al. You now have your majority; no more excuses for failing to live up to your promises.

I have said all along you are not trustworthy, and that a majority for you would be bad for Canada. Apparently, not enough Canadians agreed with me. Now is your chance to prove me wrong about your untrustworthiness. Prove me wrong – please!
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

I doubt it. My faith in government of all stripes to screw up spectacularly knows no bounds. I've seen nothing about Harper that would indicate anything different. But I'll enjoy tonight anyway, because, well, why shouldn't I?
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Here are some changes we'll see within a year:

Long gun registry: GONE.

Wheat Board monopoly on wheat and barely: GONE.

Other than that, not much. Not that scary is it?

brooster2

CBC: gone!

Any hope for a national childcare program: gone!

Programs for aging people in need of alternatives to institutional care: gone!

A reasoned examination of the role of Canada's armed forces: gone!

The possibility of a balanced budget, any time soon: gone!

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Yes, the national childcare program is a bullet I am very relieved to have dodged. No way do I want to see a national babysitting program anytime in my lifetime. I'd much rather have joint filing and look after our own kids. In fact, it's the avoidance of another expensive social program like childcare that keeps me voting conservative, more than anything else. The budget will be balanced within 4 years, barring another recession (certainly a possibility).

As for the CBC, don't be ridiculous. Harper has many MPs from ridings where the CBC is the only channel they get over the airwaves. You think he's going to toss a dozen or more rural MPs under the bus? Not everyone in rural Canada has a satellite dish you know.

rick

wrong again Rager.
Harper wants CBC out to make room room for his new media lover, none other that SUN Media, Sun News Network (aka, "FOX News North") but you already knew that didn't you now ?
;)

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Sun Media already exists. And they don't get it on the airwaves out in rural areas. Have you ever even visited a rural area in your life? Many places only get the CBC. Nothing else. And Harper is going to take their Hockey Night in Canada away from them? Sure he is.

brooster2

Fine. Look after your own and congratulate yourself on doing so..

We, too, raised our now adult children with limited government support, in a completely different set of social and economic conditions.

Good luck looking after your elders in anything better than primitive conditions. Harper will claim that's a provincial responsibility while doing nothing in his own country about the neglect of the elderly.

Show me something to suggest he gives a sh!t about that growing problem.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Is it not a provincial responsibility? Perhaps a downsized federal government, with more taxation room for the provinces, is the way to go then. Sounds good to me.

modster99

Booster2 – c'mon. You kind of sound like Emily.

I, like RR, am thrilled to not have another massive social program, especially one with the ability to indoctrinate children at such an early age. (as well as end up costing many times more than anyone had planned, and impossible to reverse, once started).
The best thing for old people would be to have a OAS program that is FUNDED. This needs to be fixed almost as much as health care. If we just throw more money at everything, eventually we will be broke.
We will have an armed force that is funded and capable.
The budget will be balanced, without having to rob everyone to do it.

In 4 years you will be thrilled.

brooster2

"I, like RR, am thrilled to not have another massive social program, especially one with the ability to indoctrinate children at such an early age"

Where did you get that from? At what age did you start school? Were you "indoctrinated" from that point on?

There's little point in having a debate with someone who uses such ridiculously loaded language.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Booster, you're grumpy. You're tired. You're defeated. It's late. Go to bed. What goes around comes around. In four years, or perhaps eight, you will have opportunity to gloat. The only difference is I won't be here posting my sour grapes online and looking like a sore loser in general.

http://onelinecritic.wordpress.com/ DirtyOldTown

Indoctrinated? With a preference for pipe cleaner sculpture over macaroni picture frames? Or is it the unrestricted access to glitter you're worried about?

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

For me it's the glue. Always worried about them damned kids eating glue.
http://onelinecritic.wordpress.com/ DirtyOldTown

There's one in every group.

modster99

Other changes:

Smaller Federal Government. More power to the provinces. These will probably be the most lasting changes that are made.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

And its about time too. I do not understand why we have such a huge federal government. Almost anything important is run by the provinces and/or munis.

stewacide

Agreed. Beyond those two points – and the wheat board isn't a lock – I don't think they'll do anything visibly 'radical'. They need to win the *next* election after all, and that with the possibility of a more united left.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

They owe it to their rural supporters to kill the CWB. Trust me, I know a lot of MB and SK farmers, and if they bother supporting the Conservatives at all, it's because they want the CWB gone. Harper can't ignore that constituency.

Yanni

We expect it, and it is a bit of red meat that doesn't cost them anything. No one who is ever going to vote conservative is ever going to care about the collectivist fantasy that is the CWB.

stewacide

Are these same farmers going to refrain for asking for and receiving subsidies and bailouts when prices move against them? ;)

Of course farmers want to reap every penny when prices are high: there's no downside since the taxpayer will step in when prices are low.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Of course. Farmers are in many ways the biggest welfare recipients in the country. And since they vote Conservative so reliably, Harper will continue to feed them. But there are numerous free enterprise farmers who would rather not have agriculture so heavily subsidized and controlled, and Harper will have to please those farmers too. Thus, the CWB is history.
Yanni

The days are largely gone for a bailout are gone, and frankly the farmers who needed them to stay solvent in the bad years largely went out of business in the mid-90's.

Unless you are in Quebec.

Thwim

Also within the first year: DMCA style copy-right legislation, abortion legislation (hidden within minimum-sentence legislation for murder that just happens to include the unborn as a second offence), stiffer minimum sentenced for drug based offenses.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

You're probably correct about the DMCA copyright legislation, and the stiffer minimums. But they aren't going to tool around with abortion. Quite possibly a private members bill that will be defeated. In any case, if they do, it won't be anything more than bringing Canada in line with other civilized countries where abortion is legal early on and hard to get after a certain cut-off. Even liberal countries like France and Sweden have strict laws governing late term abortions. However, I doubt they'd have the guts to do even this. Don't want to be imitating those damned fascist Scandinavians now do we?

Thwim

There's an evangelical base of Mr. Harper's that's been waiting for this for a long time.. up til now, he's always had the excuse that he couldn't do it in a minority. That excuse is now gone.

And the DMCA regulation alone is enough to be seriously worried with significant knock-on effects against education at all levels.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

The evangelical base will have to wait. Harper isn't going to sacrifice his majority for the sake of religious folks. I know that's the fear everyone's been peddling, but it isn't going to happen. Oh, I'm sure there will be some de-funding of organizations that support abortion in third world countries and the like. Indeed there already has been. Perhaps even some groups here will see their funding cut. But he's not going to legislate.
Thwim

The problem is, if he *doesn't* do it he'll end up sacrificing his majority to a socially conservative party coming from the right. Up 'til now, they've been reluctantly willing to wait, knowing that he didn't have a majority. If he doesn't move forward on this fairly soon, they're going to feel snubbed, and I would be unsurprised if we see the Wild Rose party start talking about moving national.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

I don't know. The Christian Heritage party has been around for 20 years or more. Nobody is afraid of them.
Yanni

As one of the scary religious social conservatives, I expect that he can probably placate me with some funding cuts to abortion providers. It is a sign of progress at least.

After all, what other party will I go to? We have spent a long time in the wilderness, so giving up some hope of improvement on abortion is better than idealistic shouting from the sidelines. To go to the left of course is out of the question, given how badly Catholics and Evangelicals who supported Obama were burned on the abortion file.

Citizen_of_Quebec

If they get rid of Racketeering Boards I too will become their supporter and voter.
Rob Shift

For better or for worse, you'll see the 'omnibus' crime bill passed as well. There are far too many law and order conservatives for them not to do so.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

I must admit, the Tory strategy of "leaking" to the Toronto Star late last week that "we're nowhere close in Ontario" was a stroke of genius. Of course, the official paper of the anti-Harper forces gleefully reproduced that little concession in full. And by running with a story in which a "senior Conservative Party spokesman" waved the white flag in Ontario, the Star all but ensured that thousands of anti-Harper voters simply stayed home, comfortable in the knowledge that Harper would not get his coveted majority. Check out how the Conservatives did in the 905 and even a few 416 ridings tonight. How could the Star editors allow themselves to be so completely suckered??? I bet there is furniture being trashed in the editorial offices right now.

Andrew McInally

Total nonsense. Voting splitting gave them the 15-20 seats they gained, it was a surge in the NDP vote in Ontario the caused this majority. The Conservatives didn't gain in the popular vote, 37 or 38% but 167 seats. The first priority is reforming our election system, proportional representation or AV.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Don't remember those calls for PR when Chretien won with 37% in 1997.

Ariadne

A hearty congratulation to conservatives and PM Harper for their majority win and to the NDP as well for taking Quebec out from the separatists clutches. I feel sorry for Ignatieff for his loss; he could have been good as an individual MP. The loss of Mr. Deuceppe is bitter sweet, in a way he did his job really well; too bad he belongs to a party which intent is to destroy the country we love. He could have been an excellent man to be in a federalist camp. In a way I saw this coming, oppose to the analysis of suppose to be experts and the blind main stream media, people were turned off by the liberal’s platform and many irresponsible promises. By campaigning to be everything to everyone, they end up making more irresponsible promises than even the NDP. Whoever are those people who are behind the Liberal party, they should do a lot of soul searching and set very important and clear principles on what Liberal should stand for (this has been greatly missing for quite a long time). For quite a while now, the liberal has been projecting a very mercenary image. Don't try to please everybody; otherwise you will end up pleasing no one. I hope in the future the Liberal will be able to recover from this defeat to make Canada's political system more diversified and richer. As for the mainstream media, take your blinders off. Be fair with your coverage with each party. Do not think that a root canal endorsement before an election is somehow enough to show your impartiality and erase the focused nastiness towards only one party and your unreasonable deplorable nasty childish attitude toward your new business rival. You may pull a hood over your own eyes but do not try to pull it over those of us who will read and patronize your newspaper, magazine, or TV stations. Had there been an election for the media, many of you would have been going down the tube worse than the BLOC.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Indeed, the only group who failed worse than the Liberals was the media. Honourable mentions to the pollsters, particularly Frank Graves.
rick

"…the NDP as well for taking Quebec out from the separatists clutches….." with all due respect, I wouldn't quite say it that way.
Its more like Here Jack, you can have this huge radioactive Valley, and I'll just take that huge and high Mountain range, so I can be closer to my friends down south, and "their" needs.
The NDP have an "impossible" task ahead of them.
NO ONE in Federal history has ever bean able to give Quebecers what they want, and that's a fact Jack. -remeber Mulrooney and his Conservatives ? , just ask them how that almost collapsed Canada. ?

Ariadne

I agree with you on that, the separatists might have been beaten this time, but that does not mean it's dead. As for NDP, they will soon be facing a lot of problems from their leader (and the current scandal he is facing) to their unknown MPs. From now on, I would be second guessing the reason why Layton pass or block a certain bill, just as I now question his past decisions when it comes to passing and blocking certain bills on illegal immigration, Crime, illegal sex trade, and others. Conservatives should start building their party representation in Quebec, by choosing respected and known prospective candidates starting now. They should not wait for the next election in choosing their prospective candidates, as by then it would too late. I am glad that a separatist party will not be able to use the resources of the government to promote their separatist agenda here and abroad. As for the Liberals, they have a lot of soul searching to do; the people who hold the strings of Ignatieff are so behind the times and so out of it. I though hope they would recover and give us better choices of platform and sound principles for next time. They should stop being nasty and mercenary; they sound and look scarier than the party the accused of being. And to think, they have the main stream media helping them with that nastiness, really turned many of us common Canadians off. I believe this election has been about punishing the Liberals for their arrogance as well as showing our contempt for the media who help them with their nasty work. Why people keep on paying and using Frank Greaves Ekos poll is stupefying. Hey media, start using Compass poll, they have been right and credible so far! But if you choose to keep wearing blinders, you are welcome to them but do not expect us tax payers to swallow and pay for those blinders and arrogance. All media should stop receiving any government funding as this only encourage arrogance, blindness, incompetence, and laziness. Enough is enough!

robert l

You guys all forgot about the monopolization of our water. There has been a giant scandal going on for years dealing with the mass exporting of bulk water supplies to the U.S. and Mexico. Since Harper took over, Chief Justices, Justices, and Witnesses to this crime have all mysteriously died.

http://www.waterwarcrimes.com

Harper is now going to monopolize the water in Canada for himself and his friends because he most likely took out the competition.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

So Harper is killing off opponents of bulk water exports? The ba$tard!!

Gary

Deja vu . This is a dark day for Canada. I feel as down as when Mulroney won his second term. We paid for that dearly. We will pay for Harper 10 fold.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

You might pay. I think I'm safe. Enjoy the next four years.

Atchison

Suck it OriginalEmily! ha ha ha ha ha!

TimesArrow

Grow up son.
http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Please do. I'm quite impressed with the restraint and grace the vast majority of progressive posters have been demonstrating here at Macleans, with a few notable exceptions. It is certainly NOTHING like the cesspool of bitterness I'm seeing over at the CBC comments sections. Please, let us be gracious in victory. Because, in four years or eight years, we will be on the receiving end. That is inevitable. Let us at least know that when we were on top of the heap, we didn't behave like vindictive cretins.

TimesArrow

I think i'm recovered enough to congratulate PMSH. [ oddly enough i'm a bit relieved. The libs need a time out] and the CPC.
I wont be a hypocrite about it. You did damage to our Parliament.I wont forgive that easily. Still, you got no one to blame for your failures now. Let's see what you can do.
I'll be watching:)

former_ADB

Pretty much my feelings too.
The Conservatives have a chance to govern well (something they haven't yet achieved). I hope they do.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

They'll no doubt let us down. They always do. And I say that as a long time Reform/Alliance/Conservative supporter. You may take solace in my cynicism if you like. :)

psiclone

A truly wonderful day for democracy in Canada. Never underestimate the collective wisdom of the Canadian voter .. like the harper haters out there who blided by their own hyper partisanship bought into the negative spin against harper .. We are entering a new era in canada the Right is here and the choice is clear for Canadins from this point on. Choose left NDP or choose Right CPC … very clear, very simple and very democratic. Harper is a master of the game and has once again shown his mettle. Most definitley the man will be going down in history as one of the truly greats and to be a Tory and watch this happen is remarkable. The only remaining task left I see to finsih things off is to get rid of the subsidy and this would result in the remaining Lib,s Bloq's and Greens to disappear as well then we would have a proper balance and a clear choice. Way to go CPC and well done Harper !!!

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

They won't disappear. And the Liberals disappearing is the last thing we need. We need another option besides the Conservatives, and the NDP just don't cut it for most of us. They won't disappear without the per-vote subsidy. In fact, I think it will make them stronger because they'll be forced to rebuild from the ground up, and completely re-organize along much more grass-roots lines. They can't raise money with the same old Liberal model of old. That model died when Chretien outlawed corporate and union donations. They now must develop a ground game and appeal to individuals, one at a time, like the Conservatives have become so adept at doing. Cutting the Liberals off the government teat will actually make them stronger, though I doubt this is Harper's intent. It will be good for Canada.

http://ragingranter.blogspot.com Raging_Ranter

Correction. Chretien brought in the per-vote subsidy and limited corporate and union donations. The Conservatives outlawed corporate and union donations in 2006 with the Accountability Act, supported, I believe, by all the other parties as well.

http://twitter.com/HCCanada Kathleen Moore

Re: The NDP, the BLOC QUEBECOIS:

Some intriguing recent research about the NDP, the BLOC QUEBECOIS, and communist infiltration of political parties:

http://jack-and-gilles-went-up-the-hill.blogspot.com/2011/06/has-far-left-hijacked-quebec.html
hosertohoosier

This is probably a truly bitter night for the Liberal party of Canada. Over the course of the last month, I have debated and discussed the issues (and sometimes more petty matters) with many of you. I may not always agree with you, but I have never doubted that Liberals – no matter how long they may have lived in Canada – love this country and genuinely want it to be a better place. I am jubilant at the Conservative victory – I can't stop looking at the election results and laughing in disbelief – but I also mourn the loss of so many Liberals. I was born when Trudeau was still Prime Minister, and in many ways, the Canada I have known has always the Canada built by your party over the past century. I feel as if we are at a critical moment in Canadian history – a parting of ways. Although I am a Tory, let me say that this country will be weaker if it should forget the tremendous contributions of the Liberal Party to this great country.
noob_goldberg

Indeed, I have enjoyed the past month as well, especially the past few weeks.

However, the little yellow circle is too close to 100 for my liking, so as Danby did the other day, it's time to return to the real world. Before I leave, however, congrats to all CPC posters who always feel so downtrodden here. Tonight is your night.

Noob Goldberg out.
theintellectual

Thanks for the fresh breath of air hth. It's always good to see cross party sympathy and support in a culture charged with partisanship.
derek

The best description of what happened tonight. Not from me.

The Liberals were the center, represented the manufacturing center of Canada, Quebec, Ontario. Resources were on the periphery. The country has changed. Now we have resource extraction wealth in the west represented by the Conservatives, with the NDP representing the old manufacturing center who want a slice of it.

I don't begrudge the Liberals their loss. They were flopping around, now they will be forced to find their base and make it grow.
Crit_Reasoning

Well said, hosertohoosier. The Liberal Party helped build this country, and I have a feeling that the Liberal Party will rise again.
hosertohoosier

Thank you for being civil in all of our conversations.
Crit_Reasoning

Goodbye, Noob Goldberg! I hope you come back and visit on occasion. Thanks for your contributions to these boards—it was a real pleasure exchanging views with you. We didn't always agree, but I always thought that your comments were first-rate.
TimesArrow

See ya Noob. It's been a real pleasure. Drop by some time bud.

I have to ask. What's with the yellow circle? Obtuse T/A :)
r sampling

the liberals have not been in the centre of the political spectrum since 1968 that is why i never vote liberal any more