Canadian Election

The Conservatives marched to a majority government by sweeping the election held May 2, 2011. PM Harper received a resounding mandate to govern for at least the next 4 years as the Canadian electorate rejected the Liberals reducing them to 3rd party status.

The headline news was the rise of the NDP to lead the Opposition with representation of over 100 seats in the House. This is unprecedented and more then doubled any previous number of seats it had ever held in any one session of Parliament since it's inception.

The Bloc Quebecois lost all but a handful of seats (3 or 4 depending upon re-counts) in Quebec as the NDP became the dominant party in that Province. The Green Party even managed to gain it's 1st seat ever in B.C. as it's leader now will be represented.

Canadians voted for stability; they affirmed the leadership of Harper & rejected Ignatieff. In fact Iggy lost his seat and has been put out to pasture as a lecturer at the University of Toronto. The Liberals seem to be in a quandry as they try & determine their future. Clearly they don't want Bob Rae as their leader as the Globe & Mail reports that they are planning on deferring any leadership decision for a year or more so as to avoid that eventuality.

The NDP were absolutely thrilled with their showing but, as many commentators noted, this strong showing took seats away from the Liberals & insured a majority government for the Conservatives. In fact, the NDP will yield less power now than they did in the last minority session. During the last Parliament the NDP held the balance of power and thus had significant influence on policy. Now, even though they have more than doubled their number of seats, they will have no influence. The Conservatives, with their majority, do not need the assitance of any other party to push their agenda. At least Leyton will have the loudest voice from the impotent minority side of the House as the leader of the Loyal Opposition.

I believe this is all good news for Canada.