Stephen Harper sent Canada into the longest election campaign in modern times, and the protracted affair did not lead to another term for the Conservatives.
That is not to say the length of the election was a deciding issue, but as it dragged on a number of issues, ranging from a record of criminal allegations and charges within past governments to the regressive views on immigration, and Canada’s role as a leader worldwide in terms of democracy, fairness and peacekeeping, kept them from ever expanding their support beyond their base.
Of course, history was also squarely against the Conservatives too.
This country has not returned a federal government for a fourth consecutive term in a century. We seem to recognize governments have a shelf live, and like baking soda in the fridge, they need to be changed regularly to keep them fresh and effective.
That said, even a day, or two before we trekked to the polls, it appeared we were headed for a minority government. That was what the pollsters seemed to be pointing to as well.
But the results of a poll do not elect governments, and when we collectively cast votes, the mood for change was clearly evident across Canada, with the exception of Saskatchewan and Alberta which stay solidly Conservative, and will thus sit basically in Opposition well away from the levers of power for at least the next term.
Forgoing the ideologies involved, for two provinces which have become economic drivers in the country in recent years, based on oil, to be isolated with only a limited voice in the inner circle of government at a time of major issues in the sector is simply not a good thing.
Our devotion to the political right notwithstanding, Canada was ready for change.
The mood was not for a minority government which could then force us back to the polls well-short of a four-year term.
In Quebec, voters showed they are now back to being part of the federal debate, the Bloc Quebecois, a party born on the idea of separation, has been nearly erased, only 10 seats left of a party which is on its way to being a political footnote in future history books.
Support for the New Democrats, has traditionally floated around 35 seats. They had 37 prior to a break out in 2011, with 103, which in retrospect is a credit to a strong leader in Jack Layton, and a Liberal lame-duck leader in Michael Ignatieff.
Things are back to nearer the Canadian norm with a weaker NDP leader in Tom Mulcair, relegated back to more the party’s long time normal with 45 seats.
The Liberals rejuvenated under Justin Trudeau, and they were the choice of most voters wanting to topple Harper’s brand of Conservative government.
So the minority never happened.
Instead, we have a Liberal majority, and for the first time in our history, the son (Justin) of a former PM (Pierre Trudeau) will now take that role.
The Conservatives lost a pile of their seats, and Harper himself announced he is stepping down as party leader in the wake of the loss.
With the majority Trudeau will now face high expectations, as the highest voter turnout since 1993, at 68.49 per cent wait to see what the Liberals will do.
Clearly, Canadians showed they want a country free of the fear and divisiveness put forward by the Conservatives in its past legislation, policy, and election campaigning.
But we also have a country on the edge of recession, with major needs for infrastructure renewal, and a need to address numerous social issues, which were at best back-burnered by the Conservatives—the needs of veterans and missing aboriginal women being two obvious examples.
Trudeau’s speech election night touched on most of the right themes, but now he has to follow-up with legislation over the term of this government to fulfill the hope Canadians clearly put in him Monday.
