by Jim Mallory
MANY Canadian voters were still asleep as this issue of Tribune went to press, but they won’t experience any hangover at the prospect of a third consecutive minority government. The October 14 election left them with the Conservatives increasing their vote, but still governing without a majority.
The result may well suit Canadians, as it reflects recognition that the Tories cannot be allowed to govern unchecked. They increased their seats by 16 to 143, still 12 short of the necessary 155 for a majority.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the election with a big enough poll lead to win a majority, but got blown off course amidst accusations of complacency in dealing with people’s real economic concerns over jobs, life savings and pensions in the face of the worldwide economic crisis.
Dreams of a majority were dashed in Quebec, where Harper’s hopes for gains were derailed by arts funding cuts, which French Canadians saw as attacking their cultural heritage. Meanwhile, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe was taking credit for blocking the Tories as his party maintained their strong base – 50 seats.
The Liberals were the big losers, down by 19 seats to 76, leaving leader Stephane Dion’s position under threat. His “Green Shift” plan, balancing a carbon tax with income tax cuts, failed to resonate. They were also hurt by the Greens, whose strongest showing (7 percent) probably split many votes.
The Liberals leaked seats in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and centre of many hard-hit big industries. The Tories took seats in suburban Toronto and other southern towns, while the left-wing New Democrats (NDP) won many of the northern mining areas.
The NDP led by Jack Layton – who fought a strong campaign – were the other big winners (37 seats), gaining seven seats, a jump that may well have stopped the Tories gaining a majority. They also kept their foothold in Quebec, holding onto a by-election win, their first ever in the French-speaking province.
For the future, Canadians will hope continuing minority rule will provide stability. They put up with three successive minority governments in the 1960s before succumbing to the charisma of Pierre Trudeau, whose son Justin’s first-time victory in Quebec provided the Liberals with a ray of hope.
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