In an unexpected result the Liberal party of Canada came out of the recent election with a majority government.
Before the 2015 Federal Election in Canada, the Conservative Party had 159 seats, and was under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper for nearly 10 years. The NDP was the official opposition, and the Liberals trailed in a distant third.
After the election, however, the Liberals are now have a majority, the Conservative party retained 85 seats to form the official opposition and the NDP have been relegated to third party status. The Bloc staged a comeback despite their leader, Gilles Duceppe losing his seat, and the Green party retained theirs leaders one seat;
Strength in Democracy which held two seats on the eve of the election has been essentially wiped out losing both.
The Liberal party received almost 7 million votes, whereas the Conservatives six million, and the NDP roughly 3.5 million.
Total voter turnout was 68.5 %, up significantly from 2011.
The election results have taken many by surprise, yet none more than Justin Trudeau, the prime minister elect. He stated in his victory speech in Montreal that he won due to an “old-fashioned strategy: listening.”
Former leader of the Conservative Party and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, however, is not bitter in his defeat. He has stated, after a long and exhausting campaign, ‘’We have no regrets. Friends, how could we? We remain citizens of the greatest country on Earth’’.
Students at UNBSJ themselves have varied reactions to the election and to Trudeau himself. Some were surprised more than others, some not so much.
The latter category includes Genevieve Crowell, a second year student. She wasn’t surprised by the results.
‘’I knew people wanted the Conservative’s out, and, being realistic, the NDP didn’t exactly have enough support’’.
Crowell continues,
‘’He’s really in a tough spot. I think he will do the best that he can given the position he has. It’s a large country and he has a lot to take on’’.
Trudeau and the Liberals take office on November 4.