Still early nationally but only 2 seats changed in the East.

Quebec should be very interesting.

MacDoc, save it for after 10 p.m. EST.

Well considering its on National TV right now. I'm watching the results come in on CBC.

You aren't seeing a National feed. You are seeing a local feed. No websites are allowed to post results until 10PM.

We're clear.

Liberals, Tory, Blocers, Dippers, GO!

Mea culpa but how can the time shifted channels be monitored.

Sure looks like BC will make or break the minority positioning.

CBC declares Harper as next PM in a minority

Mea culpa but how can the time shifted channels be monitored.
The time shift channels here in Oakville were blocked by Cogeco with a message mentioning federal election legislation. Thus, the CBC-NF, CTV-ATV and Global Halifax channels were blocked until 9:30pm EST.

wow, what an amazingly close election
no party can walk away without doing some coalitions and co-operation
But there are so many possible coallitions , we will see how this goes.

Mea culpa but how can the time shifted channels be monitored.

Sure looks like BC will make or break the minority positioning.

CBC declares Harper as next PM in a minority

They blacked them out. I couldn't see CBC on HD, but could see it on regular TV.

Yeah I was watching on HD as well.......it only came on at 9.45 - still some slips in the cogs.

Anyone tracking Anne McClelland??

Since the Mulroney government was a fragile coalition of Quebec nationalists (Lucien Bouchard) and Western populists. The Conservatives will hopefully bring this country together with renewed constitutional accords along with the Bloc. We came so close to having the Meech Lake deal work that people forget that the separatists mostly active when the Liberals are trying to shove federalism down the Quebecers throats.

This is how I see a successful coalition working.

"successful coalition" - I wouldn't bet on it. And he's not the guy to do it. Ask Stronach what kind of consensus builder Harper is.

Harper's got a job muzzling the salivating hyenas in his caucus, the guys who've been handled and tossed into closets the last few weeks.

There is no way that Harper can get an effective coalition. After the cowboy hat ads that the Bloc did, he would not be able to sell to the NeoCons. NDP and Cons would not work either - values are too different (for now).
I don't think the parties have enough money for another election at the moment - so Harper may hold on for a year or two...

There is no way that Harper can get an effective coalition. After the cowboy hat ads that the Bloc did, he would not be able to sell to the NeoCons. NDP and Cons would not work either - values are too different (for now).
I don't think the parties have enough money for another election at the moment - so Harper may hold on for a year or two...

Canadians are watching. Voter turnout was high.

If the other parties don't give them a chance to govern, Canadians might turn around and give them a majority. They are up 23 seats from before. Every election, this party has gained more and more seats.

Another 23 and they get a majority.

That's possible but Harper set that stage by not governing in the last minority.

He would do well to put Jim Flaherty the Finance port folio to get the GTA engaged.

He'll get some traction with the Bloc to a point and that's good.

I would also caution that a bunch of those seats were voting the Libs out NOT Con support.

Remember the NDP is well up so this is by no means "in praise of Cons" as a clear message.

It's a very tentative test run. Given a start of 2 seats getting more each time is hardly rocket science.

NOW it gets real hard and if you look at the combined popluar vote of the Libs and NDP........very very hard.

He can make NO false step and it's fortunate there are some experinced typed like Hugh Segal that moderate Canadians are comfortable with in the background.

He did in Ontario and the backlash was severe as shown by the results.

There is a 6% difference Lib to Con and THAT is the moderate Con vote missing last time. They got that vote and few disaffected Liberals and some Libs went left.
That's a very narrow gap given the urge to give the Libs a time out.
He won't have that luxury next time.

•••

Remember I mentioned a fat lady surprise in the east.

If those 10 seats that went Con in QUEBEC had gone Liberal instead......you can do the math....Martin might well have been PM tomorrow.

That would have horrible for Canada as the GG would likely have to leave Martin in place and there would need to be a new election within days.

114 to 114.......ugh. What a nightmare.
Martin looks so much more relaxed now.

Canadians are watching. Voter turnout was high.

If the other parties don't give them a chance to govern, Canadians might turn around and give them a majority. They are up 23 seats from before. Every election, this party has gained more and more seats.

Another 23 and they get a majority.

60% is high?

As for having a chance to govern, give them the same chance the minority Liberals had. I guess they won't be trying anything controversial, forget about same-sex legislation being reversed (if you can forget the Supreme Court would strike it down anyways), or *anything* like that.

It's Joe Clark all over again.

Anyone tracking Anne McClelland??

She is now a pensioner.

However I have to disagree - Joe Who was a victim of his own backroom.

Harper has a strong backroom of moderates but they have the task of keeping his NeoCon proclivities in check which they almost did in the campaign.
IF they put in a strong moderate cabinet, keep the troglodytes in check then we could have a real choice.

Personally - I don't think it's going to happen.

Martin resigned as leader but did not retire from politics.

I think that's classy but wrong.
Who is up at bat now???/...........

Anne McClelland might have been a good choice for leader......too bad Alberta....

Remember the NDP is well up so this is by no means "in praise of Cons" as a clear message.

MacDoc, you can't have it both ways.

You can't say the support for the Conservatives is a vote against the Liberals and then not say the same of the NDP.

Are you kidding me? The NDP vote is up by..... less than 2%!!!!!!!!! That's nothing. If that's the best the NDP can do, you have to ask yourself what is wrong with their platform.

The Conservatives are up by over 7%. That means Liberal voters jumped to the Conservatives at a much greater rate than the NDP.

So much for people who say the Liberals and NDP are the left wing parties of Canada.

Anne McClelland might have been a good choice for leader......too bad Alberta....
Sorry but "Annie get your gun" would have been terrible. Albertans did the right thing. Pardon the pun.

A strong vote for a moderate platform. If Harper walks the talk he can do much better next time. Of course, that also depends on the Liberals.

This will be a strange parliament. More reality TV programming for Canada.

Are you kidding me? The NDP vote is up by..... less than 2%!!!!!!!!! That's nothing. If that's the best the NDP can do, you have to ask yourself what is wrong with their platform.

That's a bit of interesting analysis. Play with the percentages, and let's see - the NDP could see a swing of over 50% in the number of seats: and it's seats that count.

The NDP got close to the 50% of the vote of the Cons- but 1/4 of the seats. Don't tell me that's a Con value vote. Are you math challenged. 17%, 11% 30% NOT CON VALUES. That' just about 2/3s of the country.

Will be interesting to see what moves the Conservatives make. Certainly, no one wants another election but the Conservatives refused to work with the previous minority so will be on low moral ground if the Liberals fail to play ball with them. That leaves a Tory/Bloc alliance which may cause problems for the Conservatives in Quebec who ran on a ticket to defeat the Bloc. A minority will give Harper a lit of a muzzle and this might be good for him in the longer term as he'll be restrained in his policies and will be able to restrain those to the Right. That might decrease the fear-factor many Canadians have for the guy but the Opposition can make the case that they are the restraining force - keeping the lion at bay. Overall, I think the ultimate outcome (i.e. next election) will depend on the ability of the Liberals to re-build into a party that is distanced from the fiascos of AdScam, etc and the Conservatives to hold steady and be patient. The next couple of years will likely see very little change on big issues. For example, I cannot see the Conservatives being able to pass reversal on SSM, Space Defense, etc.

The Conservatives are up by over 7%. That means Liberal voters jumped to the Conservatives at a much greater rate than the NDP.


Important consideration. Despite the Harper uncertainty (which I openly share), more voters feel comfortable with the Conservatives than NDP.

Are you math challenged. 29%, 11% 30% NOT CON VALUES.

Huh? It has to add up to 100%

It does....I accidently stuck in seats on the NDP - it's still 2/3s not Con.

Yes, very interesting numbers.

The Conservatives have a solid base that lands around 30%, as shown in the last election. The Liberals also have a solid base of around 30% as shown by this election.

The NDP can't gain too much support from the Liberals. So the question is... how much support can the Liberals take from the NDP? But if they move to the left, how much support do they lose to the right? The 7% gain versus 2% NDP gain definately constrains their ability to move too far leftwards.

...constrains their ability to move too far leftwards.

Thankfully.

It does....I accidently stuck in seats on the NDP - it's still 2/3s not Con.

I am not looking at seats, I am talking about percentages. It's 36% Conservative or 54% not Conservative.

For the NDP, it is 83% not NDP. For the Liberals, it is 70% not Liberal.

The NDP got close to the 50% of the vote of the Cons- but 1/4 of the seats. Don't tell me that's a Con value vote. Are you math challenged. 17%, 11% 30% NOT CON VALUES. That' just about 2/3s of the country.

Absolutely.

If anything this election shows the REAL political leaning of the MAJORITY of Canadians.

It's 36% Conservative or 54% not Conservative.


I gave you a couple minutes, but couldn't resist.

Still, your post makes a point for many to think about. The NDP is a fringe party, and has done that well. I hope it becomes more of a party of ideas again.

It does not represent mainstream values.

There is no way that Harper can get an effective coalition. After the cowboy hat ads that the Bloc did, he would not be able to sell to the NeoCons. NDP and Cons would not work either - values are too different (for now).

From what the political watchers on TV say, the Cons and NDP have a number of things that they can work together on from their respective platforms: minimum sentences for gun crime, ethical government laws (ombudsman, whistleblower protection etc.), senate electoral reform, a compromise on national daycare, etc...

As well, Duceppe may be stepping aside and the decline in seats and popular vote for the BQ may mean a warming to federalism. Although the Tories' demise in 1993 was largely from the constitutional fatigue of the failure of the Charlottetown Accords, if Canadians had the stomach for constitutional reform, we might have some good dialogue to get the BQ at the table.

Let's be hopeful about Canada's future.

I gave you a couple minutes, but couldn't resist.

Still, your post makes a point for many to think about. The NDP is a fringe party, and has done that well. I hope it becomes more of a party of ideas again.

It does not represent mainstream values.

Whoops!

Absolutely.

If anything this election shows the REAL political leaning of the MAJORITY of Canadians.

What leaning is that? Centre right?

What leaning is that? Centre right?

Exactly. The country goes from centre-left to centre-right, depending on the circumstances. Of course, that's by definition. Our centre-right is left of the U.S. centre-left. Who's on first?