Pete hasn’t popped in yet with any comments on the Canadian election result, so I’ll fill in for the moment. While the newly merged Conservative Party failed to win a majority, it picked up seats: current CBC figures give them 99. The Liberals and the socialist NDP together got 155 seats in Commons, the bare minimum required to control the House, so they’ll see a Liberal minority government up North for a while. Then if and when some by-election shifts a seat to the Conservatives or the Bloc Quebecois, giving them the magic 155, we may get to see a Con-Bloc coalition. They wouldn’t agree on federalism vs. separatism, but they’d probably have some common ground on devolution. It appears that Canada has developed a lot of the same polarization as the US, with the Left carrying cities and conservatives stronger elsewhere.
I’m looking forward to Lifesite’s take on the results. My guess is that the mild Conservative gain is a mild pro-life gain, judging by the opposition they evoked from pro-aborts before the election.
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From the figures, it looks like the Libs and the NDP together have 154, which would be one under the “magic number” wouldn’t it?
BTW, what is the party that won a single seat and is abbreviated “NA”?
One incumbent Conservative lost the nomination in his riding, but won as an independent.
I’m told that the notion of a Con-Bloc coalition is extremely unlikely, at least because the party in second place simply will not be invited to form a government.
Apparently, it’s only happened once, and people rioted over it.
Where is Canada, again?
Eric,
North.
Ah, yes. Now it rings a bell.