Canada gets a Conservative government for the first time in over 12 years. With things such as the aftermath of Adscam, the dilapidation of the Canadian Forces, the mounting strain on their single-payer health care system, etc., Stephen Harper and the Tories have their work cut out for them, eh.
One thing I must add: it was nice to work during the day yesterday and not have to worry about exit polls, preliminary results, and the like. That’s because under Canadian Law, the news organizations could not report on election results of any type until the last polls were closed in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory at 7:00 PM Pacific Time (10:00 PM Eastern). That meant I could come home, sit down, get dinner, and view the results like everyone else at the same time, eh.
And another thing: all around the world, it’s being reported as a shocking victory. BULL-S**T! Most MSM outlets didn’t even bother to cover the election, especially here in the United States, which meant if you wanted to get reports about it, you had to go through the blogosphere to find out. If anything, Harper’s vow to restore good relations with the USA in general, and President Bush in particular, will instill more hope amongst those Americans who value the friendship we have forged with Canada over the years, and once again, we will hear the words ”Ready, Aye! Ready!” on the world stage, eh.
The breakdown: For the incoming 308-seat House of Commons, the Conservatives won 124 seats (with major gains in Ontario and Québéc), followed by the Liberals (now the official opposition) with 103, the Bloc Québécois 51 (the most likely coalition partner for the Tories), New Democrats 29 (their ten-seat gain came at the expense of the Liberals), and 1 Independent. It was feared by some Canadian pundits that the Liberals could try to form a coalition with the NDP to prevent Harper from forming a government, but that is not going to happen, as they do not have enough seats. That means the balance of power belongs to the BQ, who seem willing to cut Harper some slack, eh.