Ottawa – Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party won national elections Monday and ended 13 years of Liberal rule, giving Canada a leader who was expected to move the country to the right on social and economic issues and bolster ties with the United States.
Prime Minister Paul Martin conceded defeat after official results gave the challengers a near-insurmountable lead. However, it appeared likely the Conservatives’ victory margin would be too narrow to avoid ruling as a minority government, making it difficult to get legislation through a divided House of Commons.
There were cheers at the Conservative Party headquarters in Calgary as media predictions were announced. Harper was expected to give a victory speech later in the night after all the results were announced.
“We know that there is an undeniable and unstoppable sentiment for change in the country,” deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay told supporters. “A change towards a new, clean, constructive attitude that will exist within a Conservative government.”
Relations with the Bush administration are expected to improve under Harper, as his ideology runs along the same lines of many U.S. Republicans.
Harper has said he would reconsider a U.S. missile defense scheme rejected by Martin’s government. He also said he wanted to move beyond the Kyoto debate by establishing different environmental controls, spend more on the Canadian military, expand its peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Haiti, and tighten security along the border with the United States in an effort to prevent terrorists and guns from crossing the frontier.
According to official results, Conservatives had won or were leading in races for 122 House of Commons seats; the Liberals had won or were leading in races for 103 seats; the separatist Bloc Quebecois appeared to have 50 seats; and the New Democratic Party was poised to gain 31 seats.
Martin, 67, conceded defeat and said he would step down as head of the party, though remain in Parliament to represent the Montreal seat he won again.
Many Canadians had grown weary of the broken promises and corruption scandals under the Liberal Party and were apparently willing to give Harper the benefit of doubt, despite fears the 46-year-old economist was too extreme in his views opposing abortion and gay marriage.
