2011 Federal Election Results & Observations

41st Canadian General Election (2011) - Results and Observations:

Party      Seats       Pop Vote%
Cons       167              39.62 
NDP       102              30.62
Lib            34              18.91
Bloc            4                6.05
Green          1                3.91
Ind              -                   .43

Voter Turnout - 61.4%       Click Here for Interactive Map and more detailed results (ridings)

Click Here for Video Highlights of all 5 Party Leader Speeches

• Both Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff  and Bloc leader Gilles Deceppe lost in their ridings and have since than decided to step down as party leaders.
• Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party wins her riding (Saanich-Gulf Islands just outside Victoria, B.C.) being the first ever seat for the Green Party in the House of Commons.
• NDP party win the most seats ever in their party's history as they dominate ridings in Quebec winning 58 of the 75 riding's available..... but despite their strongest showing ever and becoming the Official Opposition (for the 1st time ever), ironically the party has less power now than it did before the election when the Conservatives had a minority government.
• Conservatives win 3rd election in row returning to Ottawa with a strong majority
• The Bloc take a beating in Quebec and now are at risk of losing official party status (requirement is 12 seats).  Without party status they will be treated as Independants, regulated to the back seats with no research budget or voting members in committees, also they will be severely limited in questions asked during question period.
• There will be more female faces in the House of Commons - 76 females were elected on May 2nd (40 NDP, Cons 29, Lib 6, Bloc 1)  as compared to 69 in 2008.
• Cagefighter, bartender, 19 year-olds and musicians among those elected from the NDP (Click to read more about them). 
• Pierre-Luc Dusseault (NDP), a 19-year-old student of applied politics at the Universite de Sherbrooke, now becomes the youngest member of Parliament in Canadian history
•  Ruth Ellen Brosseau (NDP), who won in Berthier-Maskinongé spent most of the campaign working in an Ottawa pub, where she is an assistant manager. That meant she was nowhere to be seen in the riding, which is about a three hour’s drive east. The party did not object when she followed through with a planned mid-campaign vacation to Las Vegas. She didn’t grant any interviews during the campaign and the party acknowledges she needs to improve her French, even though residents in the riding are almost exclusively francophone.
• There are Judicial Recounts expected in at least 2 ridings - click here for more details
• The following parties did not win any ridings....Rhinoceros Party - ran 14 candidates -  received 3819 votes; Communist - ran 20 candidates received 2925 votes;  and Marijuana - ran 5 candidates received 1864 votes.
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Recap of the Conservative Party Campaign Promises....
Crime and law enforcement - Internet surveillance and warrant-less wiretapping
The Conservatives have promised to re-introduce Internet surveillance legislation that they were not able to pass, and bundle it with the rest of their crime bills. They said they plan to fast track the legislation within 100 days after taking office.
 Long gun registry
Harper has pledged to scrap the long-gun registry.
Crime strategies
The Conservative platform includes a promise to consolidate twelve crime bills into at least one omnibus bill and pass it within 100 days forming a majority government. The bills included within that list would crack down on organized drug crime, end house arrest for violent criminals and establish tougher sentences and mandatory jail time for sexual offences against children. The opposition parties claimed the crime bills were not costed fully, and the opposition parties countered that this would create a US style system of prisons. The Conservatives have not released the costs for expanding the prison system.
 Defence policy
The Conservatives plan to purchase sixty-five F-35 Lightning II jet fighters. Stating "Our defence policy is broken"
Economy and fiscal policy
Balanced budget and recession
Conservatives argue they have steered the economy through the 2007-2010 global financial crisis, and promise to eliminate the budget deficit by 2013.
Corporate tax cuts and job creation strategy
The Conservatives state that their plan to cut corporate taxes from 18 to 15%, will create more jobs.Harper stated that an increase in corporate taxes will create job losses across Canada. Conservatives have promised income splitting for tax purposes for families with children to be implemented once the budget is balanced in 2013.
 Political financing
Conservatives pledge to phase-out per-vote subsidy over two years, with its eventual cancellation.
Elimination of the Senate
Stephen Harper has promised Senate reform although he stated he will not open the constitution to do so. The NDP have pledged to abolish the Senate, stating it is a waste of tax payer dollars, and a form of patronage.
 Promised government programs
Newfoundland dam and Quebec's HST
Conservatives and Liberals promise $4.2 billion in loan guarantees to support the Lower Churchill River power project.  Due to outcry from Quebec over the pledge to provide loan guarantees for the Lower Churchill project, the Conservatives promise Quebec a $2.2 billion transfer to ease the Quebec Sales Tax to Harmonized Sales Tax transition.
 Health care
Health care –  All parties have promised to continue to increase health care transfers to provinces by 6% annually.