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Canada Conservatives Capture Their Majority With NDP Forming An Historic Opposition

Jan 6, 2005
3,450
3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
May 2, 2011

Conservatives capture their majority with NDP forming
an historic opposition


May 02, 2011
Richard J. Brennan and Bruce Campion-Smith

ba1468254965b5da3c76ad6675e9.jpeg


Conservative leader and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper
speaks during a campaign rally in London yesterday.
CHRIS WATTIE/REUTERS


The Conservatives have finally captured its elusive majority government in tonight’s federal election with the NDP taking its historic place as official opposition, pushing aside the Liberals to a humiliating third place finish.

It would be the first time in Canadian history that the Liberal party does not finish either first or second.

The night was full of surprises, but in the end Stephen Harper got what he has so long sought after – a healthy majority. Unconfirmed results had the Tories winning or leading in 167 ridings, well above the 155 seats needed to form a majority government.

The NDP was on track to almost triple the 36 seats the party held at dissolution. At this time the party holds 105 seats, the Liberals far back with 33.

The early results showed the Liberals were getting pounded in Ontario and the Conservatives poised to make a breakthrough in Toronto, in the riding of Eglinton Lawrence with Liberal Joe Volpe trailing. It even looked like Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s riding could even go down tonight.

In the 905 belt around Toronto long-time Liberals MPs were falling, including Ruby Dhalla in Brampton-Springdale and Mark Holland in Ajax-Pickering where he conceded to political novice Chris Alexander, former ambassador to Afghanistan.

One of the stories of the night was the orange wave across Quebec, the NDP reducing the Bloc to single digits.

And it looked like the Green Party won a seat in the House of Commons for the first time with party leader Elizabeth May leading in Saanich-Gulf Islands.

In Atlantic Canada, the Conservatives lead for the first time in 23 years. Unconfirmed results had the Conservatives with 13 seats, Liberals 12 and NDP, 12. At dissolution throughout the region, the Liberals held 17 seats, the Tories had 11 and the NDP, four. The Liberals have won the most seats in the region in every federal election since 1997.

It appears the much-talked-about surge by the NDP — it picked up two new seats at the expense of the Liberals — has contributed mostly to vote splitting, allowing the Tories to come up the centre. The Conservatives picked up three new seats, up nearly seven per cent in support.

Former journalist Ryan Cleary easily won the riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl in Newfoundland in what was expected to be a tight race. He defeated Liberal incumbent Siobhan Coady and Tory candidate Loyola Sullivan, a former provincial cabinet minister.

“We did it, Jack! We did it!” Cleary yelled at a rally.

“Can you feel the winds of political change sweeping across Newfoundland and Labrador?

“Those winds are stirring a sea change in Canadian politics —a sea change that begins here.”

In Nova Scotia, where the first NDP government in Atlantic Canada was elected two years ago, star NDP candidate Robert Chisholm won Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, unseating Liberal Mike Savage. Savage, the son of a former Nova Scotia premier, held the riding since 2004.

Early rumours that Conservative heavy-weight Peter MacKay, who was defence minister in the last government, could go down in Central Nova turned out to be just that —rumours. In fact, he won handily.

Returning to politics after 18 years, Bernard Valcourt, who served in the Mulroney government, won the northwestern New Brunswick riding of Madawaska-Restigouche.

The NDP’s historic success came about as result of a strong performance by Layton, who defied political predictions and naysayers who questioned whether he would have the stamina for a tiring campaign just weeks after surgery to repair a broken hip.

Yet as he hit the trail with cane in hand, voters, especially those in Quebec, embraced Layton as the “new” guy, a surprising twist for a politician who has led the NDP in Ottawa for the last eight years and campaigned in three previous elections.

As Harper and Ignatieff traded partisan shots, Layton seemed to engage voters with his folksy relaxed style and upbeat messages. He came into the campaign as the most popular leader and thanks in part to two solid debate performances, transformed that popularity into a surge of support for the NDP.

Harper made plain his election ambition from the start, when he stood on the front steps of Rideau Hall on the campaign’s first day. After falling short three times before —2004, 2006 and 2008 —he declared that he was going all-out this time to win a majority and put an end to the cycle of minority governments.

And he darkly warned that another minority Conservative would never get a chance to govern, toppled by opposition rivals who would seek to form government themselves.

“Imagine a coalition of arch-centralists and Quebec sovereignists trying to work together. The only thing they’ll be able to agree on is to spend more money and to raise taxes to pay for it,” he said.

Ignatieff quickly denied any plans to form a coalition with the NDP or Bloc but that didn’t stop Harper from raising the prospect at every campaign stop.

Harper ran the classic front-runner campaign, staying in a bubble, restricting journalists’ questions and avoiding unscripted moments with everyday voters.
It was a slow and steady election style that included a modest platform that put a focus on restraint. They were a number of tax breaks aimed at families —some post-dated years away, after the deficit was eliminated.

But Harper’s real sales pitch to voters was stability, saying the security of a majority mandate would allow a Conservative government to focus on Canada’s priorities.

“If we have a minority government, my fear is we will go through a fifth election and a sixth election,” he said at one point in the campaign.

In the early weeks, Harper and his Conservatives seemed immune to a string of controversies.

Harper shrugged off the unprecedented contempt of Parliament ruling that sparked the election in the first place, dismissing it as little more than political bickering. And an initial finding from Auditor General Sheila Fraser that the $50 million G8 legacy fund may have been misspent in a Conservative-held Muskoka riding put the heat on the Tories for a few days but soon fizzled out.

Ignatieff came into the campaign as the rookie —it was his first election —on a mission to better the Liberal Party’s lackluster 2008 campaign, when Stephane Dion campaigned on a carbon tax.

There was no such polarizing policy this time. Instead, the Liberal platform put a focus on family-oriented pledges to help with education, caring for ill relatives and strengthened pensions.

Ignatieff hit the campaign under a question mark, formed by months of aggressive Conservative ads that sought to paint the one-time Harvard professor as an out-of-touch elitist.

The Liberal leader fired back that this election was a choice between his party’s plans for “compassionate, responsible” government or Conservatives’ “disrespect for democracy.”

On the campaign, Ignatieff surprised many with his ability deliver rousing stump speeches without notes and his willingness to take unscripted questions at packed town halls, a stark contrast to Harper’s obsessively controlled campaign.

But to Ignatieff’s growing frustration, polls showed that the Liberals, despite a largely gaffe-free performance, weren’t connecting with voters and began slipping in the polls.

The federal election comes five months before two provincial elections in the region. Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island have scheduled votes in October.

source:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-with-ndp-forming-an-historic-opposition?bn=1
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

Sawa lakh se EK larraoan
Mentor
Writer
SPNer
Jul 4, 2004
7,708
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KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA
UJJAL DOSSANJH LOST. GOOD RIDDANCE. CHINESE CANDIDATE WON HANDS DOWN !!
RUBY DHALLA ALSO LOST..........ANOTHER BADAL SUPPORTER...BITES THE DUST.:grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur::grinningkaur:cheerleadercheerleadercheerleadercheerleader
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

Sawa lakh se EK larraoan
Mentor
Writer
SPNer
Jul 4, 2004
7,708
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KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA
Largest number of Sikhs in the Fray..LEAST number WON !! Two Conservatives..and one NDP...Liberals all out to pasture....maybe Badal will give them seats in Punjab since they were more interested in Punjab politics anyway..ha ha ha..

WINNERS – Conservative Party
LOSERS – Liberal Party


Sikh MPs on the way out:
1) Navdeep Singh Bains lost to Eve Adams
2) Gurbax Malhi lost to Bal Gosal
3) Ruby Dhalla kicked out by Parm Gill
4) Sukh Dhaliwal lost against Jinny Sims
5) Ujjal Dosanjh was finally defeated (and hopefully ends his career) by Wai Young.
Sikh MPs who stayed safe:
1) Tim Uppal
2) Nina Grewal
Sikh MPs on the way in:
1) Parm Gill
cheerleader
 
Jan 6, 2005
3,450
3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Dosanjh, Dhalla lose as Canada's ruling party gets majority

Toronto, May 3 : Canada's ruling Conservative Party was returned to power with a majority in the parliamentary elections Monday night.

The party, which missed the majority mark in 2006 and 2008, won 166 seats in the 308-member House of Commons.

But many Indo-Canadian MPs, including former Canadian health minister Ujjal Dosanjh, Canada's first Sikh MP Ruby Dhalla, longest-serving Indo-Canadian MP Gurbax Malhi, Navdeep Bains and Sukh Dhaliwal lost their seats. They all represented the opposition Liberal Party that was reduced to just 35 seats.

Dosanjh, who won by about 20 votes in 2008, lost this time to his rival Wai Young of the ruling party in Vancouver South.

Dhalla, who in 2004 became the first Sikh woman MP in Canada, lost to fellow Indo-Canadian Parm Gill of the ruling party in Brampton-Springdale on the outskirts of Toronto.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney had made it their mission to wrest this seat from Dhalla. The prime minister had visited the constituency four times and even roped in Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for campaigning.

Three-time MP Navdeep Bains, who had held the Mississauga-Brampton South seat since 2004, was also routed this time.

Six-time MP Gurbax Malhi, who created history by becoming the first turbaned Sikh MP in Canada in 1993, was also unseated by fellow Indo-Canadian Bal Gosal of the ruling party in Bramalea-Gore-Malton here.

Former Canada-India Business Council (CIBC) president Sarkar Rana also lost in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough Rouge.

Sitting MP Sukh Dhaliwal was beaten by Jinny Sims (Joginder Kaur) of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Newton-North Delta on the suburbs of Vancouver. Sims becomes the first Indo-Canadian MP for the NDP.

In fact, the NDP got another Indo-Canadian MP when its candidate Jasbir Sandhu beat Shinder Purewal of the Liberal Party in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey North.

But from the ruling Conservative Party, all its sitting Indo-Canadian MPs - Deepak Obhrai (Calgary East), MP Devinder Shory (Calgary Northeast), Tim Uppal (Edmonton-Sherwood) and Nina Grewal (Fleetwood-Port Kells) - retained their seats.

Twenty-three Indo-Canadian candidates were in the fray this time. But the 41st parliament will have eight Indo-Canadian MPs against nine in the outgoing House.

Canada also made history Monday when the left-leaning NDP became the official opposition party for the first time by winning 102 seats, replacing the Liberal Party.

More importantly, Canada's French-speaking Quebec province rejected separatist Bloc Quebecois party and instead voted for the nationalist NDP for the first time.

In fact, Bloc Quebecois was reduced to just four seats from 48 last time, with its leader Gilles Duceppe losing his own seat.

The Green Party also made its entry into parliament with its leader Elizabeth May winning her seat.

Canadian foreign minister Lawrence Cannon was among those who lost Monday.


--IANS
 

spnadmin

1947-2014 (Archived)
SPNer
Jun 17, 2004
14,500
19,219
OMG

More importantly, Canada's French-speaking Quebec province rejected separatist Bloc Quebecois party and instead voted for the nationalist NDP for the first time.

In fact, Bloc Quebecois was reduced to just four seats from 48 last time, with its leader Gilles Duceppe losing his own seat.

How good that makes me feel after all that has gone on recently. Thanks for this article.
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

Sawa lakh se EK larraoan
Mentor
Writer
SPNer
Jul 4, 2004
7,708
14,381
75
KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA
Blockheads defeated..ha ha..48 to 4..is reverse multiplication !!! by 12 times..a very good drubbing esp since the chief blockhead also lost...a lesson to separatist ultras who trample on minority rights...no soup for you.
 

Ambarsaria

ੴ / Ik▫oaʼnkār
Writer
SPNer
Dec 21, 2010
3,384
5,690
Largest number of Sikhs in the Fray..LEAST number WON !! Two Conservatives..and one NDP...Liberals all out to pasture....maybe Badal will give them seats in Punjab since they were more interested in Punjab politics anyway..ha ha ha..

WINNERS – Conservative Party
LOSERS – Liberal Party


Sikh MPs on the way out:
1) Navdeep Singh Bains lost to Eve Adams
2) Gurbax Malhi lost to Bal Gosal
3) Ruby Dhalla kicked out by Parm Gill
4) Sukh Dhaliwal lost against Jinny Sims
5) Ujjal Dosanjh was finally defeated (and hopefully ends his career) by Wai Young.
Sikh MPs who stayed safe:
1) Tim Uppal
2) Nina Grewal
Sikh MPs on the way in:
1) Parm Gill
cheerleader
Gyani Jarnail Singh ji this was a historically good election for Sikhs in Canada. It is the maturing of the Sikh electorate. The Liberals have so taken the Sikhs and Ethnic minorities for granted. Dhalla, Bains and Malhi have done their stuff and will get good pensions. I had the misfortune of meeting with one of them on a personal matter for some help and found the person to be a sweet talking wimp.

I would love to see Sikhs present in a spectrum of parties over time as this is what will bring long term involvement, participation and respect for all.

I would have been even happier to see Jagmeet Singh win who came pretty close to Gosal in riding previously held by Malhi,

Jagmeet Singh NDP-New Democratic Party 19369
Frank Chilelli Leninist Marxiste 371
Bal Gosal Conservative 19907
Gurbax Malhi Liberal Libéral 16402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://jagmeetsingh.ca/page/2/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This would have meant a Sikh in each of the three main parties.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
Jan 6, 2005
3,450
3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Ruby Dhalla’s defeat upsets SAD plans
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 4

pb5.jpg


Ruby Dhalla’s comprehensive defeat in the Canadian elections has marred the Shiromani Akali Dal’s plan to use her as a star campaigner in the Vidhan Sabha elections in the state due to be held in 9 months from now.

During her recent visit to Punjab, Ruby was given a royal treatment by the SAD-led government. She was declared a state guest and provided security meant only for very important persons. She was provided with two high-end luxury sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which were escorted by police vehicles as she travelled in this part of the country. In all, the state government spent Rs 15 lakh on her visit.

SAD insiders said there was a definite intent in giving Ruby the treatment she got. Known for her glamourous appeal, the SAD had plans to utilise her campaigning skills to influence young university, college-going voters and the women.

Ruby has excellent communication skills and is fluent in Punjabi. However, her defeat in the Canadian elections has spoiled the Akali plans.

Ruby, Liberal Party candidate and sitting MP from the Brampton-Springdale constituency, had reportedly sought support in the name of the Akali leadership, especially Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, to influence the Punjabi voters but was defeated by Conservative Party candidate Parm Gill with a huge margin of 7,000 votes. Gill has roots in Puranewala village near Moga.

A senior Akali leader said that following her defeat, her ability to influence voters had diminished. She would no longer be an effective campaigner.

The Akalis Had plans to use her as a star campaigner in the assembly elections to influence young university/college students

- Her USP: Excellent communication skills
- Fluent in Punjabi
- High glamour quotient

source:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110505/punjab.htm#5
 
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