06-29-2004, 07:22 AM
Liberals hang on to win minority
FROM CANADIAN PRESS
Paul Martin crawled back from the edge of an electoral abyss Monday night to retain his grip on power with a minority win that gives his resurgent Liberals a fourth consecutive mandate.
But he'll need the help of the New Democrats to hold on and run the country. NDP Leader Jack Layton said he expected to hear from Martin soon to discuss co-operation.
The Grits, buoyed by a surprisingly strong showing in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, handily beat back a challenge from the Conservatives while losing about three dozen seats as punishment for the sponsorship scandal.
It's a bittersweet outcome for Martin.
The result is a blow when seen from the perspective of a few months ago when Liberals were blithely predicting a huge majority in the 308-seat House of Commons.
But it's also likely to be a sweet relief after a devastating drop in opinion polls during the election campaign that pointed to a Conservative upset.
The Liberals were headed for about 137 seats, down from 176 in the last election in 2000.
It was a long way from the mighty Jean Chrétien majorities of the last 11 years, but it was good enough to edge out Stephen Harper's Conservatives who were on track for about 94 seats.
The NDP appeared likely to almost double its showing to 23 seats, from 14, while the Bloc ran away with Quebec, taking 54 of 75 ridings.
The New Democrat's strength puts Layton in the position of kingmaker rather than the separatist Bloc.
A jubilant Layton, clearly savouring his pivotal position, vowed to drive forward an agenda of health care, environment and investing in cities.
Layton has also said his support for a minority government will depend on overhauling the electoral system to introduce proportional representation.
He told cheering supporters that New Democrats are in a stronger position than ever.
"We more than doubled our vote and our commitment to those people who put their faith in us is that we will be true to the values you hold and the hopes you have and the country that we still want to build together.
"We are the only pan-Canadian party whose support grew in this election. We offered Canadians new energy and they in turn have given it to us."
Francis Fox, a top adviser to Martin, seemed to rule out a formal coalition.
"I lived through two minority governments in my life and formal coalitions are unnecessary," he said. "I think the Canadian population would take a very dim view of a party trying to provoke the collapse of a government ... there is no formal agreement no calls to anyone."
In terms of popular vote, the Liberals captured about 38 per cent support compared to 29 per cent for the Conservatives. The result flew in the face of poll results that had the parties in a dead heat.
The NDP got about 16 per cent of the vote and the Bloc, 12.
In 2000, the Liberals had 41 per cent support while the combined Tories and Canadian Alliance - now merged as the Conservatives - got 38 per cent of the vote. The NDP had the support of just nine per cent of vote four years ago and the Bloc had 10 per cent.
It's unclear how long the new government can hang on.
Joe Clark's minority Tory government in 1979 lasted just six months before he was forced to call an election. But Lester Pearson managed to hold together two minority governments in the 1960s.
As expected, the Conservatives dominated in the West, taking most seats in the Prairies.
The Conservatives' failure to capitalize on the Liberal sponsorship troubles in the Atlantic region may have been compromised by long Maritime memories.
In May 2002, Stephen Harper infuriated Atlantic Canadians when he blamed the region's "culture of defeat" for the Alliance party's inability to elect any members from the region.
In another slap to the Tories, Scott Brison, who abandoned the Conservatives to join the Liberals, easily won his Nova Scotia riding.
Brison, aware that many voters in B.C. had not yet gone to the polls, gave an early victory speech warning Canadians that Harper would run roughshod over minority rights and impose socially conservative mores on the country
Conservative Deputy Leader Peter MacKay, who won his Nova Scotia riding, said Liberal attack ads demonizing the Tories apparently took their toll.
Martin appeared headed for an easy majority just a few months ago before he was stung by the sponsorship scandal and hobbled by an unpopular provincial budget brought down by his Liberal cousins in Ontario.
The Liberal attack ads hammered relentlessly at Harper as a right-wing bogeyman. The attack was unwittingly fuelled by several Conservative candidates who made controversial comments about gay marriage, abortion rights, bilingualism and overruling the courts on social issues.
Harper pounded back with equal vigour about Liberal waste and mismanagement, reminding voters daily about the sponsorship scandal and the gun registry.
It was part of a carefully orchestrated attack designed to inflict maximum damage on a government already limping from the sponsorship blow.
நன்றி
ரொறன்ரோஸ்ரார்
TRONTO STAR
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968793972154
FROM CANADIAN PRESS
Paul Martin crawled back from the edge of an electoral abyss Monday night to retain his grip on power with a minority win that gives his resurgent Liberals a fourth consecutive mandate.
But he'll need the help of the New Democrats to hold on and run the country. NDP Leader Jack Layton said he expected to hear from Martin soon to discuss co-operation.
The Grits, buoyed by a surprisingly strong showing in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, handily beat back a challenge from the Conservatives while losing about three dozen seats as punishment for the sponsorship scandal.
It's a bittersweet outcome for Martin.
The result is a blow when seen from the perspective of a few months ago when Liberals were blithely predicting a huge majority in the 308-seat House of Commons.
But it's also likely to be a sweet relief after a devastating drop in opinion polls during the election campaign that pointed to a Conservative upset.
The Liberals were headed for about 137 seats, down from 176 in the last election in 2000.
It was a long way from the mighty Jean Chrétien majorities of the last 11 years, but it was good enough to edge out Stephen Harper's Conservatives who were on track for about 94 seats.
The NDP appeared likely to almost double its showing to 23 seats, from 14, while the Bloc ran away with Quebec, taking 54 of 75 ridings.
The New Democrat's strength puts Layton in the position of kingmaker rather than the separatist Bloc.
A jubilant Layton, clearly savouring his pivotal position, vowed to drive forward an agenda of health care, environment and investing in cities.
Layton has also said his support for a minority government will depend on overhauling the electoral system to introduce proportional representation.
He told cheering supporters that New Democrats are in a stronger position than ever.
"We more than doubled our vote and our commitment to those people who put their faith in us is that we will be true to the values you hold and the hopes you have and the country that we still want to build together.
"We are the only pan-Canadian party whose support grew in this election. We offered Canadians new energy and they in turn have given it to us."
Francis Fox, a top adviser to Martin, seemed to rule out a formal coalition.
"I lived through two minority governments in my life and formal coalitions are unnecessary," he said. "I think the Canadian population would take a very dim view of a party trying to provoke the collapse of a government ... there is no formal agreement no calls to anyone."
In terms of popular vote, the Liberals captured about 38 per cent support compared to 29 per cent for the Conservatives. The result flew in the face of poll results that had the parties in a dead heat.
The NDP got about 16 per cent of the vote and the Bloc, 12.
In 2000, the Liberals had 41 per cent support while the combined Tories and Canadian Alliance - now merged as the Conservatives - got 38 per cent of the vote. The NDP had the support of just nine per cent of vote four years ago and the Bloc had 10 per cent.
It's unclear how long the new government can hang on.
Joe Clark's minority Tory government in 1979 lasted just six months before he was forced to call an election. But Lester Pearson managed to hold together two minority governments in the 1960s.
As expected, the Conservatives dominated in the West, taking most seats in the Prairies.
The Conservatives' failure to capitalize on the Liberal sponsorship troubles in the Atlantic region may have been compromised by long Maritime memories.
In May 2002, Stephen Harper infuriated Atlantic Canadians when he blamed the region's "culture of defeat" for the Alliance party's inability to elect any members from the region.
In another slap to the Tories, Scott Brison, who abandoned the Conservatives to join the Liberals, easily won his Nova Scotia riding.
Brison, aware that many voters in B.C. had not yet gone to the polls, gave an early victory speech warning Canadians that Harper would run roughshod over minority rights and impose socially conservative mores on the country
Conservative Deputy Leader Peter MacKay, who won his Nova Scotia riding, said Liberal attack ads demonizing the Tories apparently took their toll.
Martin appeared headed for an easy majority just a few months ago before he was stung by the sponsorship scandal and hobbled by an unpopular provincial budget brought down by his Liberal cousins in Ontario.
The Liberal attack ads hammered relentlessly at Harper as a right-wing bogeyman. The attack was unwittingly fuelled by several Conservative candidates who made controversial comments about gay marriage, abortion rights, bilingualism and overruling the courts on social issues.
Harper pounded back with equal vigour about Liberal waste and mismanagement, reminding voters daily about the sponsorship scandal and the gun registry.
It was part of a carefully orchestrated attack designed to inflict maximum damage on a government already limping from the sponsorship blow.
நன்றி
ரொறன்ரோஸ்ரார்
TRONTO STAR
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968793972154
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