Harper gets pyrrhic victory

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7668738.stm

Canadians re-elect Conservatives

Canada's ruling Conservative Party has been re-elected to head another minority government, according to early results from Canada's elections agency.

The Conservatives, led by Stephen Harper, won 143 seats, a big increase but still short of the 155 needed for a parliamentary majority.

The opposition Liberal Party, led by Stephane Dion, has won 76 seats, a loss of nearly 20 seats.

It will be Canada's third minority government in four years.

Early results indicated that the Conservatives had taken 37.6% of the vote, the Elections Canada website reported.

The Liberals secured 26.2% of the vote.

Mr Harper hailed his party's increase of 16 seats as he claimed victory in the western city of Calgary.

"Our party is bigger, our support base is broader and more and more Canadians are finding a home in the Conservative Party," he said.

He promised to work with the other parties in the House of Commons "to protect the economy and weather this financial crisis".

Mr Harper called the snap poll - the country's third election in four years - in the hope of securing a majority.

He had described the previous parliament as deadlocked and dysfunctional.

Economic turmoil

Canada was the first big economic power to go to the polls to elect a new government since the financial crisis.

The global financial crisis came to dominate the campaign, and Mr Harper was criticised for taking a "stay-the-course" approach and for not showing enough empathy with Canadians affected by the stock market turbulence.

• Conservatives: 143 seats, 37.6%
• Liberals: 76 seats, 26.2%
• Bloc Quebecois: 50 seats, 10%
• NDP: 37 seats, 18.2%
• Other parties: 2 seats, 8%

Source: Elections Canada

The Conservatives also failed to gain much-needed support in the province of Quebec, where his cuts to arts funding were not well received.[/color]

But the Liberals failed to inspire voters with an ambitious green carbon tax plan, says the BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto.

Mr Dion conceded defeat at a rally in Montreal, offering Mr Harper his "full co-operation in these difficult economic times".

Mr Dion, a French-Canadian from Quebec, also had difficulty connecting with English-speaking voters, our correspondent says.

He gave no indication he would be stepping down as Liberal leader over his party's loss of seats.

"Canadians are asking me to be the leader of the opposition and I accept that responsibility as an honour," he said.

In other results, the separatist Bloc Quebecois picked up two seats for a total of 50, while the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) gained seven seats to finish with 37.

[Reba 2]

ugh

[46]

How was this a pyrrhic victory? He won, gained seats and sustained no damage. He simply did not get a majority.

[Sprailenes 47]

How was this a pyrrhic victory? He won, gained seats and sustained no damage. He simply did not get a majority.

co-sign

[Emancipation 2]

I think the message is stay the course on fiscal responsibility, don't do anything stupid, the alternatives were not convincing and hold on for in 2 more years we're heading to the polls again. The liberals didn't help themselves any in this race - I think they lost the vote because of their choice of leaders. Trudeau did gain his seat and that boy will be the golden child of the liberal party - mark my words (as long as he stays away from Belinda Stronach that is

Edited October 15, 2008 by Emancipation

[Saddle Bronc 124]

How was this a pyrrhic victory? He won, gained seats and sustained no damage. He simply did not get a majority.

You supplied the answer