Justin Trudeau: “It’s Time for Change, My Friends.”

Peter Muggeridge | October 20th, 2015

“It’s time for change in this country, my friends. Real change,” said Canada’s new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his victory speech last night.

After watching the candidates pose for photo ops, grip hands with constituents, raucously debate the issues, smear their opponents at every opportunity and make political promises they’ll be hard-pressed to keep, Canadians dutifully exercised their democratic franchise last night and voted for the candidate they feel has the best chance of bringing about “change.”

When the final votes were tallied in B.C., the Liberals will form a majority government, winning 184 seats and 39.5 per cent of the popular vote. What many are calling a political comeback of stunning  proportions, the Liberals captured 39.5 per cent of the popular vote, a shade less than the 39.62 per cent the Tories garnered in the 2011 election.

By handing the federal Liberals a majority government, the message was clear: Canadians signalled their desire to oust the Conservatives from office, ending their decade-long run in Ottawa and prompting Stephen Harper to resign as leader.  Trudeau now has carte blanche to carry out his expansive – and some might say expensive – vision for Canada.

The big losers last night were the NDP, which started the campaign so well but finished a distant third, winning only 44 seats and 19.7 per cent of the vote. As the early results came in from Atlantic Canada and Quebec, it was clear that Tom Mulcair’s party was bleeding support to the Liberals, and a complete sweep of the East along with half the ridings in Quebec all but ensured the Liberal majority.