Canadian Elections Held in June

Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Paul Martin during the campaign. Photo courtesy of Liberal Party of Canada

On June 28, 60 percent of Canadians voted in a federal election. The result was a minority Liberal government, which could pave the way for another trip to the polls if, at any time, the government is defeated in a non-confidence vote. Paul Martin came in as the incumbent Prime Minister, his first campaign for the office since he succeeded former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien last fall.

The official seat totals stand at 135 Liberals, 99 Conservatives, 54 Bloc Quebecois, 19 New Democratic Party, and 1 Independent.
The Liberals campaigned on a platform focusing on the Canadian health care system and emphasized eliminating extended waiting periods for consultations, assessments and treatments.

Although the campaign was characterized by contentious social issues and a flurry of charges and counter-charges about financial mismanagement, in a more positive vein, it was the
first time:

• all four major leaders were able to debate in both official languages; and
• the new campaign finance rules were in effect, and had a significant impact on contributions.

In other political developments:

• Stephen Harper recently took the helm of the New Conservative Party – the result of a controversial merger of the former Progressive Conservative Party and the Alliance Party of Canada;
• Gilles Duceppe led the Bloc Quebecois – a party which runs candidates solely in the Province of Quebec; and
• Jack Layton, a longtime City of Toronto Council member, won a seat in the House of Commons and in addition, became the leader of the New Democratic Party.