Canadian voters emphatically reclaimed their country’s liberal identity, putting Justin Trudeau, the youthful son of one of the country’s most dynamic politicians, in the Prime Minister’s office, and ending ten years of leadership by Stephen Harper, whose dream was to recast Canada as a more conservative country.
The victory in yesterday’s election by Trudeau’s liberal Party was stunning. The liberals were on a path to win at least 184 seats out of 338 — a parliamentary majority that will allow Trudeau to govern without relying on other parties.
Harper’s Conservatives were winning 100. The liberals received 39.5 per cent of the overall vote compared to 32 percent for the Conservatives and 19.6 for the New Democrats. Harper, one of the longest-serving Western leaders, will step down as Conservative leader, the party announced as the scope of its loss became apparent.
Trudeau’s victory could result in improved ties with the United States, at least for the remainder of Barack Obama’s presidency. Harper was frustrated by Obama’s reluctance to approve the Keystone Xl pipeline from Alberta to Texas and clashed with the president on other issues, including the Iran nuclear deal. Although Trudeau supports the Keystone pipeline, he argues relations should not hinge on the project.
Trudeau is the son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who swept to office in 1968 on a wave of support dubbed “Trudeaumania.” He was prime minister until 1984 with a short interruption and remains one of the few Canadian politicians known in America, his charisma
often drawing comparisons to John F Kennedy.