Monday September 20, 2021 | NATIONAL [Updated Sept 21, 2021 – Liberal 158 | Conservative 119 | Bloc 34 | NDP 25 | Green 2 but with mail-in ballots not yet counted]
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
Justin Trudeau has led the Liberal Party to victory again, in winning the highest number of seats in the 44th federal election tonight.
There wasn’t a lot of commitment to anything new. For example, he said there would be a direction to bring housing “within reach”. That doesn’t really promise anything firm.
Accompanied in front of the camera by his wife Sophie and his two eldest children, Trudeau thanked his supporters and the voters. “Our democracy and institutions remain strong.”
He got rousing applause with a signature statement: “Let us seize the promise of a brand new day!”
Conservatives fighting forward:
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole phoned the prime minister to concede the election even as the Conservatives won the popular vote (but not the most seats). In his entirely positive speech with a tone of moving upward and forward (most certainly a callout to the party faithful), O’Toole said the Conservatives will fight “the challenges of today” while working toward “the dream of tomorrow”.
O’Toole emphasized that Indigenous reconciliation is “the very keystone of Canada reaching its potential”. In very much a tone of getting into another election soon (possibly within 18 months, as he repeated several times tonight) O’Toole called Canada “the greatest country on Earth” and pitched to Canadians to “let’s build it up”.
NDP staying the course:
In his speech tonight, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reminded Canadians that his party helped millions of Canadians during the pandemic (by increasing CERB and wage subsidies) and that his party will continue to fight to take care of people. He added that the NDP will “make sure we’re fighting the climate crisis like we really want to win”.
Singh repeated that the NDP will work to see that “the super wealthy pay their fair share” and that his party will “continue to fight for justice for the first people of this land”. He added: “You can count on all New Democrats to continue that fight”.
Having gained two more seats, that puts Singh and the NDP in a slightly stronger position in the House of Commons. But overall, it means the party held on and will move forward, something that was not a certainty during a snap election.
Seat count & popular vote:
The final seat count (before any changes that might come after over one million mail-in ballots are counted):
- Liberal 157 (+2) | popular vote 32% | 47% of seats
- Conservative 121 (+2) | popular vote 34% | 36% of seats
- Bloc Quebecois 32 (no change) | popular vote 8% | 9% of seats
- NDP 26 (+2) | popular vote 18% | 8% of seats
- Green 2 (no change) | 1% of seats
- PPC 0 seats | 5% popular vote | 0% of seats
Vancouver Island:
There are seven federal seats on Vancouver Island. All seven have remained in the progressive camp.
Three NDP incumbents on south Vancouver Island were handily returned to elected office — Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke), Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford), and Laurel Collins (Victoria). Also re-elected are the two NDP incumbents further up the island — Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni) and Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River). Likely winning back Nanaimo-Ladysmith for the NDP is Lisa Marie Barron (final count to come), beating out Green candidate Paul Manly.
That leaves one other seat on Vancouver Island, held now once again by the Green Party’s Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands). The Green Party leader Annamie Paul (who visited Vancouver Island on the second-last day of the campaign) did not win a seat in her home riding of Toronto Centre.
