How many months?

The next Canadian Prime Minister. If tradition
holds, it will be 2006-2006.


A Powerful Start by Conservatives in Canadian Vote

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Published: January 24, 2006

TORONTO, Jan. 23 - Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party appeared headed for victory over the long-entrenched Liberal Party in Canadian elections on Monday, producing a striking turn in the country's politics that is expected to improve its strained relations with the Bush administration.

Stephen Harper, Canada's Conservative Party leader, and his wife, Laureen Teskey, leave a polling station in Calgary on election day.

Prime Minister Paul Martin hoped to build on a string of four consecutive Liberal national election victories in the last 13 years, but his campaign was damaged by two years of investigations into party scandals that spurred a backlash and a desire for change.

Mr. Martin tried to cut into Mr. Harper's lead in the final days before the voting with a campaign of rancorous advertising, with opinion polls indicating that many urban voters were wary of allowing the country to veer into uncharted ideological waters.

But in the end Mr. Harper seemed to reassure the public that he had evolved into a centrist over the last several years and that his government would emphasize cutting taxes and cleaning up corruption rather than social issues like abortion and gay rights.

Early results in the eastern half of the country showed the Conservatives leading in 101 districts to 80 for the Liberals, followed by the Bloc Quebecois with 49 districts and the labor aligned New Democratic Party with 22. Global television, the country's third largest network, projected a Conservative government about 9:30 pm est but other commentators said it was too early to call the election. The Bloc Quebecois appeard to be failing to reach its goal of winning a symbolically important majority in Quebec because of the Conservative gains.

Shortly after 10 p.m., the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation predicted a conservative victory

Brian Mulroney served two terms, but other recent Tory PM's have served months. To wit, Joe Clark served nine months and Kim Campbell six months. When she was turned out, she even lost her riding.

If Harper is interested in pushing a conservative agenda and growing closer to the deeply unpopular Bush, with a minority government, he could count the months as well.

posted by Steve @ 12:05:00 AM