Canadian federal election of 2006

The Canadian federal election of 2006 is held the January 23rd 2006 in order to elect the Député S of the 39 {{E}} legislature with the House of Commons of Canada. The Conservative party of Canada gains a plurality of seats: 40,3% of the seats, i.e. 124 out of 308,25 from more than the 99 obtained at the time of the election of 2004, and 36,3% of the votes (a rise of 6,7% since the 29,6% with the elections of 2004). It results a minority government from it carried out by the Conservative party with Stephen Harper as new a Prime Minister from Canada. It is the smallest minority government with the Canada since the confederation, in terms of many seats held by the party in power.

Cause election

The general elections consisted in electing the 39e legislature of the House of Commons, and to indirectly determine the name of nearest the Prime Minister and his future cabinet, the government being formed by the Political party or the coalition ready to order the confidence of the Room (usually, it is about the party with the most Député S elected).

This election, unusual owing to the fact that it was held in winter, was started following a adopted Motion of censure the November 28th 2005. The following day, the Prime Minister Paul Martin went to the residence of the general gouverneure Michaëlle Jean which has agree to dissolve the Parliament, like wants it the tradition. The countryside lasted nearly eight weeks, longest in two decades, in order to make a trève between Christmas and the New Year's Day.

Several observers considered that recent political events, in particular the testimonys returned to the Commission Gomery which inquired into the Scandale of the mixed liability companies, weakened the liberal (which, under Martin, formed a minority government up to that point) while launching serious allegations of criminal corruption within the party. Although the election was not legally obligatory before 2009, the opposition had sufficient voice to force the dissolution of the Parliament before this date. Although the Martin Prime Minister had urged in April 2005 to dissolve the Parliament in the month following the deposit of the second Gomery report/ratio (envisaged for the 2006), the three preserving parties of the opposition them , the Québécois Bloc and the Nouveau Democratic party (NPD) - thus that three out of four independent deputies decided not to wait, and the motion of censure was adopted with 171 votes against 133.

Candidates

The majority of the analysts had agreed to say that only the liberals or the conservatives had the capacity to form the future government, though the Canadian political history is not without its examples of completely unforeseen results, like the provincial election Ontarian of 1990.

The liberal of the first outgoing minister Paul Martin hoped to take again their majority lost at the time of the last elections.

The preserving of Stephen Harper hoped well to become the third party to form a federal government in Canada. A persistent weakness in Quebec and in the urban areas made doubt this capacity to reach an absolute preserving majority. Additional profits in the rural districts and the Ontarian suburbs were thus necessary at least to form a minority government.

NPD claimed that strategic votes of last minute had cost him several seats in 2004, the left electorate of having transferred their votes to the liberals to prevent that Stephen Harper is carried to the capacity with the head of a conservative government. Jack Layton always avoided claiming to be able to gain the election, preferring to plead for an increased quota of deputies néo-democrats to the communes to hold the balance of power in a minority government, liberal or conservative. The political commentators believe for a long time that the principal goal in the medium term for the NPD would be to be the partners juniors of the liberals in first authenticates Canadian coalition government.

The Québécois Bloc obtained a very satisfactory result at the time of the poll of 2004, the liberals being confined with the areas with strong federalistic tendency in certain sectors of Montreal and Gatineau. Ironically, this wants to say that it only remained very little of districts " gagnables" - around of eight, approximately-that the Block could aim. With their provincial allies of the Parti Québécois which expect to take again the capacity in 2007, an important quota of souverainists to the House of Commons could play an important role in the reopening of the question of the independence of Quebec. The Québécois Block introduced candidates only in the province of Quebec.

In addition to the four parties already represented with the communes, the green Parti of Canada of Jim Harris intended, once more, to introduce candidates in each of the 308 federal districts. Although no green candidate was elected until now in Canada, the party already reached tops of 19% of supports in Colombia-British and 10% with the national scales. They collected approximately 5% of the votes at the time of the poll of 2004.

Events which have occurred at the time of the 38e legislature

An anticipated election was awaited since the election of June 28th, 2004 had elected a minority liberal government. In the past, the minority governments survived on average a year and half before falling, and several considered that the 38e legislature was particularly unstable. It included/understood four parties, and any sufficiently large coalition to hold a majority of seats to the communes, a need so that the government preserves the capacity, would have implied ideoligic combinations incredible forts (for example, liberals + preserving; liberals + bloquists; conservatives + bloquists + néo-democrats). Consequently, the government was threatened to fall; even the Speech from the throne failed to become a vote of distrust.

Crisis in spring 2005

The government was with a hair to fall when the testimonys heard with the Commission Gomery turned the public opinion against the government. The Québécois Block was impatient since the beginning to start hasty elections. The conservatives announced that they had also lost their confidence in the moral authority of the government. Thus, throughout the spring of 2005, much believed that the liberals would lose a vote of confidence, starting an election which would be held at spring or the summer of 2005.

Playing the whole for the whole, the Martin Prime Minister addressa directly with the nation in a speech televised the April 21st, promising to ask the dissolution of the Parliament and to start an electoral campaign in the 30 days following the deposit of the final report of the judge John Gomery. The date of filing of this report/ratio was subsequently deferred to the 2006; Martin clarified then his intentions by announcing that it aimed one day of poll in April 2006.

In the same week, the NPD, which had been initially opposed to the budget, chose to grant their support at the request of Martin to delay the release of the elections. The liberals agree to withdraw the falls of taxes to the companies of the budget in exchange of the support of the NPD on the votes of confidence; however, even with the support of the deputies néo-democrats, they missed three seats to hold a majority with the communes. Dramatic turn of events: the May 17th, the balance of power to the room is modified by the defection-surprise of the preserving deputy Belinda Stronach with the Liberal party. At the time of the vote of confidence, the independent deputies Chuck Cadman and Carolyn Parrish provided to the government the two votes which missed in order to survive the vote on the budget.

The market was not finally necessary: the conservatives chose to ensure the survival of the government at the time of the vote of confidence on the original budget, expressing their support with the cuts of taxes and the military expenditure which it contained. When the Room voted on the second reading and amendment of the budget the May 19th, the preceding events maintained the government in life. The bill of the original budget, C-43, was adopted easily, as envisaged; but the vote on the amendment, C-48, result in an equality of voice, and chair it room votes so that the Parliament continues, like wanted it the parliamentary tradition. The government was never as close to the pit as this evening thereafter. The third reading of the C-48 bill was held late the evening whereas the conservatives did not expect it and that several of them were absent; the bill was adopted easily, guarantissant that there would be no election in a brought closer future.

Continuations of the first Gomery report/ratio

November 1st, the judge John Gomery presented his first report/ratio, and the Scandale of the mixed liability companies occupied the cuffs again. The support with the liberal party melted once more, certain surveys recording an immediate fall of 10%. Conservatives and bloquists renewed their insistence for an election before the date envisaged by Martin. The NPD declared that their support was conditional so that the liberals found measurements to choke the private delivery of the health care. The liberals and the NPD were however unable to come to an agreement, and the NPD united with the two other opposition parties to require an election.

However, the liberals had intentionally fixed the days of opposition (days when an opposition party spéficié control the program) for the November 15th (preserving), the November 17th (Québécois Block) and the November 24th (NPD). These days guarantissaient that any election would overlap the time of the festivals, an idea considered to be unpopular. Following negotiations between the opposition parties, they rather delivered to the Prime Minister an ultimatum, demanding which it immediately starts an election after the festivals, at fault of what it should undergo an immediate vote of not-confidence, which would start an electoral campaign during the festivals.

Accordingly, the NPD introduced a parliamentary motion requiring that the government starts an election in January 2006, for a poll the February 13rd; however, only the Prime Minister with the authority to advise the general governor on a date of election. The government was thus not bound by motion néo-democrat. Martin indicated that he always intended to fix the date of the poll at the April 26th 2006, and that he would despize motion (which was adopted easily as envisaged, thanks to the opposition parties, the November 21st, with 167 votes against 129).

The three chiefs of the opposition had intended themselves to delay the introduction of the motion of not-confidence to November 24th, in order to ensure that a conference between the government and the autochtones chiefs planned for the 24 would not be disturbed by the countryside. The parliamentary procedure dictated that the vote on motion was deferred until the 28. Even if the opposition parties had not deposited their motion of not-confidence, the government expected all the same to fall it were there to have a vote on additional budgetary estimates the December 8th, and if this one had been demolishes, the lack of funds would have forced the fall of the government.

The conservative leader Stephen To grip, chief of the opposition, introduisuit a motion of not-confidence the November 24th, which was supported by the chief néo-democrat Jack Layton. Motion passed to the vote and was adopted the evening of the November 28th: all the deputies of the NPD, the Québécois Block and the Conservative party which were present, like 3 independent (BEV Desjarlais, David Kilgour and Pat O' Brien) voted with a combined force of 171 votes. It was the cinqième time that gouvenement Canadian lost the confidence of the room, but it was the first time that this arrived on a vote of not-confidence. The four occasions precedents had with a lack of funds following a defeat on a budgetary vote where on a motion of censure.

Martin returned visit to Michaëlle Jean the next morning, where he formally advised to him to dissolve the Parliament and to fix the date of the poll on January 23rd. In accordance with the Canadian constitutional tradition, she agreed to it (such a request was refused only once in the history of Canada, to see Affaire King-Byng), officially starting an electoral campaign which mijotait since months.

Early in the countryside, the surveys gave a solid advance from 5 to 10 points with the liberals, which seemed to be able to form a strong minority government in the worst case cases. A turning point seems however to be reached between Christmas and the New Year's Day, with the revelation of an investigation of GRC in a business of allegations of escapes towards financial circle coming from the interior of the department of Finances. Since the bursting of this history, the momentum firmly seems to support the conservatives, who obtained up to ten points in advance on the liberals in the surveys. With the conservatives with equality or even preceding the liberals in Quebec, the possibility of a majority conservative government thus did not seem unrealistic any more.

Promises

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Chronology

January 23rd: Victoire of the conservative party.
January 10th: Second debate of the chiefs televised in French.
January 9th: Second debate of the chiefs televised in English.
January 2nd 2006: For the first time, the Conservative party takes the lead on the liberals in a survey. 33 percent of the Canadians would support the conservatives against 32 percent for the liberals. The support for NPD would be with 18 percent.
December 16th: First debate of the chiefs televised in English.
December 15th: First debate of the chiefs televised in French. A document detailing the strategy of liberal countryside with the Quebec was found by error between the hands of Radio-Canada. It mentions the districts at the risk, and those which the party is certain to lose
December 13rd: Paul Martin is made sermonize by the ambassador of the the United States, David Wilkins, which orders to him to cease attacking the United States to foam its countryside in Canada.
December 3rd: Questioned if it would bring his wife in a private clinic, Jack Layton answered that it would prefer to remain and suffer with his wife.
February 1st: Wal-Mart Canada is in the test card of the electoral attacks. Following a documentary explosive of Television of Radio-Canada which inquired with the Bengladesh and showed the Travail of the children in the factories of clothing sold in Canada, the charges of the Québécois Bloc followed, the Prime Minister Paul Martin promises to legislate to prohibit this practice by a Canadian company.
February 1st: Polemic around the Tax on the products and services, when Stephen To grip, leader of the Conservative party, promises to lower the tax with 5% during its mandate if he is elected. This promise is denounced like irresponsible by the leaders of the other parties
November 29th: after the fall of the minority government of the Liberal party of Canada, the general gouverneure has, following the request of the Prime Minister Paul Martin, dissolves the House of Commons and started general elections for the January 23rd 2006.

Electoral slogans

Electoral slogans of the parties for the election of 2006:

Results

Stephen Harper is re-elected in its district of Calgary-South-Is, that it represents since 2002, securing a seat in the new legislature.

The poll takes place the January 23rd 2006. The first shifts of poll close with 19:00 (hour of the east); Élections Canada starts to publish preliminary results on its Web site with 22:00 (hour of the east) like the last stations of poll close. Shortly after midnight, on January 24th, 2006, the first outgoing minister Paul Martin concedes the defeat, and announces his resignation as a chief of the Liberal party. He continues to sit like deputy of LaSalle-Émard, the district of the area of Montreal which he represents since the election of 1988.

To 9:30 the January 24th, Martin gives his resignation as a Prime Minister to the general gouverneure Michaëlle Jean. A congress of nomination of the Liberal party will be held later in the year to elect a successor with Paul Martin. Later this same day, to 18:45, Jean invites Harper to form a government. The Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers are sworn in the February 6th.

Country

The results show a preserving Minority government holding 124 seats with the House of Commons with a liberal official opposition and a reinforced NPD. With 124 of the 308 districts from the country (+ 26) and 36,3% of the voices, the conservatives gain the election but do not obtain the absolute majority of 155 seats. They make the majority of their profits in Ontario and to the Quebec — indeed, they undergo some losses in the Western. In spite of an offensive of charm, they do not obtain any elected official in the three plus big cities of the country (Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal) but carry ten seats with the Quebec with nearly 25% of the voices (against no before) in front of the liberals (20%). They are preceded in Ontario and in the Atlantic Provinces by the liberals but they gains the totality of the 28 seats of the Alberta (65% of the voices). The share of the votes of the conservatives and the liberals is an almost perfect inversion of the results of these two parties in 2004; however, the conservatives do not succeed in piling up as many seats as the liberals in 2004.

The liberals are beaten with 103 elected officials (- 30) and 30,3% of the votes. They carry the two seats of the Nunavut and the Yukon and precede the conservatives in Ontario and in the Atlantic Provinces. In its speech according to the defeat, Paul Martin declares that it will not carry out the Liberal party of Canada in another election.

The NPD gains new seats in Colombia-British and in Ontario, increasing their share of the votes in a considerable way compared to 2004.Ils gain the only seat of deputy of the Territoires of the North-West and arrive in second position behind the conservatives but in front of the liberals in Colombia-British.

The Block arrives has to almost gain as many seats as in 2004 in spite of to have lost a big part of the popular vote thanks to a new division of voice between the conservatives and the liberals. An internal report published by Helene Alarie in 2007 reveals that it had seriously moved away from the values Canadian-Frenchwomen and had adopted a montrealocentric approach. The results caused an important crisis within the party.

While maintaining to be likely to obtain their first seat at the Parliament, the green Party, with an increase in the voices of 0,2% relative with the elections of 2004, do not succeed in boring in Colombia-British, where their hopes were largest.

A legal examination is automatically ordered in the district of Parry Sound-Muskoka, where the preliminary results give the conservative Tony Clement victorious by only 21 vote on its liberal rival Andy Mitchell, because the difference between the two candidates is lower than 0,1%. Following the recount, Clement is confirmed victorious by 28 votes.

The conservative candidate Jeremy Harrison, demolishes accuracy by the liberal Gary Merasty in the district Saskatchewan ease of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River by 72 votes, launches allegations of electoral fraud, but decides not to launch procedure. A legal examination is ordered in the district and Merasty is confirmed victorious by a reduced margin of 68 votes.

The preliminary results indicate that 64,9% of the recorded voters exerted their right to vote, a notable increase compared to 2004, when only 60,9% had done it.

Notes:

the nomination of candidates ends the January 2nd 2006. The numbers of quoted candidates Ci-high are based on the official recordings. The nominations become official the January 5th 2006.
“ Dissolution ” the state the distribution of the seats indicates at the time of the dissolution of the legislature.
“ % diff. ” the difference compared to the preceding election indicates.
* indicates that the party did not introduce candidates at the time of the preceding election.
See the additional notes low.

By province

By district

the 10 tightest districts

Parry Sound-Muskoka, ONE: Tony Clement (idiots.) demolishes Andy Mitchell (lib.) by 28 votes
Desnethé-Missinippi-River Churchill, SK: Gary Merasty (lib.) demolishes Jeremy Harrison (idiots.) by 73 votes
Winnipeg-South, MB: Rod Bruinooge (idiots.) demolishes reg. Alcock (lib.) by 111 vote
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, ONE: Pierre Lemieux (idiots.) demolishes Rene Berthiaume (lib.) by 203 votes
Louis-Hébert, QC: Luc Harvey (idiots.) demolishes Roger Clavet (BQ) by 231 votes
St Catharines, ONE: Rick Dykstra (idiots.) demolishes Walt Lastewka (lib.) by 244 votes
Tobique-Mactaquac, NB: Mike Allen (idiots.) demolishes Andy Savoy (lib.) by 254 votes
Thunder Bay-Superior-North, ONE: Joe Comuzzi (lib) demolishes Bruce Hyer (NDP) by 408 votes
Nova-West, BORN: Robert Thibault (lib) demolishes Greg Kerr (idiots.) by 511 votes
Brant, ONE: Lloyd St Amand (lib) demolishes Phil McColeman (Idiots) by 582 votes

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