Results of the 2008 Canadian federal election

Last updated

2008 Canadian federal election
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg
  2006 14 October 2008 2011  
Turnout58.8%
PartyLeader%Seats+/–
Conservative Stephen Harper 37.65%143+16
Liberal Stéphane Dion 26.26%77−18
Bloc Québécois Gilles Duceppe 9.98%49+1
New Democratic Jack Layton 17.48%37+7
Green Elizabeth May 6.78%0−1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Canadian-Federal-2008.png
Analysis of results by riding, together with comparisons from previous election and at dissolution.
Prime Minister beforePrime Minister after
Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2005.jpg Stephen Harper
Conservative
Stephen Harper
Conservative
Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2005.jpg

The 40th Canadian federal election was held on October 14, 2008.

Contents

The Conservative Party of Canada, led by Stephen Harper, won a minority government. The Conservatives won 143 seats. The Liberal Party of Canada, won 77 seats. The separatist Bloc Québécois won 49 seats and the social-democratic New Democratic Party won 37. Two independent candidates won a seat, one each in Nova Scotia and Quebec.

Vote Total

Rendition of party representation in the 40th Canadian parliament decided by this election.
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Conservatives (143)
Liberals (77)
Bloc Quebecois (49)
New Democrats (37)
Independent (2) Canada 2008 Federal Election seats.svg
Rendition of party representation in the 40th Canadian parliament decided by this election.
  Conservatives (143)
  Liberals (77)
  Bloc Québécois (49)
  New Democrats (37)
  Independent (2)
National Results [1]
PartySeatsVotes %
Conservative 1435,209,06937.65
Liberal 773,633,18526.26
Bloc Québécois 491,379,9919.98
New Democratic 372,515,28818.18
Independent 289,3870.65
Green 0937,6136.78
Christian Heritage 026,4750.191
Marxist–Leninist 08,5650.062
Libertarian 07,3000.053
Progressive Canadian 05,8600.042
No Affiliation05,4570.039
Communist 03,5720.026
Canadian Action 03,4550.025
Marijuana 02,2980.0166
Rhinoceros 02,1220.0153
Newfoundland and Labrador First 01,7130.0124
First Peoples National 01,6110.0116
Animal Alliance 05270.0038
Work Less 04250.0031
Western Block 01950.00141
People's Political Power 01860.00134
Total13,834,294100.00%

Vote and seat summaries

Popular vote
Conservative
37.6%
Liberal
26.2%
NDP
18.2%
Bloc Québécois
10%
Green
6.8%
Others
1.2%


Seat totals
Conservative
46.43%
Liberal
25%
Bloc Québécois
15.9%
NDP
12%
Independents
0.65%

Gains and losses

A visual representation of the seat changes occurring from 2006 to 2008. Canadian-Federal-2008.png
A visual representation of the seat changes occurring from 2006 to 2008.
Elections to the 40th Parliament of Canada – seats won/lost by party, 2006–2008
Party2006Gain from (loss to)2008
ConLibBQNDPInd
Conservative 12422(2)1(1)2(2)(1)143
Liberal 1032(22)21(9)77
Bloc Québécois 511(1)(2)49
New Democratic 292(2)9(1)37
Independent 112
Total3086(25)31(5)3(1)3(11)(1)308

The following seats changed allegiance from the 2006 election:

Results by electoral district

Results by province

Party name BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL NU NT YT Total
Conservative Seats:2227139511063101--143
Vote:44.464.653.748.839.221.739.426.136.216.534.837.632.837.6
Liberal Seats:5-1138143536--177
Vote:19.311.414.919.133.823.732.429.847.746.634.813.645.326.2
Bloc Québécois Seats:     49       49
Vote:     38.1       10.0
New Democrat Seats:91-417112-1-1-37
Vote:25.012.725.624.018.212.221.928.99.833.927.641.59.018.2
Green Vote:9.48.85.66.88.03.56.28.04.71.78.45.513.06.8
Independent / No affiliation Seats:11    2
Vote:  0.6 6.6;     0.7
 Total seats:3628141410675101147111308

Atlantic provinces

The Liberals won 17 seats in the Atlantic Provinces, the Conservatives ten, the NDP four, and Independent one. This is a swing of one seat from the Liberals to each of the other parties.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Buoyed by the so-called "ABC Campaign", spearheaded by popular Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, the Liberals won six seats and the NDP one. The Avalon and St. John's South—Mount Pearl seats changed hands from the Tories to the Liberals. The St. John's East seat changed from the Tories to NDP, as Norman Doyle retired. The change in Avalon was a crushing blow as the incumbent Fabian Manning was soundly defeated by the Liberals' Scott Andrews.

Results in Newfoundland and Labrador (Preliminary) [2]
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthVotes %+/-
Liberal 6191,02546.75+3.92
New Democratic 14265,68033.73+20.16
Conservative 2532,26116.57-26.13
Green 513,2591.67+0.77
Newfoundland and Labrador First 1111,7130.88*
Progressive Canadian 15780.30*
Independent 11790.09*
Total194,695100%

Prince Edward Island

The three Liberal incumbents have been re-elected. In the fourth riding, Egmont, incumbent Liberal Joe McGuire retired, and the seat went to the Tories.

Results in Prince Edward Island
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthVotes %+/-
Liberal 3135,37247.67
Conservative 1326,87736.22
New Democratic 47,2339.80
Green 313,4884.70
Independent 11,1011.5
Christian Heritage 11240.2
Total74,195100%

Nova Scotia

All incumbents were re-elected, except in Halifax where the retiring Alexa McDonough was replaced by another New Democrat, Megan Leslie, and in West Nova the incumbent Liberal Robert Thibault was defeated by Tory Greg Kerr. Elizabeth May of the Green Party was defeated in the riding of Central Nova, which was a battle between her and incumbent cabinet minister Peter MacKay.

Results in Nova Scotia
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthVotes %+/-
Liberal 5221130,03829.8
Conservative 335113,79926.1
New Democratic 254126,12728.9
Independent 1228,6986.6
Green 1935,0228.0
Christian Heritage 141,9460.5
Canadian Action 11960.0
Marxist–Leninist 11820.0
Total436,008100%

New Brunswick

The Liberal Green Shift was most unpopular in New Brunswick. Three ridings previously held by the Liberals switched to the Tories; Fredericton, Miramichi, and Saint John. In the other seven ridings the incumbent was re-elected.

Results in New Brunswick
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthVotes %+/-
Conservative 631145,13239.4
Liberal 361119,19732.4
New Democratic 11880,52521.9
Green 1022,6836.2
Marijuana 13300.1
Canadian Action 11680.1
Total368,035100%

Quebec

The Bloc Québécois played obstruction in preventing the Conservatives from achieving a majority. Fifteen battleground ridings were in Quebec, with only three changing hands. The BQ lost the riding of Papineau to the Liberals, but gained the riding of Louis-Hébert from the Tories. A recent recount saw the Liberals take the riding of Brossard—La Prairie from the BQ, slightly strengthening their position. [3]

Results in Quebec
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
Bloc Québécois 491,379,56538.1
Liberal 14859,63423.7
Conservative 10784,56021.7
New Democratic 1441,13612.2
Green 0126,2993.5
Independent 123,1060.6
Marxist–Leninist 02,7530.1
neorhino.ca 02,2630.0
Communist 03930.0
Christian Heritage 02650.0
Marijuana 01830.0
Total3,620,362100%

Ontario

Twenty battleground ridings were in Ontario alone, and the Conservatives took the ridings of Brant, Oakville, Huron—Bruce and Halton from the Liberals, where the NDP took Thunder Bay—Superior North, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, Sudbury and Nickel Belt from the Liberals. The Liberals themselves lost 16 seats in Ontario.

Results in Ontario (99.99% of polls)
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
Conservative 512,019,36239.2+4.1
Liberal 381,741,20033.8-6.1
New Democratic 17938,40018.2+1.2
Green 0411,4448.0+3.4
Independent 013,0290.3+0.14
Christian Heritage 012,9070.3
Progressive Canadian 04,9110.1
Marxist–Leninist 03,5560.1
Libertarian 03,2120.1
Communist 01,5080.0
Marijuana 01,4480.0
Canadian Action 01,1650.0
First Peoples National 06500.0
Animal Alliance 05290.0
Total5,153,321100.0

Prairie provinces

Manitoba

Results in Manitoba
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthSeventhEighthVotes %+/-
Conservative 941228,05148.8
New Democratic 4541112,24724
Liberal 157189,31319.1
Green 21231,7236.8
Christian Heritage 104,1890.9
Independent 215750.1
Communist 1113940.1
First Peoples National 12120.0
People's Political Power 21850.0
Total466,889100%

Saskatchewan

All seats were retained by their incumbent parties. The closest race was Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar. There, the incumbent Carol Skelton did not seek reelection, giving the NDP high hopes that well-known farmers' activist Nettie Wiebe might re-establish a federal NDP presence in Parliament from the province. The seat was retained by Conservative Kelly Block in a close two-way race to keep the NDP shut out in Saskatchewan - despite the fact that their proportion of the popular vote there was in fact higher than any other province outside Atlantic Canada.

Results in Saskatchewan
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthSeventhVotes %+/-
Conservative 131224,92753.7
New Democratic 122107,28925.6
Liberal 1110262,20914.9
Green 21223,2795.6
Christian Heritage 114790.0
First Peoples National 12820.0
Canadian Action 11690.0
Independent 11340.0
Libertarian 1740.0
Total418,842100%

Alberta

Arguably the Conservatives' power base, Alberta's Tory incumbents were all re-elected except for the riding of Edmonton—Strathcona, which the NDP narrowly took that riding with 442 votes.

Results in Alberta
PartySeatsSecondThirdFourthFifthSixthSeventhVotes %+/-
Conservative 271820,85564.6
New Democratic 11476161,40912.7
Liberal 8911144,36411.4
Green 411112111,5058.8
Independent 14119,9951.6
 No affiliation14,8370.4
Christian Heritage 4123,4340.3
Libertarian 311,1840.1
Canadian Action 211,0510.1
Marxist–Leninist 239070.1
Communist 25090.0
First Peoples National 12440.0
Total1,270,294100.0

British Columbia

The Conservatives regained the seats lost in the 2006 election and held on to seven of the ten battleground ridings. They took the ridings of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country from the Greens and Richmond from the Liberals.

Results in British Columbia
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
Conservative 22796,75744.4
New Democratic 9467,33526.1
Liberal 5346,79519.3
Green 0168,7239.4
Christian Heritage 03,3780.2
Independent 03,1230.0
Libertarian 02,9120.2
Marxist–Leninist 01,3550.0
Communist 08350.0
Canadian Action 07590.0
Progressive Canadian 04250.0
Work Less 04230.0
Marijuana 03580.0
Western Block 01950.0
Total1,793,373100%

Territories

Liberal candidate in the Yukon and the NDP candidate in Western Arctic (the Northwest Territories) won re-election.

However, in Nunavut the Liberal candidate Kirt Ejesiak was defeated by Conservative Leona Aglukkaq to give the modern Conservatives their first elected member from the territories.

Results in Nunavut
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
Conservative 12,81534.9
Liberal 02,34929.1
New Democratic 02,22827.6
Green 06698.3
Total8,068100%
Results in the Northwest Territories
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
New Democratic 15,66941.4
Conservative 05,14637.6
Liberal 01,85813.6
Green 07525.5
First Peoples National 02521.8
Total13,677100%
Results in the Yukon
PartySeatsVotes %+/-
Liberal 16,71545.8
Conservative 04,78832.7
Green 01,88112.8
New Democratic 01,2768.7
Total14,511100%

Incumbent MPs defeated

Conservative gains

Liberal gains

NDP gains

Bloc Québécois gains

Open seat gains

Conservatives

Liberals

New Democrats

Defeated cabinet ministers and party leaders

PartyAlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukonTotal
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
Conservative 820,85564.6%796,75744.4%228,05148.8%145,13239.4%32,30416.5%5,14637,6%113,79926.1%2,80634.8%2,019,36239.2%26,87736.2%784,56021.7%224,92753.7%4,75832.8%5,205,33437.6%
Liberal 144,36411.4%346,79519.3%89,31319.1%119,19732.4%91,08446.6%1,85813.6%139,03829.8%2,35929.2%1,741,20033.8%35,37247.7%859,63423.7%62,20914.9%6,56745.3%3,629,99026.2%
Bloc Québécois n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1,379,56538.1%n/an/an/an/a1,379,56510.0%
New Democratic 161,40912.7%467,33526.1%112,24724.0%80,52521.9%66,17133.9%5,66941.5%126,12728.9%2,22827.6%938,40018.2%7,2339.8%441,13612.2%107,28925.6%1,3069.0%2,517,07518.2%
Green 111,5058.8%168,7239.4%31,7236.8%22,6836.2%3,2741,7%7525.5%35,0228.0%6758.4%411,4448.0%3,4884.7%126,2993.5%23,2795.6%1,88013.0%940,7476.8%
  Independents and no affiliation 19,9951.6%2,7070.2%5750.1%n/an/a1790.1%n/an/a28,6986.6%n/an/a13,0290.3%1,1011.5%23,1060.6%1340.0%n/an/a89,5240.7%
Christian Heritage 3,4340.3%3,3780.2%4,1890.9%n/an/an/an/an/an/a1,9460.5%n/an/a12,9070.3%1240.2%2650.0%0.1%479n/an/a26,7220.2%
Marxist–Leninist 9070.1%1,3550.1%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1820.0%n/an/a3,5560.1%n/an/a27530.1%n/an/an/an/a8,7530.1%
Libertarian 1,1840.1%2,9120.2%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a3,2120.1%n/an/an/an/a740.0%n/an/a7,3820.1%
Progressive Canadian n/an/a4250.0%n/an/an/an/a5840.3%n/an/an/an/an/an/a4,9110.1%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a5,9200.0%
Communist 5090.0%8350.1%3940.1%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1.5080.0%n/an/a3930.0%n/an/an/an/a3,6390.0%
Canadian Action 1,0510.1%7590.0%n/an/a1680.1%n/an/an/an/a1960.0%n/an/a1,1650.0%n/an/an/an/a1690.0%n/an/a3,5080.0%
Marijuana n/an/a3580.0%n/an/a3300.1%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1,4480.0%n/an/a1830.0%n/an/an/an/a2,3190.0%
neorhino.ca n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a2,2630.1%n/an/an/an/a2,2630.0%
  Newfoundland and Labrador First n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1,8010.9%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1,8010.0%
First Peoples National n/an/an/an/a2120.1%n/an/an/an/a2521.8%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a2820.1%n/an/a1,6400.0%
Animal Alliance n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a5290.0%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a5290.0%
Work Less n/an/a4230.0%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a4230.0%
  Western Block n/an/a1950.0%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1950.0%
People's Political Power n/an/an/an/a1850.0%n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a1850.0%
Total1,270,294-1,793,373-466,889-368,035-195,397-13,677-43,008-8,068-5,153,321-74,195-3,620,362-418,842-14,511-13,832,972-
Sources: Elections Canada

Voter turnout

Voter turnout was the lowest in Canadian election history, as 59.1% of the electorate cast a ballot. [6] All federally funded parties except for the Greens attracted fewer total votes than in 2006; the Greens received nearly 280,000 more votes this election. The Conservatives lost 167,494 votes, the Liberals 850,000, the Bloc 200,000 and the NDP 70,000.

RegionTurnout (%)
Alberta 52.9
British Columbia 61.0
Manitoba 56.8
New Brunswick 62.8
Newfoundland and Labrador 48.1
Northwest Territories 48.6
Nova Scotia 60.7
Nunavut 49.4
Ontario 59.1
Prince Edward Island 69.5
Saskatchewan 59.4
Quebec 61.1
Yukon 63.7

See also

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References

  1. Elections Canada
  2. Election Canada
  3. CBC (October 24, 2008). "Liberals oust Bloc in suburban Montreal following recount". CBC News. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  4. "Waterloo Region News - Latest Daily Breaking News Stories".
  5. "Waterloo Region News - Latest Daily Breaking News Stories".
  6. "Voter turnout drops to record low". CBC News. October 15, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.