We've just elected a What?!?

A good question - what did we just elect? As of this moment, it looks like a Liberal minority, probably with a significant NDP "balance of power". I know that the Bloc could also work in the powerbroker role, but from what I've seen, I don't think Martin and Duceppe would work together all that well. (Of course, it remains to be seen how Martin and Layton will work together too...)

My initial thoughts? This is actually the result that I had hoped for - I didn't want the Liberals to hold a majority government again. Regardless of the change of leadership, the power brokers in the party needed a good solid spanking, and I think the electorate delivered that tonight.

I'm relieved to see that Ontario didn't blindly give a bunch of seats up to the Conservatives, giving Harper even a minority government. Harper's not ready to govern yet (if he ever will be), and neither is his party. Sadly, it looks like almost half of the seats the conservatives hold come out of the prairies - and much of that from Alberta. This does not bode well for the future fortunes of the Conservative party, as it dooms them to remaining a regional protest party.

I would have like to see a few Green Party candidates elected - if for no other reason than I think they can fill the void left by the absence of the 'Red Tory' of days past. Oh well, c'est la vie.

The jockeying over the next few days (or weeks) will be interesting, both within the parties and between them. The Liberals will knuckle down to the job of organizing a government; the Bloc and NDP will be anxiously awaiting the overtures sure to come from the Liberals; and the Conservatives, well...something will happen I'm sure.

Perhaps, as Dalton Camp once observed, the Conservatives will circle the wagons around the leader, and start shooting - inwards. It's happened before, and there's nothing saying it won't happen again. (Not that I'd personally miss Harper - but then again, the alternatives might just make him look good)

All in all, it's been one of the most interesting elections of my adult life. The campaign has been interesting, and so has the voting results. Hopefully, this election was 'up in the air' enough to get a few more people out - both thinking about the issues and voting. Democracy only works when its citizens take an active interest in what's going on.

Now that this election is over, I expect this space will turn its attention towards world events - the US has a pending election; the Middle East is a pot unwatched (and therefore likely boiling over) - of course - that depends on what fodder appears in the news.