Canadian federal election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons
of the 36th Parliament
of Canada
. Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
's Liberal Party of Canada
won a second majority government. The Reform Party of Canada
replaced the Bloc Québécois
as the Official Opposition
.
The election closely reflected the pattern that had been set out in the 1993 election
. The Liberals swept Ontario
, a divided Bloc managed a reduced majority in Quebec
, and much of the west was won by Reform, particularly its Alberta
base, enabling the Reform to overtake the Bloc as the second largest party.
The major change was that the New Democratic Party
(NDP) and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
all but wiped out the Liberals in Atlantic Canada
, leaving only Prince Edward Island
which remained entirely Liberal. Among these defeated were two cabinet ministers; David Dingwall
, Minister of Public Works
from Nova Scotia
, and Doug Young, Minister of National Defence
from New Brunswick
, both lost to NDP candidates in a major blow to the Liberals, as Atlantic voters were upset over cuts to employment insurance and other programs. Also unsuccessful in his bid for a seat was Dominic LeBlanc
, a Liberal and the son of then-Governor General Roméo LeBlanc
.
Some commentators on election night were even predicting that the Liberals would be cut down to a minority government
, and/or Chrétien would lose his seat, although it was clear that none of the opposition parties could manage a plurality of seats. Chrétien did narrowly win his riding and the Liberals would manage a four-seat majority thanks to some gains in Quebec at the expense of the Bloc, although they finished considerably lower than the 1993 total due to the losses in Atlantic Canada. Mostly because of these gains in Atlantic Canada, Jean Charest
's Tories and Alexa McDonough
's NDP both regained official party status
in the House of Commons. This marked the first time in Canadian history that five political parties held official party status in a single session of Parliament. The Progressive Conservative Party placed third in the popular vote, behind Liberal and Reform, but still won the fewest seats due to the first past the post system. The Reform Party gained seats in Western Canada to overtake the Bloc as the second-largest party in the House to become the Official Opposition.
Independent member John Nunziata
, who had been expelled from the Liberal Party for opposing the Goods and Services Tax
, was also re-elected in his riding in Toronto
.
A change of 718 votes in just five ridings, Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, Simcoe—Grey, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, Cardigan, and Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet (286, 241, 117, 50, and 24 votes respectively), from the Liberals to the second place candidate (NDP, Ref, PC, PC, and BQ, respectively) would have resulted in a minority government.
Voter turnout was 67.0%, one of the lowest federal election turnouts ever.
was criticized for having called an early election for political reasons, as polls at the time predicted that the Liberal Party was expected to win a landslide victory capturing at least 180 to at most 220 of the 301 seats in the House of Commons. The right-wing conservative vote continued to be divided between the Progressive Conservative Party and the Reform Party and was expected to not be able to defeat the government.
When the election was called, many commentators noted that it ended the second shortest majority mandate in Canadian history; only Wilfrid Laurier
's term of office from 1908-1911 had been even more brief. Chrétien's decision to hold an early election was seen as cynical by some, as Manitoba was still recovering from the devastating Red River Flood
earlier in the year. Reg Alcock
and several others inside the Liberal Party had opposed the timing of the vote, and the poor results prompted Paul Martin's supporters to organize against Chrétien.
The major issue in the campaign was national unity due to a referendum on independence from Canada being held in Quebec in 1995 which was only narrowly rejected.
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The Liberal Party under Jean Chrétien
campaigned on promising to continue to cut the federal deficit to allow the creation of a budget surplus and then to spend one half of the surplus on repaying Canada's national debt as well as cutting taxes while the other half of the surplus would be used to increase funding to social programs such as health care, taking action to assist Canadian children living in poverty, and to promote job creation. The platform was called Securing Our Future Together. The Liberal Party was attacked by the opposition parties for failing to keep many of the promises that the party campaigned on in the 1993 federal election
. The Liberals attacked the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party for prematurely calling for tax cuts while a deficit still remained while attacking the New Democratic Party for proposing to increase government spending while Canada faced a deficit.
The Liberals suffered from a number of faulters and weaknesses in their campaign. In one incident, Jean Chrétien was questioned by reporters over the financial cost of Liberals' election proposal of a national pharmacare program in which reporters claimed that Chrétien was unsure of what the costs of such a program would be. Chrétien also turned down invitations for interviews by Canada's national media outlet, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) and MuchMusic
. In the televised debates between the five major political parties, Chrétien conceded to apologize to Canadians for his government having cut funding for social programs.
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The Reform Party
under Preston Manning
campaigned on preserving national unity through equal enfranchisement and decentralization of multiple federal government powers to all of the provinces, cutting taxes, reducing the size of government, reducing spending, and strongly opposing proposals for a special distinct society status for Quebec. Their platform was titled the Fresh Start for all Canadians. The Reformers expanded candidates into Quebec, making this the first and last election in which the Reform Party would hold candidates in every region of Canada, as in 1993 they excluded running candidates in Quebec and in 1988 the party only represented Western Canada
. The Reform Party attempted to utilize the election to finally make the party a national party by aiming to make political inroads outside of Western Canada, particularly in Canada's most highly populated province of Ontario.
The Reformers faced multiple problems. The party was repeatedly accused by other parties and the media for ostensibly holding intolerant views due to comments made by a number of Reform MPs. Manning's leadership abilities had been questioned by a number of former members of the Reform Party including future Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
who accused Manning of inappropriately using the party's internal finances for a lavish $31,000 CAD
personal expense allowance as leader. Critics had accused the party's performance during the 1993-1997 parliament of being disorganized. Some Reform Party supporters were frustrated by the party's decision to expand its political base into Quebec as they continued to believe that the party should represent English Canada and others from the right-wing and populist faction of the party were angry that Manning punished MPs Bob Ringma
and David Chatters
During the campaign the Reform Party released a controversial television advertisement where the faces of four Quebec politicians: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, Progressive Conservative leader Jean Charest, and the separatist Premier of Quebec Lucien Bouchard
were crossed out followed by a message saying that Quebec politicians had dominated the federal government for too long and that the Reform Party would end this favoritism towards Quebec. The advertisement was harshly criticized by the other party leaders including accusations that Preston Manning was "intolerant" and a "bigot" for having permitted the advertisement to be aired. Though accused of being intolerant towards minorities by opponents, multiple visible minorities ran as Reform Party candidates and a number were elected as MPs including Rahim Jaffer
, who became Canada's first Muslim
member of parliament; Gurmant Grewal
, an Indo-Canadian; and Inky Mark
, a Chinese-Canadian.
The Reform Party began the campaign with substantial finances with $1.5 million CAD
in cash reserves and by the end of the campaign had raised a total of $8 million CAD with a vast majority of the money coming from donations by individuals or small businesses.
The results for the Reform Party were a minor tactical success as the party gained enough seats in Western Canada to become the Official Opposition, removing the Quebec separatist Bloc Québécois from the position. The party won the second largest number of votes and won 60 seats in the House of Commons. Strategically, the Reform Party failed to make inroads into Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada and lost its one seat it previously held in Ontario, leaving the party with no seats east of the province of Manitoba, isolating the party to effectively being a western-based party, which was in part due to vote-splitting of the right-wing conservative vote in Ontario between Reformers and Progressive Conservatives.
The Bloc Québécois lost its position of Official Opposition that it first held since 1993 and fell to the position of Third Party in the House of Commons. The party won the fifth largest number of votes of the total vote of Canada, though the party ran exclusively in Quebec. However the party remained the largest party in Quebec
, capturing a majority of 44 seats out of the total 75 in the province.
under the leadership of Alexa McDonough
regained official party status that the party lost in the 1993 Canadian federal election. The party won the fourth largest share of total votes and won 21 seats in the election with a substantial showing in Atlantic Canada as well as winning seats in almost all provinces and regions of Canada except for Alberta and Quebec.
The Progressive Conservative Party under Jean Charest
campaigned on securing national unity in Canada by recognizing Quebec as being a distinct society within Canada. Charest and the Progressive Conservatives benefited from supporting distinct society in Quebec and resulted in the party rapidly rising in popularity amongst both francophones and non-francophones in Quebec, with polls indicating that Quebec voters preferred Charest over Gilles Duceppe
, the leader of the Bloc Québécois.
The Progressive Conservatives faced multiple difficulties due to the party not being able to apply for federal financial assistance due to it not being an official party as after the 1993 election, the Progressive Conservatives had collapsed from being federal government to only having two seats. Western Canadians who had voted in protest for the Reform Party in 1993 due to their dismay with the Progressive Conservatives still remained frustrated with the party and the Reformers remained the dominant conservative political force in the west. In addition, the inroads by Reformers into Ontario caused vote splitting between the Progressive Conservatives and Reformers which in Canada's plurality electoral system, allowed the Liberals with the plurality of votes in many Ontario ridings to be elected when the total combined Reform Party and Progressive Conservative Party vote in such ridings was more than the Liberal Party.
The Progressive Conservatives won the third largest number of the total votes and improved their situation in the House of Commons as they were restored as an official party after winning 20 seats. However the Progressive Conservatives were isolated as largely an eastern regional party, as won most of their seats in Atlantic Canada
and Quebec
, while winning only one seat in both Ontario and Manitoba due to vote splitting with the Reform Party.
enjoyed a 79% increase in support from the previous election, and saw its greatest success in British Columbia where it received 2% of the vote despite not running a full slate of candidates in the province. The Green Party remained almost entirely off the national media's radar. At 0.43% of the vote, and 1.64% of the vote in the ridings it contested, the Green Party remained a small but growing movement.
Source: Elections Canada
Articles on parties' candidates in this election:>
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
of the 36th Parliament
36th Canadian Parliament
The 36th Canadian Parliament was in session from September 22, 1997 until October 22, 2000. The membership was set by the 1997 federal election on June 2, 1997, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 2000 election.It was controlled by...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
won a second majority government. The Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
replaced the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
as the Official Opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
.
The election closely reflected the pattern that had been set out in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. The Liberals swept Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, a divided Bloc managed a reduced majority in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and much of the west was won by Reform, particularly its Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
base, enabling the Reform to overtake the Bloc as the second largest party.
The major change was that the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
all but wiped out the Liberals in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
, leaving only Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
which remained entirely Liberal. Among these defeated were two cabinet ministers; David Dingwall
David Dingwall
David Charles Dingwall, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and civil servant.A lawyer by training, Dingwall was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1980 Canadian federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Cape Breton—East Richmond in Nova Scotia...
, Minister of Public Works
Minister of Public Works (Canada)
The position of Minister of Public Works existed as part of the Cabinet of Canada from Confederation to 1995.As part of substantial governmental reorganization, the position was merged with that of the Minister of Supply and Services to create the position of Minister of Public Works and Government...
from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and Doug Young, Minister of National Defence
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
from New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, both lost to NDP candidates in a major blow to the Liberals, as Atlantic voters were upset over cuts to employment insurance and other programs. Also unsuccessful in his bid for a seat was Dominic LeBlanc
Dominic LeBlanc
Dominic A. LeBlanc, PC, MP , is a Canadian lawyer and politician from New Brunswick, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Beauséjour and sits in the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party's Foreign Affairs Critic. He was first elected in the 2000 federal election and has...
, a Liberal and the son of then-Governor General Roméo LeBlanc
Roméo LeBlanc
Roméo-Adrien LeBlanc was a Canadian journalist, politician, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 25th since Canadian Confederation....
.
Some commentators on election night were even predicting that the Liberals would be cut down to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
, and/or Chrétien would lose his seat, although it was clear that none of the opposition parties could manage a plurality of seats. Chrétien did narrowly win his riding and the Liberals would manage a four-seat majority thanks to some gains in Quebec at the expense of the Bloc, although they finished considerably lower than the 1993 total due to the losses in Atlantic Canada. Mostly because of these gains in Atlantic Canada, Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
's Tories and Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
's NDP both regained official party status
Official party status
Official party status refers to the Canadian practice of recognizing political parties in the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. The type of recognition and threshold needed to obtain it varies...
in the House of Commons. This marked the first time in Canadian history that five political parties held official party status in a single session of Parliament. The Progressive Conservative Party placed third in the popular vote, behind Liberal and Reform, but still won the fewest seats due to the first past the post system. The Reform Party gained seats in Western Canada to overtake the Bloc as the second-largest party in the House to become the Official Opposition.
Independent member John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...
, who had been expelled from the Liberal Party for opposing the Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
, was also re-elected in his riding in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
A change of 718 votes in just five ridings, Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, Simcoe—Grey, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, Cardigan, and Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet (286, 241, 117, 50, and 24 votes respectively), from the Liberals to the second place candidate (NDP, Ref, PC, PC, and BQ, respectively) would have resulted in a minority government.
Voter turnout was 67.0%, one of the lowest federal election turnouts ever.
Campaign
The election was declared on April 26, 1997, and to be held on June 2 of that year, one year and a half before the mandate of the government would expire. Prime Minister Jean ChrétienJean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
was criticized for having called an early election for political reasons, as polls at the time predicted that the Liberal Party was expected to win a landslide victory capturing at least 180 to at most 220 of the 301 seats in the House of Commons. The right-wing conservative vote continued to be divided between the Progressive Conservative Party and the Reform Party and was expected to not be able to defeat the government.
When the election was called, many commentators noted that it ended the second shortest majority mandate in Canadian history; only Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
's term of office from 1908-1911 had been even more brief. Chrétien's decision to hold an early election was seen as cynical by some, as Manitoba was still recovering from the devastating Red River Flood
Red River Flood, 1997
The Red River Flood of 1997 was a major flood that occurred in April and May 1997, along the Red River of the North in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Southern Manitoba. It was the most severe flood of the river since 1826...
earlier in the year. Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
and several others inside the Liberal Party had opposed the timing of the vote, and the poor results prompted Paul Martin's supporters to organize against Chrétien.
The major issue in the campaign was national unity due to a referendum on independence from Canada being held in Quebec in 1995 which was only narrowly rejected.
Liberal Party
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
campaigned on promising to continue to cut the federal deficit to allow the creation of a budget surplus and then to spend one half of the surplus on repaying Canada's national debt as well as cutting taxes while the other half of the surplus would be used to increase funding to social programs such as health care, taking action to assist Canadian children living in poverty, and to promote job creation. The platform was called Securing Our Future Together. The Liberal Party was attacked by the opposition parties for failing to keep many of the promises that the party campaigned on in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. The Liberals attacked the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party for prematurely calling for tax cuts while a deficit still remained while attacking the New Democratic Party for proposing to increase government spending while Canada faced a deficit.
The Liberals suffered from a number of faulters and weaknesses in their campaign. In one incident, Jean Chrétien was questioned by reporters over the financial cost of Liberals' election proposal of a national pharmacare program in which reporters claimed that Chrétien was unsure of what the costs of such a program would be. Chrétien also turned down invitations for interviews by Canada's national media outlet, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
. In the televised debates between the five major political parties, Chrétien conceded to apologize to Canadians for his government having cut funding for social programs.
Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
under Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
campaigned on preserving national unity through equal enfranchisement and decentralization of multiple federal government powers to all of the provinces, cutting taxes, reducing the size of government, reducing spending, and strongly opposing proposals for a special distinct society status for Quebec. Their platform was titled the Fresh Start for all Canadians. The Reformers expanded candidates into Quebec, making this the first and last election in which the Reform Party would hold candidates in every region of Canada, as in 1993 they excluded running candidates in Quebec and in 1988 the party only represented Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
. The Reform Party attempted to utilize the election to finally make the party a national party by aiming to make political inroads outside of Western Canada, particularly in Canada's most highly populated province of Ontario.
The Reformers faced multiple problems. The party was repeatedly accused by other parties and the media for ostensibly holding intolerant views due to comments made by a number of Reform MPs. Manning's leadership abilities had been questioned by a number of former members of the Reform Party including future Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
who accused Manning of inappropriately using the party's internal finances for a lavish $31,000 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
personal expense allowance as leader. Critics had accused the party's performance during the 1993-1997 parliament of being disorganized. Some Reform Party supporters were frustrated by the party's decision to expand its political base into Quebec as they continued to believe that the party should represent English Canada and others from the right-wing and populist faction of the party were angry that Manning punished MPs Bob Ringma
Bob Ringma
MGen Robert "Bob" Ringma was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1997. By career, he was a soldier for the Canadian Forces....
and David Chatters
David Chatters
David Cameron Chatters is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 representing the riding of Athabasca until the 2004 election when he switched to the riding of Westlock—St...
During the campaign the Reform Party released a controversial television advertisement where the faces of four Quebec politicians: Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, Progressive Conservative leader Jean Charest, and the separatist Premier of Quebec Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
were crossed out followed by a message saying that Quebec politicians had dominated the federal government for too long and that the Reform Party would end this favoritism towards Quebec. The advertisement was harshly criticized by the other party leaders including accusations that Preston Manning was "intolerant" and a "bigot" for having permitted the advertisement to be aired. Though accused of being intolerant towards minorities by opponents, multiple visible minorities ran as Reform Party candidates and a number were elected as MPs including Rahim Jaffer
Rahim Jaffer
Rahim Nizar Jaffer is a former Canadian politician and a former Member of Parliament. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2008, representing the Alberta riding of Edmonton—Strathcona as a member of the Conservative Party. He was the first Muslim elected to the Canadian Parliament...
, who became Canada's first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
member of parliament; Gurmant Grewal
Gurmant Grewal
Gurmant Singh Grewal, is a Canadian politician and former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament. Gurmant and his wife, Nina Grewal, were the first married couple to serve in the Canadian House of Commons at the same time...
, an Indo-Canadian; and Inky Mark
Inky Mark
Inky Mark is a Canadian politician and a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. Mark is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
, a Chinese-Canadian.
The Reform Party began the campaign with substantial finances with $1.5 million CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in cash reserves and by the end of the campaign had raised a total of $8 million CAD with a vast majority of the money coming from donations by individuals or small businesses.
The results for the Reform Party were a minor tactical success as the party gained enough seats in Western Canada to become the Official Opposition, removing the Quebec separatist Bloc Québécois from the position. The party won the second largest number of votes and won 60 seats in the House of Commons. Strategically, the Reform Party failed to make inroads into Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada and lost its one seat it previously held in Ontario, leaving the party with no seats east of the province of Manitoba, isolating the party to effectively being a western-based party, which was in part due to vote-splitting of the right-wing conservative vote in Ontario between Reformers and Progressive Conservatives.
Bloc Québécois
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, capturing a majority of 44 seats out of the total 75 in the province.
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
under the leadership of Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
regained official party status that the party lost in the 1993 Canadian federal election. The party won the fourth largest share of total votes and won 21 seats in the election with a substantial showing in Atlantic Canada as well as winning seats in almost all provinces and regions of Canada except for Alberta and Quebec.
Progressive Conservative Party
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
campaigned on securing national unity in Canada by recognizing Quebec as being a distinct society within Canada. Charest and the Progressive Conservatives benefited from supporting distinct society in Quebec and resulted in the party rapidly rising in popularity amongst both francophones and non-francophones in Quebec, with polls indicating that Quebec voters preferred Charest over Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe
Gilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
, the leader of the Bloc Québécois.
The Progressive Conservatives faced multiple difficulties due to the party not being able to apply for federal financial assistance due to it not being an official party as after the 1993 election, the Progressive Conservatives had collapsed from being federal government to only having two seats. Western Canadians who had voted in protest for the Reform Party in 1993 due to their dismay with the Progressive Conservatives still remained frustrated with the party and the Reformers remained the dominant conservative political force in the west. In addition, the inroads by Reformers into Ontario caused vote splitting between the Progressive Conservatives and Reformers which in Canada's plurality electoral system, allowed the Liberals with the plurality of votes in many Ontario ridings to be elected when the total combined Reform Party and Progressive Conservative Party vote in such ridings was more than the Liberal Party.
The Progressive Conservatives won the third largest number of the total votes and improved their situation in the House of Commons as they were restored as an official party after winning 20 seats. However the Progressive Conservatives were isolated as largely an eastern regional party, as won most of their seats in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, while winning only one seat in both Ontario and Manitoba due to vote splitting with the Reform Party.
Green Party
The Green Party of CanadaGreen Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
enjoyed a 79% increase in support from the previous election, and saw its greatest success in British Columbia where it received 2% of the vote despite not running a full slate of candidates in the province. The Green Party remained almost entirely off the national media's radar. At 0.43% of the vote, and 1.64% of the vote in the ridings it contested, the Green Party remained a small but growing movement.
Results
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Results by province
| Party Name | BC British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
AB Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
SK Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.... |
MB Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
ON Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
QC Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
NB New Brunswick New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area... |
NS Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
PE Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population... |
NL Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
NT Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south... |
YK Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in.... |
Total |
Liberal Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative... |
Seats: | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 101 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 155 |
Popular vote: | 28.8 | 24.0 | 24.7 | 34.3 | 49.5 | 36.7 | 32.9 | 28.4 | 44.8 | 37.9 | 43.1 | 22.0 | 38.5 |
Reform Reform Party of Canada The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party.... |
Seats: | 25 | 24 | 8 | 3 | 60 |
Vote: | 43.1 | 54.6 | 36.0 | 23.7 | 19.1 | 0.3 | 13.1 | 9.7 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 11.7 | 25.3 | 19.4 |
Bloc Québécois Bloc Québécois The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative... |
Seats: | 44 | 44 |
Vote: | 37.9 | 10.7 |
New Democrats New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in... |
Seats: | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 21 |
Vote: | 18.2 | 5.7 | 30.9 | 23.2 | 10.7 | 2.0 | 18.4 | 30.4 | 15.1 | 22.0 | 20.9 | 28.9 | 11.0 |
Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Party of Canada The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues.... |
Seats: | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 20 |
Vote: | 6.2 | 14.4 | 7.8 | 17.8 | 18.8 | 22.2 | 35.0 | 30.8 | 38.3 | 36.8 | 16.7 | 13.9 | 18.8 |
Other | Seats: | 1 | 1 |
Vote: | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 7.6 | 8.9 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Total seats: | 34 | 26 | 14 | 14 | 103 | 75 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 301 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parties that won no seats: |
Green Green Party of Canada The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and... |
Vote: | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Natural Law Natural Law Party of Canada The Natural Law Party of Canada was the Canadian branch of the international Natural Law Party founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers who practiced Transcendental Meditation.... |
Vote: | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Christian Heritage Christian Heritage Party of Canada The Christian Heritage Party of Canada, also referred to as CHP Canada, is a federal political party that advocates that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles... |
Vote: | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
Canadian Action Canadian Action Party The Canadian Action Party is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1997. It promotes Canadian nationalism, monetary and electoral reform, and opposes neoliberal globalization and free trade agreements.- Background :The Canadian Action Party was founded by Paul T... |
Vote: | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist) The Communist Party of Canada is a Canadian federal Marxist–Leninist political party.The party is registered with Elections Canada as the Marxist–Leninist Party of Canada... |
Vote: | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Elections Canada
10 closest ridings
- Sackville—Eastern ShoreSackville—Eastern ShoreSackville—Eastern Shore is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997...
, NS: Peter StofferPeter StofferPeter Arend Stoffer is a Canadian politician.Stoffer is currently a member of the New Democratic Party caucus in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore. He represented Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore after the 2000 election, and after the...
, NDP def. Ken Streatch, PC by 41 votes - Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'IsletBellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'IsletBellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004....
, QC: Gilbert NormandGilbert NormandGilbert Normand, PC is a physician and former politician in Quebec, Canada.Normand has been a member of the Quebec College of Physicians since 1970, and was a practising physician for twenty-seven years, including two decades as a general practitioner doctor-physician in private practice.In the...
, Lib def. François Langlois, BQ by 47 votes - Selkirk—InterlakeSelkirk—InterlakeSelkirk—Interlake is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1976 to 1987, and since 1997....
, MB: Howard HilstromHoward HilstromHoward E. Hilstrom was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. His career has included ranching and law enforcement....
, Ref def. Jon GerrardJon GerrardJon Gerrard, PC, MLA is a politician and medical doctor in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament from 1993 to 1997, and was a secretary of state in the government of Jean Chrétien...
, Lib by 66 votes - CardiganCardigan (electoral district)Cardigan is a federal electoral district in Prince Edward Island, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 98.5% White, 1.1% Native Canadian...
, PE: Lawrence MacAulayLawrence MacAulayLawrence A. MacAulay, PC is a Canadian politician.MacAulay is a current member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Cardigan, Prince Edward Island since 1988. MacAulay is a former farmer...
, Lib def. Dan Hughes, PC by 99 votes - Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-de-la-Madeleine—PabokBonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-de-la-Madeleine—PabokBonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Pabok was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004....
, QC: Yvan BernierYvan BernierYvan Bernier was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2000. He is a businessperson by career....
, BQ def. Patrick Gagnon, Lib by 179 votes - Saskatoon—HumboldtSaskatoon—HumboldtSaskatoon—Humboldt is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979, and since 1988.-Geography:...
, SK: Jim PankiwJim PankiwJim Pankiw is a Canadian politician and former Member of Parliament.Pankiw served two terms in the Canadian House of Commons, representing Saskatoon—Humboldt in Saskatchewan from 1997 until 2004 as a member of the Reform Party of Canada, the Canadian Alliance, the Democratic Representative Caucus...
, Ref def. Dennis GruendingDennis GruendingDennis Gruending is a Canadian journalist and politician. He is primarily a writer of non-fiction, but also published a book of poetry and various pieces of short fiction...
, NDP by 220 votes - Humber—St. Barbe—Baie VerteHumber—St. Barbe—Baie VerteHumber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte is a federal electoral district in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 96.2% White, 3.4% Native Canadian...
, NF: Gerry Byrne, Lib def. Art Bull, PC by 232 votes - Chicoutimi, QC: André HarveyAndré HarveyAndré Harvey, PC is a consultant, politician and former teacher in Quebec, Canada.Harvey was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 general election that brought Brian Mulroney to power...
, PC def. Gilbert Fillion, BQ by 317 votes - Frontenac—MéganticFrontenac—MéganticFrontenac—Mégantic was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004.It was created in 1996 from the Mégantic—Compton—Stanstead riding...
, QC: Jean-Guy ChrétienJean-Guy ChrétienJean-Guy Chrétien was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2000. He is a professor and farmer by career....
, BQ def. Manon Lecours, Lib by 465 votes - Simcoe—GreySimcoe—GreySimcoe—Grey is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.It was created in 1996 from parts of Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, Bruce—Grey, Simcoe Centre, Simcoe North, Wellington—Grey—Dufferin—Simcoe and York—Simcoe.It consists of...
, ON: Paul BonwickPaul BonwickPaul Bonwick, PC is a lobbyist and former politician in Canada.A businessman, sales and marketing consultant, Bonwick was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1997 general election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Simcoe—Grey...
, Lib def. Paul Shaw, Ref by 481 votes
See also
- List of Canadian federal general elections
- List of political parties in Canada
Articles on parties' candidates in this election:
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Independent Rhinoceros candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Rhinoceros Party of Canada ceased to exist after the 1988 federal election, although several independent candidates since them have adopted the "Rhinoceros" label. A number of independent Rhinoceros candidates campaigned in the 1997 election. Information about them may be found here.-M... Liberal Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Liberal Party of Canada ran a full slate of candidates in the 1997 federal election, and won 155 out of 301 seats to form a majority government. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.... Marxist-Leninist Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Communist Party of Canada ran 65 candidates in the 1997 federal election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found on this page.-Rubin Kantorovich :... Natural Law Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Natural Law Party of Canada ran several candidates in the 1997 federal election, none of whom were elected.-LaSalle-Émard: Russell Guest:... |
New Democratic Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The New Democratic Party of Canada ran a full slate of candidates in the 1997 federal election, and won 21 seats out of 301 to emerge as the fourth-largest party in the Canadian House of Commons... Progressive Conservative Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ran a full slate of candidates in the 1997 federal election, and won 20 seats out of 301 to emerge as the fifth largest party in the Canadian House of Commons... Reform Party candidates, 1997 Canadian federal election The Reform Party of Canada fielded several candidates in the 1997 federal election, and won 60 seats out of 301 to form the Official Opposition. Many of the party's candidates have their own biography pages; information about others may be found here.... |