Justin Trudeau Elected Prime Minister of Canada
By Paul Vieira, The Wall Street Journal.
OTTAWA—Canada’s Conservative leader was ousted in a national vote Monday after almost a decade in power, as voter discontent and a souring economy helped the son of long-serving Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau sweep into the top office.
Justin Trudeau’s centrist Liberal Party secured a majority government, with his party elected in 184 of the 338 districts across the country, after a hard-fought contest with incumbent Stephen Harper. Mr. Harper said last night that he would step down as party leader, after conceding to Mr. Trudeau.
Results from polls in the country’s most-populated regions, Quebec and Ontario, and from Canada’s Eastern Seaboard and the Pacific Coast city of Vancouver, showed a wave of Liberal red, marking an impressive victory in Mr. Trudeau’s first campaign as leader. The win represents the first Liberal majority in 15 years. The Conservatives won 99 seats, maintaining their bedrock support in the resource-rich western provinces, as well as in the bulk of rural Canada.