Strong minority for Harper Tories

OTTAWA -- As the first major world leader to face voters since the onslaught of the current financial crisis, Tory prime minister Stephen Harper has won a minority government that falls just short of a parliamentary majority.
"We have shown that minority government can work and at this time of global economic instability we owe it to Canadians to demonstrate this once again," Harper said. "We hold out a hand to all members of all parties asking them to join together to protect the economy and weather this world financial crisis."
The Conservatives have won 143 of Parliament's 308 seats, an improvement over the 127 seats the party had before the election was called September 6.
The Conservative Party needed to win 155 seats to govern on its own.
By contrast, Stephane Dion's Liberal Party suffered a severe drubbing at the polls, dropping to 76 seats from 95. The Bloc Quebecois won 50 seats, the New Democrats 37 and independent candidates two seats while the Green Party failed to secure a single seat, even for party leader Elizabeth May who was defeated by Tory minister Peter MacKay in Nova Central.
Liberal Party leader Stephane Dion, in his concession to Harper, offered his "full cooperation in these difficult economic times."
Although the opposition Liberals have been the party in power, forming the government for a majority of Canada's 141 year history, the left-of-center vote was split among four parties, giving an edge to the Conservatives.
Dion's campaign was also hindered by his unpopular plan to tax all fossil fuels except gasoline and by perceptions he is a weak leader.
Dion said Canadians have asked him to be their official opposition leader, a signal that he's not ready to step down.
If Dion was ousted as leader after this loss, he would be only the second Liberal leader to fail to become prime minister. The only other was Edward Blake, who led the party to defeat in the 1882 and 1887 elections.
After a 37-day campaign, voter turnout on October 14 about 59 percent, the lowest in Canadian history.