First of all, the Conservative Party is blue on the map, so you have to get your head around that. Secondly, Canada is a parliamentary system, so the administration must call a new election whenever it loses a vote of confidence. That means there are no fixed terms, and this was the fourth election in the last seven years.
It is illegal in Canada to report the results in the Atlantic provinces or eastern Canada until the western provinces have finished voting. Some people tweeted the results, but they will pay a fine if they can be identified.
And get this--the election takes place six weeks after it is called. We in the U.S. can only look in wonder.
The Conservative Party won, but the even bigger news is that what had been the number three party, the New Democratic Party, moved decisively into the second spot, going from 37 seats to 102 seats in parliament and becoming the official opposition. (These results are not final.) The separatist party in Quebec basically fell apart, winning only four seats. The Green Party won one seat. There is no Tea Party.
What a lovely country.
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