Read a blog last week about the affect this election would have on oil prices if the liberal party took power. Harper’s gov’t has been friendly to the oil/shale industry where the U.S. gets the largest % of its imported oil. This has kept oil prices lower than it would be now if environmental controls were not relaxed. Not saying oil is currently cheap, but it would have gotten worse by way of price for U.S. consumers had Harper not won.
Had the NDP won, it would have implemented the same disastrous policies that led Ontario voters to toss out Bob Rae’s provincial NDP government after just five years in power.
While 61% of Canadians voted for parties of the Left (and they’re a stupid lot) their vote is so badly splintered between three leftist parties that the Conservatives were able to win an outright majority with just 39% of the vote.
Canada is far from being a center-right country in majority terms. Trudeaupia has to be reversed incrementally, piece by piece. That’s why Harper is not going to make any radical moves despite his new majority. He will change things one step at a time.