Conservatives win majority in Canada vote

Harper, who took office in 2006, has won two elections but until now had never held a majority of Parliament’s 308 seats, forcing him to rely on the opposition to pass legislation.

While Harper’s hold on Parliament has been tenuous during his five-year tenure, he has managed to nudge an instinctively center-left country to the right. He has gradually lowered sales and corporate taxes, avoided climate change legislation, promoted Arctic sovereignty, and extended Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Canadian Press news agency projected a Conservative majority yesterday, which will mean four years of uninterrupted government for Harper.

The New Democrats also are projected to become the main opposition party for the first time in history in a stunning upset over the Liberals, who have always been either in power or leading the opposition.

Stephen Clarkson, professor at the University of Toronto, called it a crushing defeat for the Liberals and said Harper will be considered a transformative figure in Canadian history.