Canadians Elect Conservatives, but it's not all bad news

(Ottawa) Canadians ended more than a dozen years of Liberal rule on Monday, electing a minority Conservative government.

For most voters it was an issue of 'new blood' rather than a ringing endorsement of conservatism.

Paul Martin's Liberals had been beset with a series of scandals and was seen as tired. "Voters decided the Liberals needed a time out," said one television commentator.

At the same time voters weren't in favor of giving Stephen Harper's Conservatives a majority. The Tories won 124 seats and the Liberals 103. The results were much closer than polls were showing only a few days ago.

The small left of center New Democratic Party was the big winner of the night - doubling their seats to 29 and putting the party in a position to be the power broker in the new Parliament.

NDP leader Jack Layton said he would make an issue by issue decision on whether or not to support the government.

If the party supports the Tories legislation will pass. If the party sides with the Liberals they could defeat the government.

"The people of Canada asked Mr. Harper to form a new government and the people of Canada have asked New Democrats to balance that government," Layton told supporters in Toronto.

For Layton the election was a double victory. His wife, Toronto city councilor Olivia Chow, also was elected to Parliament.

The Conservative dependence on the NDP will likely mean no revisiting same-sex marriage legislation.

Harper said on the first day of the campaign he would attempt to repeal the marriage equality law. With the New Democrats, the separatist Bloc Quebecois, and the Liberals all opposed to changing the law there is little chance same-sex marriage in Canada will end anytime soon.

While the Conservatives saw some of the party's most anti-supporters elected it also saw a wider number of moderate Tories win support. For Harper the big job will be in balancing the two factions.

In a lengthy speech to supporters Harper outlined his agenda for the new Parliament. Absent was any mention of same-sex marriage.

Longtime gay New Democrat candidate Svend Robinson lost his bid for a return to politics in British Columbia.

Robinson, 53, resigned from politics in 2004 after admitting that he had shoplifted a diamond ring that he said was sparked by the stress of a hectic work schedule and a mild bipolar disorder for which he was taking medication and seeing a therapist.

In Nova Scotia, Scott Brison the gay man who quit the Conservatives in the last Parliament and joined the Liberals was re-elected. Openly gay Bloc MP Real Menard also was re-elected

The election also marked the end of Paul Martin's political career.

Martin told supporters following the election that he was stepping down as party leader.

"My dedication to the Liberal family will never wane,'' Martin said in his Quebec riding of LaSalle-Emard.

"But I will not take our party into another election.''

One of the highlights of his political career was pushing through marriage same-sex marriage equality last year.