ArabNews - Canada, أخبار العرب - كندا

Arab News- Canada: Toronto: Dalton McGuinty has earned the right to return to Queen's Park as premier after Ontario voters elected a third-straight Liberal government, albeit one with minority status and far fewer seats.

CTV News declared that the Liberals would form a minority government Thursday night, with McGuinty set to fall just one seat short of his third-straight majority government.

"It's time to move forward together," McGuinty announced to a cheering Ottawa crowd shortly before midnight. "We have, in fact, succeeded in our goal of electing an experienced Liberal government."

McGuinty said the final election results would not be confirmed for several days, and he congratulated Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath on a successful campaign.

"The Ontario way is not about cutting people loose in difficult times or dividing our province according to where we came from or how long we have been here. It is about working and building together, it is about being there for each other in the good times and the not so good times," McGuinty said.

The results were bittersweet for the province's Progressive Conservative party, which failed to corral the momentum they felt coming into the election campaign four weeks ago.

Still, the Conservatives were poised to pick up about a dozen seats in Thursday's election, enough to hold the Liberals in minority territory. Hudak said the results were an indication that people want to keep McGuinty on notice.

"It is very clear that the people of Ontario have sent a strong message that they want a change in direction," Hudak told supporters in Niagara on Thursday.

"It is very clear that the people of Ontario have put Dalton McGuinty on a much shorter leash."

As the last of the polls were being counted late Thursday night, the Liberals had won or were leading in 53 ridings, while the Progressive Conservatives had 37 and the NDP had 17.

The Liberals needed 54 of 107 seats to secure a majority.

At dissolution, the Liberals had 70 seats, the Progressive Conservatives 25 and the NDP 10. Two Liberal seats were vacant when the election was called.

With the Liberals set to form a minority government, Horwath's New Democrats would have the ability to tilt power for, or against, the government.

A beaming Horwath declared victory at a party in Hamilton, after picking up seven seats and nearly doubling the party's number of representatives at Queen's Park

"The biggest win was for the people. They have made their decision; they have given us our marching orders, myself, Mr. Hudak and Mr. McGuinty," Horwath said. "Now we have to work together to make sure that Ontario is strong and stable and delivers for the people."

Had the Liberals secured one more seat, McGuinty would have become the first Ontario premier to form three successive majorities since Conservative Leslie Frost in 1959.

McGuinty earned re-election in his Ottawa South riding, while Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath were also officially re-elected shortly after polls closed Thursday evening.

Horwath was declared the winner in Hamilton Centre, retaining a seat she has held since 2004, when it was named Hamilton East.

Hudak also held his Niagara West-Glanbrook riding. Hudak has been a member of provincial parliament for 16 years, but this was his first election as party leader, and Leader of the Official Opposition.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner lost in Simcoe-Grey, where he had been hoping to unseat Conservative incumbent Jim Wilson.

Tories lost early lead in campaign


When the campaign began four weeks ago, the Conservatives had appeared to be on track to oust the Liberals and form Ontario's next government.

But momentum shifted through the course of the four-week campaign, to the point where another Liberal majority was considered a possibility.

As the last of the polls were counted Thursday night, a number of high-profile candidates retaining their seats.

In Toronto's Eglinton-Lawrence riding, Liberal incumbent Mike Colle beat challenger Rocco Rossi by a wide margin. Rossi has previously run for mayor in Toronto's municipal election and had been recruited by the Ontario PCs as a star candidate.

Other Liberals returning to Queen's Park:
•Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne in Don Valley West
•Attorney General Chris Bentley in London West
•Health Minister Deb Matthews in London North Centre
•Finance Minister Dwight Duncan in Windsor-Tecumseh
•Citizenship and Immigration Minister Eric Hoskins in St. Paul's

Amid the Liberals success Thursday night, however, were several high-profile losses.

Revenue Minister Sophia Aggelonitis lost her Hamilton Mountain seat to NDP candidate Monique Taylor, while Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky lost her Prince Edward-Hastings riding to Conservative Todd Smith.

Despite the difference in seats won, the Conservatives nearly matched the Liberals in popular vote. McGuinty's party received 37.5 per cent of all votes cast, while Hudak's team received 35.3 per cent.

Horwath's NDP received 22.9 per cent of votes cast across Ontario, with the Green Party receiving 3 per cent of the support
 

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