Canada Election: Michael Ignatieff Resigns after Liberal Defeat

Liberals Crushed in Canada Election: Michael Ignatieff Steps Down

Michael Ignatieff is stepping down as Liberal Party leader, and will be the third Liberal leader in history not to serve as Prime Minister.

The Liberals got crushed at the polls, losing more than half of their seats, with Stephen Harper's Conservatives securing enough seats in Parliament to form a majority government. Jack Layton's NDP will be the opposition government. This is a major defeat for Michael Ignatieff, considering that a vote of no confidence in Stephen Harper's minority government is what sparked this election.

The Conservatives were able to successfully play on Ignatieff's unpopularity with the public, styling the campaign as a battle of leaders' personalities. This doesn't explain, though, why Canadians overlooked Harper's well-documented arrogance, characterized by acts such as naming the entire Canadian government after himself.

In the meantime, expect Canada's national policies to move further to the right, more in line with America's Republicans. IN opposition, the NDP also surged. The Liberals were left standing in the rain.

Despite their name, the Liberals are a centrist party ( a bit to the left of the US Democrats), while the NDP are further to the left than any mainstream US analog.

The 2011 Canadian Federal Election Preliminary Results:

• Conservatives: 167 seats
• New Democratic Party: 102 seats
• Liberals: 34 seats
• Bloc Quebecois: 4 seats
• Greens: 1 seat
  

Voter turnout was preliminarily estimated at 61.4%.

Michael Ignatieff says he's leaving politics with his head held high, but perhaps he should lower it just a bit.