GREENWICH, N.S. — He was a rising star in the Liberal party _ a young, energetic politician who shot up through the ranks after crossing the floor of the Commons and landing in one of the most influential positions in government.

But now, two years after Scott Brison abandoned the fledgling Conservative party, he finds himself banished to the Opposition hinterland and wondering about his political future with the Tories poised to form a minority government.

"He'll probably continue on and, like Belinda Stronach, he will have a much reduced stature once he's in the backbenches,'' said Wayne Hunt, a political science professor at Mount Allison in Sackville, N.B., referring to another high-profile Tory who bolted from the party to join the Liberals.

"But the Conservatives may not be around for a long time, so maybe these people didn't make the wrong move after all.''

The new reality didn't seem to diminish Brison's enthusiasm Monday as he thanked supporters moments after being declared the victor in the largely rural Nova Scotia riding of Kings-Hants where he easily defeated second-place Tory candidate Bob Mullan.

"I fell truly honoured and humbled,'' he told a jubilant crowd at his campaign headquarters in Greenwich. "I am tremendously proud to be part of a moderate, centrist, progressive party -- the Liberal party of Canada.''

The words echoed back to late 2003 when Brison angrily denounced the newly formed Conservative party as a "right-wing debate club,'' saying it was too socially conservative to draw mainstream support.

He returned to that sentiment Monday, insisting that a Tory government led by Stephen Harper would do little but divide the country and style it after its American neighbours.

"When other parties, like Stephen Harper's party, will seek to divide Canadians, to pit one region against another, there will always be a Liberal party that brings Canadians together,'' he said.

Brison's win -- his fourth -- marked another vote of confidence for the popular former cabinet minister, an openly gay politician who appealed to both farmer and businessperson alike.

But the victory was bittersweet for the affable 38-year-old entrepreneur as he watched his party go down to defeat, eliminating the influence he enjoyed as minister of public works and the Liberal government's point man in the Commons on the federal sponsorship scandal file.

Analysts say with the Liberal loss, it's likely Brison will stick around to help rebuild a party that became tainted by one scandal after another.

In fact, some suggest it will be politicians like Brison who could help put a new face on a resurrected Liberal party.

"Even if it means sitting on the Opposition bench, it's with a party that will be going through a renewal,'' said Jennifer Smith, a political science professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

"Given his age, his short, but dedicated record as a parliamentarian and his qualifications and talents, I would think the change in the party would be quite exciting for him.''

Hunt agrees, saying Brison, who had served as a prominent finance critic for the Progressive Conservatives and made a run for the party's leadership, could be a major player in a party that might not be shut out of power for too long.

As attention shifts to potential successors to Liberal Leader Paul Martin, Brison's name will be among those already on the list, including former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna, now Canada's ambassador to the United States, former Newfoundland premier Brian Tobin and former Liberal cabinet minister John Manley.

"All those people are going to be players in whatever future there is for the Liberal party,'' he said. "Obviously, he has something to bring to the party -- he's open to minorities, he's from the private sector and he's a person of ideas.''