Sealing the fate of what will go down as one of the shortest Parliamentary sessions in Canadian history, Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal minority has been defeated in a vote of non-confidence.

The Conservative motion, reading simply, "That this House has lost confidence in the Government," passed easily in the Commons Monday evening.

Confident of the outcome before voting began Monday night, Opposition MPs cheered what was finally inevitable -- the historic defeat of Martin's tenuous minority.

When the vote came to B.C. Conservative MP Darrel Stinson, who has been battling cancer, his caucus colleagues erupted in a boisterous applause. The ritual was repeated several times, in tribute to the party leaders as well as other MPs who had either overcome personal difficulty to be in Ottawa for the vote, or who would not be running for re-election.

Thanks to the combined vote of the united Opposition benches, the motion was passed with the support of 171 MPs, effectively bringing to an end the government that was voted into office just 17 months earlier.

Throughout Canadian history, only four federal governments have been swept from power more swiftly.

Monday's vote -- the first since 1979 to see a government ousted on an Opposition motion -- also means the 38th session of Parliament will be written into the history books as the first to ever defeat a government on a straight motion of non-confidence, rather than on a budget vote or censure motion.

Watching proceedings on Parliament Hill, CTV's Craig Oliver said the House was filled with goodwill, though he expects it to be shortlived.

Anticipating a campaign centred around "Very emotional, very personal issues," Oliver said such signs of parliamentary civility are "great."

"But I dont think it's going to last long," he added. "I think the upcoming campaign is going to be frank and rough."

Leaders Respond

Of the major federal party leaders, the NDP's Jack Layton was the first to share his reaction with reporters.

In a scrum outside the House of Commons, the NDP Leader blamed the "stubbornness" and "inflexibility" of the Liberals for the election campaign set to begin Tuesday.

"People know the NDP can get results in Parliament… and we're proud of that record," he told reporters, calling the coming campaign "wide open".

Appearing upbeat in his own first public appearance following the historic vote, Prime Minister Paul Martin took the stage in front of a boisterous gathering of party faithful just moments later.

"Hey, we've got a campaign to run," he joked, struggling to quiet his caucus before adding another quip. "I just wanna say a few brief words to all before you head back to your ridings to get fitted for snowshoes," Martin laughed.

Then, the Liberal Leader adopted a more serious tone to laud his party.

"All of us have a lot to be proud of and I cannot tell you how proud I am of you," he said, adding that Canadians will now have the chance to judge each party's record for themselves.

And when voters go to the polls, he said, Canadians will have plenty of reasons not to throw their support behind an alliance of "neo-Conservatives, the separatist Bloc Quebecois and the New Democrats.

"Inflation is low, it's easier to buy a home, it's easier to get a job and that is the result of the hard work and management of a Liberal government."

As Martin spoke, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was delivering his own confident caucus address.

"Over the last few days the Liberals have made it clear that their biggest issue is not wanting to face the voters. Given their position, I don't blame them," Harper told a cheering assembly of the Conservative caucus. "Let the Liberals complain about facing the people. We're interested in facing the future as a party and a country."

Praising his MPs for their loyalty and dedication in opposition, Harper said it's time they show Canadians how much more they can do.

"Opposition is not enough for you," he said. "It's never enough to show the public just what we're against. we will offer them a positive vision for the future of this country."

Anticipating a hard-fought campaign, Harper even sought to pre-empt the seemingly inevitable political attacks.

"When the Liberals scream about us it's just a diversion," he explained to cheers and laughter, likening such tactics to, "The thief who cries 'fire' in a crowded restaurant so when no one is looking, he can clear out the cash register."

"When Paul Martin comes after us -- as he will -- take that as a proof that we are on the right track."

"Set your sights not just on the next few weeks ... set your sights on the years ahead -- because our vision will look that far ahead," Harper added before wrapping up his remarks.

"Canadians need and they want and deserve a change. and to get that change we need a change in government ... a new Conservative government."

Election Timing

With the three opposition parties holding the parliamentary majority, Martin has been forced to backtrack on such campaign promises as decriminalizing marijuana and cutting corporate taxes.

Battered by the fallout from an inquiry into the now-defunct federal sponsorship program, Liberals have been scrambling to avert the early election call. Instead, they hoped instead to head to the polls next spring -- in the wake of another good-news budget.

But it appears Martin and his party's efforts to avoid an election too soon after the release of the final sponsorship scandal report has been stymied.

On Tuesday, the prime minister will ask Governor General Michaelle Jean to dissolve Parliament in anticipation of a federal election, likely on Jan. 23.

A date in late-January would not only mean a winter campaign -- the first in 25 years -- it would also mean politicians will be on the hustings for 56 days.

That would be enough to distinguish the upcoming election as one of the longest in recent Canadian history.

But, as Martin's Quebec lieutenant Liberal MP Jean Lapierre made clear in comments to voters immediately following his party's defeat, voters can expect the campaign to come in two phases. Conceding that Parliament had become a "zoo" that demanded dissolution, LaPierre said the campaign will fill the days until Dec. 23rd, and then pause before resuming in January through election day.

CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife anticipates the campaign markedly changing tone as the coming eight weeks tick by.

"I think what you'll see is several different campaigns," he says. "In the first week we'll have sort of a phony campaign. They will be out in the race, firing torpedoes at each other, but you will not see a lot of that hard-hitting stuff.

"And then you'll have a break during the Christmas holidays. I'm not sure how much of a break it will be. They're supposed to have a truce for the week, but I'm not quite sure about that yet.

"But after Jan. 1, after New Year's, you watch, then we'll be in a full-scale war. You're going to see advertising of the likes that we haven't seen in this country for a long time. There's a lot of money out there and it will be negative ads."

Public opinion

Left hanging are about 35 bills, including an act to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and an animal cruelty bill.

Conservative House Leader Jay Hill blamed Martin for the government's expected fall. He said the opposition offered to handle all bills in return for an election in early February but it was Martin who refused.

The most recent public-opinion polls suggest that if the vote were held now, the next Parliament would look a lot like the current one -- with another minority Liberal government.

However, some Liberals sounded less than confident over the weekend.

"The fact of the matter is . . . we don't know how it's going to turn out," party president Mike Eizenga told CTV's Question Period Sunday.

The stakes are high for both Martin and Harper. If Martin falls short of a majority again, some Liberals are likely to question whether he should be allowed to remain as leader for a third campaign.

And if Harper fails to show support growth in Ontario, some Tories might begin to question their party's leadership.

In such an event, Harper "will have to make a personal decision whether to stay on," Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay said in a radio interview Saturday, before quickly adding that he expected Harper to become the next prime minister.

The tone of the campaign has already been set following weeks of bitter parliamentary debate.

The Conservatives, Bloc Québécois and New Democrats have repeatedly accused the Liberals of greed and corruption, while the Liberals have charged opposition parties with threatening important public business and blatant political opportunism.