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Conservative Leader Stephen Harper speaks to a large crowd of supporters in Calgary following the election result late Monday night.
Voters in 3 major cities shut out ConservativesUpdated Wed. Jan. 25 2006 6:27 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff With Stephen Harper prepared to become Canada's next prime minister, the political sun is assuredly rising in the West. "The West has wanted in; The West is in now," said the prime minister-designate in his victory speech after being awarded a slim minority Conservative government on Monday night. But Harper failed to win over any voters in the major urban centres of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, which has city officials concerned they will have no voice to address their concerns at the federal table. Toronto Mayor David Miller, who actively campaigned for both NDP and Liberal candidates in the election campaign, contends this new government will have to reach out to the cities. "It's very clear the people in cities, in the major cities -- in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal -- voted for parties that in the last parliament, had delivered programs for the people that live in cities," Miller told CTV. "I think by Torontonians and people in Vancouver and Montreal voting for their cities, it sends a strong message that cities needs need to be addressed if you're going to succeed electorally in the city. In the city of Toronto, the Conservatives were shut out completely once again, as the Liberals took 51 per cent of the popular vote and 20 of 23 seats, while the NDP took 20.5 per cent and won the other three seats. As for the Conservatives, they had nearly 24 per cent of the popular vote. Beyond the city limits, in the Greater Toronto Area, the Liberals maintained their hold with 45.2 per cent of the popular vote and 16 of 23 possible seats. However, there was also significant Tory support, at 37.3 per cent and seven possible seats. The electorate in Vancouver showed a similar kind of division. In the city of Vancouver proper, the Liberals took 42.2 per cent of the popular vote and five of six ridings at stake, while the NDP took 26.9 per cent of the vote, and one seat. Though the Conservatives did not win any ridings, they took 24.9 per cent of the vote in that city. Meanwhile, voters in Montreal were polarized between the pro-sovereignty Bloc Quebecois and the Liberals, with 12 seats and about 35 per cent popular support for each party. Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay told CTV News he will reach out to the new MPs to ensure his city does not lose its influence. "We've worked very hard, not only the mayors of the big cities, but all communities, to improve the wellbeing of our citizens," Tremblay said. "The partnership that we have with the federal government has been instrumental in helping us do that, but most of all to help us improve the competitiveness of our cities, and thus the prosperity of Quebec and of Canada," he said. "I think that every prime minister of Canada has the same interest ... so in that sense we will continue to work very hard with the new government and explain to them why it's important to continue to help the cities," he said. Preston Manning, the former leader of the Reform Party, weighed in on CTV's Mike Duffy Live however, pointing out that the Tories performed well in two key western cities. "People should remember they captured all the seats in two of the most dynamic cities in the country, Calgary and Edmonton, so I don't think they're doing too bad at all," Manning said.
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CTV.ca Special
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