New Conservative Government elected in Canada

Canada went to the polls on January 23, 2006. Victory went to the Conservative Party who won by a small majority. This was after 13 years of being in opposition to the Liberal Party. The new government was sworn in on February 6. The new Prime Minister is Mr Stephen Harper and comes from Calgary, Alberta (western Canada). The Conservative party is strongest in western Canada but a number of seats were won in eastern Canada as well, including Quebec where separatist ideas are held high by some people. The Conservative party won the majority of their seats in rural ridings mostly.

What does the conservative party win for the ordinary person mean? The answer depends on who you ask and how you define the ordinary person. Issues that the new government ought to be judged on from a visible minority point of view include inclusiveness and poverty. The offshoots of these problems can be observed in gang violence in our cities, under-employment etc. Hopefully, the climate of change that the Conservative leaders campaigned on will be translated into action.