Danny Williams and his Progressive Conservatives won a landslide victory in Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday night, with a massive lead over their political opponents.
Progressive Conservative Leader Danny Williams, surrounded by family, addresses supporters after his landslide victory in the provincial election in St. John's Tuesday.
(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
A buoyant Williams said he was "truly, truly overwhelmed by what has happened here tonight," and added he was humbled by the magnitude of the landslide.
From the start, the PCs were polling about 69.5 per cent of the vote, giving the CBC's decision desk confidence in projecting a second mandate about 20 minutes after the polls closed.
At the end of the night, Williams's Tories had taken 43 seats, the Liberals 3 and the NDP 1.
Williams's vote share is the highest since the 1949 election, when Joseph R. Smallwood's Liberals formed the first post-Confederation government with 70 per cent.
Williams will face a severely reduced opposition in the house of assembly. The Liberals won just three seats, their smallest caucus in post-Confederation history. Opposition Leader Gerry Reid lost his own race, in The Isles of Notre Dame district, by just seven votes.
New Democrat Leader Lorraine Michael was re-elected in Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, returning a lone NDP seat to the house of assembly.
Positive campaign
Williams, who campaigned on a platform that emphasized hope and prosperity, rallied voters to back his agenda of greater control over natural resources and a plan to use oil-based wealth to improve an array of social services.
Williams told supporters Tuesday night that Newfoundland and Labrador, which has been benefiting from high oil prices, will become a "have" province within two years.
"We will be self-reliant," he said, echoing one of his campaign slogans.
Williams also took aim at Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and vowed again to help defeat the Conservatives in the next federal election. Williams has attacked Harper for reneging on previous pledges to exclude oil revenues from the equalization formula.
"There's a message here, Steve," Williams told the crowd.
He warned Harper that if he wants to fight Williams again, "you've got to take on all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador." The crowd cheered loudly as Williams made digs at Harper's expense.
The governing PCs had held 34 of the house of assembly's 48 seats entering the campaign. The Liberals had held 11 seats, while the NDP had held one seat. There were two vacancies.
Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans to vote in November
The Tories had already secured one seat before voters headed to polling stations on Tuesday.
On Friday, the chief electoral office acclaimed Bonavista South PC incumbent Roger Fitzgerald after Liberal candidate Clayton Hobbs withdrew for health reasons.
Bonavista South was not the only district where polling stations were closed Tuesday.
An election in Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans district will take place Nov. 6, chief electoral officer Paul Reynolds announced the same day.
The election was postponed after Liberal candidate Gerry Tobin died of a heart attack. Reynolds said nominations in the central Newfoundland district will close Oct. 27.
Turnout at the polls was about 62 per cent, significantly lower than in most elections.
All parties had expressed concerns about low voter turnout, citing public disgust with revelations in a series of audits about spending at the house of assembly.
Auditor General John Noseworthy's reports led to criminal charges against four politicians and a suspended civil servant.
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| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | 43 | 0 | 43 | 69.56% |
| LIB | 3 | 0 | 3 | 21.98% |
| NDP | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.21% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .25% |
| Last Update:October 9, 10:58:12 PM NDT | ||||
| Unofficial results were updated at the time shown. For more recent results, visit Elections NL. The CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites. External links will open in a new window. |
NL Votes 2007 »
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- Handed one of the most commanding mandates in Newfoundland and Labrador's history, Premier Danny Williams says he expects to face a cascade of requests for help during his second term.
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- Able to put their combined caucuses around a single card table, Newfoundland and Labrador's opposition parties are grappling with what life will be like in the shadow of a massive Tory majority.
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- Former cabinet minister John Efford didn't hesitate Wednesday to indicate he is more than interested in taking over the reins of Newfoundland and Labrador's bedraggled Liberals.
- Williams leads Tory landslide in N.L.
- Danny Williams and his Progressive Conservatives were swept back into office Tuesday night by a massive lead over their political opponents.
- Heartbreak for Liberals as Grit vote collapses
- Newfoundland and Labrador's Liberals were overwhelmed Tuesday night, as a Tory wave of support claimed districts that had long been in the Grit camp.