Two years ago today, Canadians were voting in an election that would change the political dynamic in this country .

Stephen Harper's victory put conservatives back in power for the first time since 1993.

For a newly formed party and a man who many pundits predicted would never be prime minister, it was a big win. In truth, the conservatives won one of the smallest minorities in Canadian history. But they've been able to
govern more boldly because of a divided opposition.

The minority parliament needs all three opposition parties to vote against it in order to fall. In the first year Liberals didn't have a leader so they were unlikely to vote to send Canadians back to the polls. And in the second year, the new Liberal leader had his own issues. Simply put, his party wasn't ready and Liberals infamously abstained from confidence votes.

Which delivered Stephen Harper and his conservatives to this two year anniversary. The prime minister and his supporters plan to mark the occasion on Friday with a key speech and celebration in Ottawa.

No doubt he will note that his government has managed to survive the odds of history. According to the Library of Parliament, the average duration of a minority parliament is one year, three months and 29 days. And you have to go back to 1921 to find the longest lasting minority parliament: three years, seven months and 21 days.