Gordon Campbell and his Liberals will form a majority government in British Columbia. The Liberal party won 76 of 79 seats.

Campbell told cheering crowds that "B.C. is back and we are ready to go."

He called the change of government a new era for British Columbia. "B.C. is strong. It is united and brimming with confidence."

Liberal leader Gordon Campbell
Liberal leader Gordon Campbell

The NDP won only three seats, one short of the four required to give the party official status. And one of the seats in Victoria is so close, it could go Liberal.

The end of an era

The election brings a shattering end to 10 years of NDP rule in B.C.

Ujjal Dosanjh steps down as NDP party leader
Ujjal Dosanjh steps down as NDP party leader

Premier Ujjal Dosanjh lost his seat to Liberal candidate Patrick Wong in the Vancouver-Kensington riding. Dosanjh said he would step down as NDP leader after an interim leader is chosen.

"I want to tell you that we need to continue to rebuild our movement under new leadership. Therefore, I will be tendering my resignation," he said.

Dosanjh conceded defeat a week before the election. He spent the last days of the campaign asking British Columbians to give the NDP enough votes to mount an effective opposition. "I understand that this election is about changing the government," said Dosanjh.

Green party leader Adriane Carr
Green party leader Adriane Carr

A "Naderized" election

Pre-election polls indicated that the Green party and the NDP were sharing 15 per cent of the popular vote. There was concern that the Green party would "Naderize" the election, drawing votes away from the left-wing NDP and clearing the path for the conservative Liberals.

While Greens may have taken some votes from the NDP, election officials say that in most ridings, the combined NDP and Green votes were less than the number of Liberal votes.

The Greens didn't win any seats. Adriane Carr, leader of the Green party said this election was just the beginning. She said that even though the Liberals won the election, the Greens won people's hearts.

The Liberal party under Campbell could see B.C. take a turn to the right. His Liberals will be more pro-business. Campbell says they'll reform the province's labour laws.