The Green party, fighting to be recognized as a legitimate party, recorded a major boost to its fortunes on Election Night, winning four per cent of the popular vote.

The party, which had complained about not being allowed to participate in the two all-leaders' debates, climbed more than three percentage points from the last election.

In 2000, their vote was almost negligible, recording only 0.08 per cent, or 1,100 votes. In this election, the party received about half a million votes.

With four per cent of the national popular vote, the Greens will qualify for annual funding of $1.75 per voter. That should allow Green Leader Jim Harris to build the party's infrastructure leading up to the next election.

The party's greatest showing has come in Alberta and British Columbia. In Alberta it captured six per cent of the popular vote, the highest support nationally. Its worst showing was in Manitoba, where it polled two per cent of the vote.

The party said from the beginning of the election campaign that it intended to send MPs to Ottawa. It has not been able to do that, but the party has increased its support more than four-fold across the country.