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2007 Newfoundland and Labrador General Election

On October 9, 2007, Newfoundland and Labrador voters returned the provincial Progressive Conservative Party and Danny Williams to government. The election was a landslide victory for the PC Party, which won 43 of 46 seats in the provincial legislature and 69 percent of the popular vote. This article provides an overview of the 2007 election, including previous election results, pre-election party standings and polls, information on each major party’s leader and election platforms, and results of the election.

Newfoundland/Labrador Electoral Backgrounder

Previous elections and pre-election party standings/polls

Newfoundland/Labrador PC Party: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the Progressive Conservative

Newfoundland/Labrador Liberal Party: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the Liberals

Newfoundland/Labrador NDP: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the New Democrats

Results of the 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador Election

Progressive Conservatives win a majority government

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Lists of article sources and links for more on this topic

Newfoundland/Labrador Electoral Backgrounder

Previous elections and pre-election party standings/polls

2003 General Election

The last provincial election was held in 2003, in which the Progressive Conservative Party won a majority government, with the Party’s leader, Danny Williams, becoming Premier. The Liberal Party came in second, forming the Official Opposition. Below is a summary of the election results, including popular votes and seats won for each party.

Results of 2003 Election

Political Parties

Popular Vote

Seats Won

Status

Progressive Conservatives

58.68%

34

Majority Government

Liberal Party

33.24%

12

Official Opposition

New Democratic Party

 6.86%

02

–

Other

1.22%

–

–

Changes to Party Standings (2003-2007)

Since the 2003 general election, there have been several changes in the standings of the parties in the provincial legislature. These changes have arisen due to changes in party allegiances, as well as by-elections.

On May 5, 2005, Fabian Manning was ejected from the Progressive Conservative caucus after speaking out against his government’s production quota plan for the provincial crab industry (CBC, May 5, 2005). Manning subsequently sat in the legislature as an independent. In December 2005, he resigned his seat as an independent and retired from provincial politics, leading to a by-election in February of the same year. In that by-election, Felix Collins of the Progressive Conservative Party was elected.

On May 30, 2005, Liberal Party leader Roger Grimes resigned both his seat in the legislature and his Party’s leadership. Grimes cited personal reasons for his decision to retire (CBC, May 30, 2005). It is also important to note that the Liberal Party lost its majority government under his tenure as leader. In the subsequent by-election for Grimes’ seat, Clayton Foresey of the Progressive Conservative Party was elected.

In September 2006, New Democratic Party leader Jack Harris resigned his seat in the legislature, as well as his Party’s leadership. Harris cited the need to have a new NDP leader as his reason for resigning (CBC, October 28, 2005). In the subsequent by-election for Harris’ seat, Lorraine Michael of the New Democratic Party was elected.

In late-2006/early-2007, Loyola Sullivan and Jim Hoddler, both Progressive Conservative Party members, resigned their seats in the provincial legislature. Sullivan, who had been the Minister of Finance, cited personal reasons for his decision (CTV.ca, December 30, 2006). Hoddler, a backbencher, resigned due to ongoing health reasons (CBC, January 12, 2007). In subsequent by-elections, the Progressive Conservatives won both seats: Keith Hutchings won Sullivan’s former seat, and Tony Cornect won Hoddler’s.

In 2006, the provincial legislature was rocked by an audit scandal, in which several legislative members were alleged to have misused public funds. A host of resignations ensued. On January 1st, 2007, PC Party member Ed Byrne resigned his seat in the legislature. Byrne had been the Minister of Natural Resources under Premier Danny Williams. On January 19, 2007, Kathy Goudie, a Progressive Conservative backbencher, also resigned her seat amidst allegations of wrongdoing. In the subsequent by-elections, Byrne’s former seat was won by the Progressive Conservative candidate John Dinn, while Liberal candidate Dwight Ball was elected Goudie’s seat.

The audit scandal was not limited to the Progressive Conservative Party. In February 2007, Randy Collins of the New Democratic Party resigned his seat following allegations of wrongdoing, as well as Liberal member Wally Andersen in September 2007. In a subsequent by-election, PC Party member Jim Baker won Collin’s former seat. No by-election was held for Andersen’s seat.

Finally, in July 2007, Progressive Conservative Paul Shelley resigned his seat in the provincial legislature. Shelley had been the Minister of Tourism under Premier Williams’ government. He cited personal reasons for his decision to resign (CBC, January 19, 2007). No by-election was held for Shelley’s seat.

Party Standings Prior to the 2007 Election

Prior to the 2007 general election being called, party standings in the provincial legislature were as follows:

Political Party

Seats

Status in Assembly

Progressive Conservative Party

34

Government

Liberal Party

11

Official Opposition

New Democratic Party

1

Opposition party

Vacant

2

–

Pre-election Public Opinion Polls

Public opinion polls conducted prior to the 2007 general election have shown a considerable lead in the polls for the incumbent Progressive Conservative Party. Polls show PC Party support at around 70 percent; the Liberals range between 16 and 19 percent; and the New Democrats are at approximately seven percent.

For more information on Newfoundland and Labrador pre-election polling:

Newfoundland/Labrador PC Party: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the Progressive Conservative

Danny Williams: Progressive Conservative Leader

Danny Williams is Progressive Conservative Party leader and Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Williams was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he studied political science and economics at Memorial University. He became a Rhodes Scholar in 1969 and received a degree in Arts in Law from Oxford University in England. Mr. Williams later received a Bachelor of Law from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Prior to entering politics he practised law in Newfoundland and Labrador, was head of Cable Atlantic, President of the oil and gas company OIS Fisher, and owned and operated various golf courses and hotel resorts. In April 2001, he was elected leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador Progressive Conservative Party. He was first elected to the House of Assembly in June 2001. In the 2003 general election, the Progressive Conservative Party won a majority government, and Williams became the Premier.

PC Party 2007 Election Platform

The PC Party laid out its election platform in a party document titled Newfoundland and Labrador: Proud, Strong, Determined – The Future is Ours. Central to this platform is the idea that the province must stand on its own and exercise greater autonomy to achieve its rightful place in Confederation. The following summary highlights main points in the document.

For the full text of the PC Party’s 2007 election platform:

In the area of government reform, the Party is committed to:

  • Developing whistleblower legislation
  • Implementing revisions to reform procurement and capital works tendering policies through the Government Purchasing Agency
  • Surveying all Crown agencies with debt and investment portfolios to enforce sound management practices in accordance with the Transparency and Accountability Act.

In the area of intergovernmental relations, the Party promises to:

  • Achieve self-reliance within the federation of Canada
  • Continue to strive for fairness on the Atlantic Accord and Equalization, including the removal of nonrenewable resource revenues from equalization calculations
  • Demand that the Government of Canada situate more federal offices and jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Work to have a Supreme Court of Canada judge appointed from Newfoundland and Labrador.

In regard to government finances and taxation, the Party makes the following commitments:

  • Further develop our debt management strategy to continue to eliminate the debt and refinance existing debt with competitive rates
  • Allocate budget surpluses to pay down the public debt, thereby relieving the fiscal burden of interest payments and freeing fiscal resources for other initiatives, including tax relief.

In the area of communities, the Party promises to:

  • Continue to implement the Infrastructure Strategy to lay a strong foundation for rural and regional economic growth and stimulate job growth
  • Continue to implement the Island and Labrador transportation strategies to interconnect municipalities and regions
  • Work cooperatively with regional and zonal economic development boards on the development and implementation of economic diversification strategies to give each region a broadly-based foundation for commercial growth
  • Review the province’s municipal financing and debt management policies in consultation with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Improve the province’s drinking water policies for its communities
  • Maintain the commitment that there will be no forced amalgamation of municipalities, but continue to work with municipalities on initiatives to share services regionally
  • Make communities safer through anti-crime programs such as establishing an AMBER Alert program to respond to child abductions, increase funding for crime stoppers, enhance the anti-drug campaigns for schools, increase the number of police officers, and develop a Newfoundland and Labrador e-crime unit.

In regard to the economy, the Party pledges to:

  • Continue to work cooperatively with the Canadian North Atlantic Marine Partnership (CANMAP) bidding team, which includes Marystown’s Peter Kiewit and Sons, in a concerted effort to win the federal Joint Support Ship (JSS) contract for the Burin Peninsula.
  • Annually review the province’s business tax environment to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador remains competitive.
  • Continue to implement and monitor the Red Tape Reduction Initiative to reduce barriers to economic investment and development.
  • Implement the new Export Development Strategy, which will include a suite of services, including counseling on effective export development approaches, commercial export strategy development, and the identification of new opportunities.
  • In association with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries (NATI), establish a process to provide guidance to enable Newfoundland and Labrador enterprises to become successful internet-based e-shopping vendors and marketers.
  • Implement the Provincial Investment Attraction Strategy to promote further business attraction, growth, and diversification.
  • Investigate emerging new niche markets that match the province’s unique skills, products and services, and position Newfoundland and Labrador businesses at the forefront of new opportunities.
  • Promote entrepreneurship by providing information, education, and support for young people interested in starting their own businesses.
  • Maintain support for the Ireland Business Partnerships, as expanded and refocused in 2005 with a mandate to identify, foster, and promote trade and partnership opportunities in business, education, and culture with the Republic of Ireland.
  • Pursue the development of a Memorandum of Understanding linking Iceland and Newfoundland and Labrador more closely for mutual economic benefit.
  • Maintain support for the New England Trade and Investment Initiative, and continue to promote trade opportunities through trade missions and communications linking Newfoundland and Labrador enterprises and institutions with other countries around the world.
  • For the fisheries, aid in the development of the aquaculture industry, pursue a Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries Agreement to allow the province to work in cooperation with the federal government for the sustainable management of the fisheries, continue to implement the Canada – Newfoundland and Labrador Cod Recovery Strategy, establish an enhanced fisheries loan guarantee program to facilitate bank financing for those fishers wishing to take advantage of federal licensing policy changes, provide $1.5 million for a voluntary fish auction over three years, and through a Newfoundland and Labrador seafood marketing strategy, provide $3 million to enhance market research and promotion efforts over the next three years.
  • For the mining industry, work to attract secondary and tertiary mineral-based processing and manufacturing operations to Newfoundland and Labrador communities work with the project developers and Aboriginal communities to accelerate the development of underground mining at the Voisey’s Bay site, and explore opportunities to develop the province’s uranium resources.
  • In the energy sector, implement the Energy Plan (which includes establishing the province as an energy warehouse in eastern North America), continue to seek jurisdictional ownership and effective control of petroleum and other resources in waters adjacent to Newfoundland and Labrador, and work with communities on the west, south, and north coasts and the regions of Labrador to ensure they are prepared to take maximum advantage of opportunities and reap economic and employment benefits associated with the exploration and development of petroleum resources.

In the area of health care, the Party commits to the following:

  • Develop a wait-time management plan that is provincially coordinated and focused on wait time reduction, monitoring and improving timely access
  • Purchase a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, a powerful medical diagnostic tool that, by enabling early diagnosis, can lead to early treatment and disease prevention
  • Commit to a redevelopment of hospitals in St. John’s for enhanced acute care services
  • Commit to build a new acute care hospital in Corner Brook at a cost of $150 million
  • Through a $15-million expansion and $11.75 million in new annual operational costs, expand the number of spaces for Newfoundland and Labrador medical students at the Memorial University Medical School by 10 percent in the coming year and 30 percent within the next five years, bringing enrolment from the current 60 up to 66 next year and to 78 within five years
  • Through a $4-million investment, expand the number of spaces for Newfoundland and Labrador nursing students
  • Eliminate ambulance fee charges for inter-facility transfers at an estimated cost of $750,000
  • Promote healthy living through such initiatives as the Provincial Wellness Plan, the Healthy Eating in School Program, expanding the Born a Non-smoker Plan, and implement the Recreation and Sport Strategy.

Regarding education, the Party promises to:

  • Expand access to consistent early childhood education to all families, including those in remote regions, low-income families, and others throughout Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Establish five-year literacy and numeracy targets in Newfoundland and Labrador schools
  • Expand distance education opportunities, increase distance education support to schools and enhance broadband connectivity to rural and remote schools
  • Fully implement the Futures in Skilled Trades and Technology Program, which focuses on skilled trades applications at the senior high level
  • Further expand the Information, Communication and Learning Technologies (ICLT) project to enable more students to apply the internet to learning in the classroom
  • Extend the tuition freeze at Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic for four years, with an investment of $56 million
  • Implement the Student Loan Debt Relief program, which enables students to receive up-front needs-based grants to offset their borrowing costs and reduce the interest on provincial student loan debts to prime
  • Provide for new student residences at Memorial University’s St. John’s and Grenfell campuses, for which funding was allocated in the 2007-08 budget
  • Aid those entering the trades by providing a $500 tax rebate to help apprentices purchase new equipment, as well as establishing a journeyperson mentorship program.

In addition to these commitments, the PC Party also proposes several initiatives in the areas of economic and community development in Labrador, the promotion of Newfoundland and Labrador culture and cultural industries, senior care, and Aboriginal policy.

Newfoundland/Labrador Liberal Party: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the Liberals

Gary Reid: Liberal Party Leader

Gerald (Gerry) Reid, one of six children, was born in 1954 in Carbonear. Mr. Reid attended James Moore High School before attending Memorial University, where he earned three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master’s in Philosophy. It was during this time that Mr. Reid became active in politics, including serving one term as President of the Memorial Liberal Association. After he graduated from Memorial University, Mr. Reid accepted a teaching position at Coaker Academy on New World Island. During this time he became involved in municipal politics, serving as a City Councillor in Summerford for three years. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Reid served as Executive Assistant to two provincial Fisheries Ministers: the Honourable Walter Carter and the Honourable Dr. Bud Hulan. In 1996, Mr. Reid was elected to the provincial legislature. During his term in office, he has served as Government Whip and Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. In 2005, he was appointed Liberal Party leader. Mr. Reid and his wife Cathy have two sons.

Liberal Party 2007 Election Platform

The Liberal Party’s 2007 election platform is laid out in a party document titled People…Progress…Prosperity! The central theme of the platform is the need to invest in the province’s people in order to grow and prosper. The following provides highlights of the document.

For the full text of the Liberal Party’s 2007 election platform:

In the area of taxation and government finances, the Party promises to do the following:

  • Eliminate the special 15 percent tax on insurance
  • Reduce the provincial tax on gasoline and home heating taxes
  • Eliminate the Harmonized Sales Tax (a provincial-federal sales tax) on funeral expenses
  • Review the province’s fee structure for such things as motor vehicle registration
  • Continue review of the personal income tax structure
  • Develop a plan to pay down the provincial debt while maintaining prosperity.

In regard to the provincial economy, the Party makes the following commitments:

  • Targeted tax breaks for business
  • Establish a major marketing initiative to attract business firms
  • Create a Department of Economic Development
  • Revitalize and expand the Edge Program in order to provide more investment opportunities in the province
  • Invest in a graving dock for the Burin Peninsula in order to improve the facility’s competitiveness in shipbuilding
  • Expanding the technology sector
  • Provide funding for cultural and tourism industries, including investments in tourism infrastructure, regional event sponsorships and promotion funding, and expand the provinces eco-tourism potential
  • Reform the fishery industry through such initiatives as the creation of a Seafood Marketing Council, government programs to encourage diversification in the fisheries (with particular focus on aquaculture), create an Exploratory Development Fund to help harvesters purchase gear for use in underutilized fisheries, and repeal of the Raw Material Sharing legislation
  • Help the mining industry by ensuring a stable and consistent policy and taxation framework, and strengthen the Mineral Incentives Program
  • Pursue a royalty system in the oil and gas industry, as opposed to taking an equity stake in oil and gas projects, and institute initiatives to grow new exploration.

In the area of rural development, the Party promises to:

  • Establish a Prosperity Fund in which a percentage of oil and gas revenue will be directed towards rural development
  • Strengthen rural services, particularly in the areas of education and health care
  • Establish a Department of Rural Sustainability
  • Institute rural cell phone service
  • Provide grants of $5,000 for volunteer fire departments.

The Party also makes several commitments in regard to health care:

  • Recruit and retain more health care professionals
  • Provide a student loan rebate program for health care professionals
  • Acquire a PET Scan for cancer patients
  • Establish a province-wide 911 emergency service
  • Expand travel coverage for medical procedures
  • Re-evaluate the size of health care boards
  • Appoint patient advocates
  • Increase availability of heart defibrillators
  • Remove the HST on home care services and reduce home care wait times
  • Increase wages for home care support workers
  • Introduce overtime incentives for health care workers
  • Reduce ambulance fees
  • Improve health care communications system
  • Reduce wait times.

In the field of education, the Party makes the following commitments:

  • For early childhood education, fight to reinstate the 2005 agreement signed with the federal government to develop a comprehensive early child development program (the agreement was unilaterally terminated by the federal Conservative government in 2006).
  • For primary and secondary education, provide appropriate technology to all high schools, expand support staff for teachers, and create pre-apprenticeship programs for students in the trades.
  • For post-secondary education, institute a 25 percent tuition reduction, improve the financial grant system and student housing, expand Memorial University’s medical school, provide tax relief for post-secondary graduates, and examine the possibility of introducing an interest-free student loan system for students.

In regard to environmental policy, the Party promises to:

  • Develop a comprehensive green plan for the province based on public consultation
  • Institute “green” procurement measures for government
  • Work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Improve public and mass transit in the province
  • Improve enforcement of environmental regulations.

In the area of government reform, the Party commits to the following:

  • Make government spending more transparent by posting legislature members’ travel and entertainment claims on the Internet
  • Introducing legislative review committees
  • Instituting whistleblower legislation to protect individuals who report government wrongdoings.

In addition to these commitments, the Liberal Party also proposes several initiatives in the areas of senior care, ensuring opportunities for women, working with Aboriginal peoples, fighting poverty, fighting addictions, and building and maintaining provincial infrastructure.

Newfoundland/Labrador NDP: 2007 Election Overview

Leader bio and election platform of the New Democrats

Lorraine Michael: New Democratic Party Leader

Lorraine Michael was born in St. John’s, and raised in the Lebanese community. Her educational achievements include degrees from Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Toronto. Michael began her career as a high school teacher on Bell Island, subsequently becoming a school principal in the Roman Catholic School Board system. She also worked as a teacher in Baie Verte, the Burin Peninsula, and the Codroy Valley. She is also known as a social activist and feminist committed to gender, racial, social, and economic justice. In this context, she has served as Director of the Office of Social Action in St. John’s, Chair of the Women’s Work Campaign for the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Executive Director of Women in Resource Development Committee, and an Innu Nation nominee sitting on the Voisey’s Bay Environmental Assessment Panel. She was selected leader of the provincial New Democratic Party in May 2006.

New Democratic Party 2007 Election Platform

The NDP have outlined their 2007 election platform in a party document titled Bringing Your Voice to the House of Assembly. The document’s central idea is the need for a strong NDP voice in the legislature to create a fairer and more just Newfoundland and Labrador. The following provides some highlights of key commitments in the document.

For the full text of the NDP 2007 election platform:

In area of health care, the NDP will call for:

  • An external review of regional health authorities in the province, with an assessment of their effectiveness in ensuring appropriate health services
  • A universal pharmacare program for all residents, with coverage for equipment and medication
  • A publicly funded and delivered home care and home support system that will provide quality care, fair wages, and proper training for home care workers
  • A publicly managed ambulance service across the province with standardized training and fair wages, to ensure that the province’s residents have reliable emergency services
  • Extension of 911 services to all areas of the province
  • More doctors, nurses, and front-line health care professionals
  • A rural medical services fund to fill vacancies when doctors need relief in rural areas.

In the context of economic policy, the NDP will push for the following:

  • Have Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro increase access to power in rural areas, which will encourage investment in the province and new industries to locate here
  • Designate more land tracts specifically for value-added forestry, and implement a value-added wood harvesting strategy
  • Create a public corporation to identify new markets and products for the fishery industry, and assist small and medium-sized companies to develop new value added products for export
  • Implement a fuel rebate to fishing enterprises to strengthen their economic viability
  • Develop strategies to strengthen and promote the shipbuilding industry
  • Eliminate taxes on small business insurance.

In the area of communities and rural development, the Party advocates the following:

  • A public, universal childcare program which assures healthier children and enables more parents to work
  • Protection of agricultural lands from commercial, industrial, and residential development; improved strategies for local and food production and agricultural exports, to make optimum use of the province’s agricultural lands
  • Regional planning boards using an integrated management model (government, arms-length science, and public participation)
  • Investment, through the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC), in more affordable housing units to address the severe lack of affordable housing throughout the province
  • Adequate shelter housing throughout the province for homeless youth, single adults, families, and those escaping family violence
  • Increased grants to rural municipalities for social and physical infrastructure
  • An affordable and accessible public transportation network in rural areas (buses, subsidies to private taxis, etc.)
  • Extended high-speed Internet service to all communities
  • Income replacement and training for those affected by job losses in rural communities; if the largest employer in a community closes, its workers should not be abandoned.

In the area of taxation, the NDP calls for:

  • A taxation system that eliminates unfair taxes and puts more money into the hands of families and lower-income people
  • A ban on taxes for home heating fuels and electricity, insurance, health-related services such as home care, funeral expenses, and books
  • Taxation of high-priced luxury items such as luxury vehicles, precious gems and furs
  • Increasing tax rates paid by large, out-of-province corporations conducting business in Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Increasing the numbers of people who do not pay income tax by raising the ceiling for taxable income
  • Increasing the rate of taxation for the very wealthiest.

In the area of the environment, the Party supports the following:

  • A public corporation to deliver energy efficiency and conservation programs
  • A home energy, commercial, and institutional retrofit program which would be cost-shared according to income
  • One hundred per cent replacement of the government fleet with low-emission vehicles; assistance to help non-profit organizations purchase low-emission vehicles
  • Regulations and incentives for commercial and consumer purchase of energy-saving products
  • Regulatory, technical, and financial assistance to small-scale, locally controlled renewable energy projects that generate jobs, skills, and profits for communities
  • Immediately installing scrubbers and precipitators to reduce emissions from the Holyrood thermal generating station
  • Protection of sensitive ecosystems that foster diversity by implementing the Protected Areas System Plan; remediation programs for streams that flood excessively due to human activity
  • The forestry industry to adopt sustainable harvesting practices as proposed by the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union for a green forest industry
  • A provincial waste management and recycling program with better government support by 2010.

In the area of education, the Party calls for:

  • More teachers and assistants in the classroom
  • Classrooms that are not overcrowded, so students can get help when they need it
  • Properly maintained schools to ensure a safe, healthy environment for the province’s children
  • A universal school lunch and nutrition program to provide all students with the healthy, nourishing meals they need to learn properly
  • More student assistants for students with special needs so they have an equal opportunity to perform to the best of their abilities
  • Increased school resource budgets to give teachers the resources they need; schools should not have to fundraise for essential items; teachers should not have to pay for supplies from their own pockets
  • A review of the structure of school boards to ensure adequate input and representation from parents and funding for schools
  • A special advocate to deal with student debt repayment issues in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure that the debt students accumulate can be repaid fairly
  • Free tuition for public post-secondary students
  • Needs-based grants for all students so that the opportunity to learn is there for everyone, not just those from higher-income families
  • Reduced interest rates on student loans as a step toward implementing a comprehensive debt forgiveness program
  • Increased provincial government funding of post-secondary education to counter federal cuts, along with a demand that the federal government increase education spending to pay its share for the province’s post-secondary system

In addition to these commitments, the NDP also proposes several initiatives in the areas of workers’ issues, poverty, seniors, women’s equality, helping persons with disabilities, and adult literacy.

Results of the 2007 Newfoundland and Labrador Election

Progressive Conservatives win a majority government

In the 2007 general election, the provincial Progressive Conservatives won a huge majority government, taking 43 of 46 seats in the provincial legislature and 69 percent of the popular vote (CBC, October 9, 2007). This represented a large increase of the Party’s results in the 2003 general election, in which the Tory’s won 34 seats and 58 percent of the vote. The provincial Liberal Party came in second in the 2007 election, forming the Official Opposition. The Liberals won just 3 seats and 21 percent of the vote. The New Democratic Party managed to win one seat in legislature, and 8 percent of the vote.

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