Justin Trudeau pledges 'real change' as Liberals leap ahead to majority government

Justin Trudeau will be Canada's next prime minister after leading the Liberal Party to a stunning majority government win, dashing the hopes of Stephen Harper, who had been seeking his fourth consecutive mandate, but will now step down as party leader. 

This will be the second time for Canada to be led by a Trudeau, as the 43-year-old Liberal leader follows in the footsteps of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who served as prime minister for almost 16 years before retiring in 1984.

"Sunny ways my friends. Sunny ways," Trudeau told his enthusiastic supporters in Montreal. "This is what positive politics can do."  Canadians, he said, had sent a clear message that it's "time for change in this country my friends. Real change."

"We beat fear with hope," Trudeau said. "We beat cynicism with hard work. We beat negative, divisive politics with a positive vision that brings Canadians together."

Speaking to his supporters in Calgary, Harper made no mention about his political future, but the head of the Conservative Party released a statement indicating that the prime minister would step down.

"The people are never wrong," Harper told his supporters, adding that he accepts the results without hesitation.

Now, the Liberals were elected or leading in 184 ridings, having won seats in every province and taking the lead in all provinces except Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Tories followed with elected in more than 99 seats, while the NDP was at 44. The Bloc, meanwhile, was elected in 10 seats and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was re-elected in B.C.

The Liberals finished with 39.5 per cent of the popular vote, while the other parties took the following percentages of the popular vote: - Read More at cbc
Trudeau pledges 'real change' as Liberals leap ahead to majority 

 Premiers greet Liberal majority with cautious optimism

ANALYSIS Stephen Harper's legacy: Good, bad and a dose of ugly: Terry Milewski