(Ont-Elxn)
'Let's make a deal' will be the watchwords at Queen's Park for the foreseeable future.
The McGuinty Liberals were tripped at the finish line in last night's election, finishing one seat shy of the 54 seats they needed for a majority.
That means they'll have to rely on the support of one of the opposition parties to pass legislation.
The Tories finished second with 37 seats and the N-D-P came in third with 17 seats. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-Analysis)
Ontario has elected its first minority government in 26 years, but one analyst thinks the Liberals aren't in too weak a position.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has become the province's first three-term Liberal premier in more than a century, but he fell one seat shy of the 54 seats he needed for a majority.
McMaster University political science professor Peter Graefe is predicting a fairly stable legislative session despite the minority.
Graefe says McGuinty is in a strong position because he knows the Ontario electorate isn't keen to have another election.
The professor says McGuinty will still have a pretty strong hand in terms of crafting directions and ensuring the parties support what he's trying to do.
Still, in his concession speech, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak told his supporters -- quote: “The people of Ontario have put Dalton McGuinty on a much shorter leash.” (The Canadian Press)
--
(Ont-Elxn-Standings)
The Progressive Conservatives picked up the most seats as the Liberals lost their majority status in the legislature.
The Tories gained 12 seats, many of them in Southwestern Ontario.
They go into the next session at Queen's Park with 37 seats.
The Liberals lost 17 seats overall as they took 53 ridings.
The N-D-P gained seven seats, and will have 17 M-P-Ps in the legislature. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-Liberals)
Despite falling one seat short of a majority, Premier Dalton McGuinty says his party still met its goal of bringing an experienced Liberal government to another term in office.
The Liberals won their third consecutive government with 53 seats.
And they did it despite trailing the Tories by double digits in polls in the months before the election.
McGuinty says his party ignored the naysayers and listened to Ontarians instead.
He says the Liberals will serve Ontarians faithfully with a “steady hand on the tiller” in rough economic times. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-Tories)
There will be a lot of soul-searching among Ontario's Progressive Conservatives this morning.
The party saw victory slip through their fingers last night as voters returned the Liberals to power -- albeit with a minority this time.
P-C Leader Tim Hudak says while the results are disappointing for his party, there's still much to be proud of, since they nearly matched the Liberals in popular support.
The Tories also saw their seat count increase to 37 from the 25 they held when the election was called.
Hudak told supporters in his Niagara riding last night that Ontario voters have sent a message that his party has more work to do to regain power -- and he's heard it. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-NDP)
The N-D-P are headed back to Queen's Park with more seats and more power to make themselves heard.
Rookie leader Andrea Horwath led the party to a seven-seat gain with a positive and energetic campaign.
While the N-D-P placed third at the polls the crowd at the party's headquarters declared the night a victory since the party now has the strongest mandate in years.
The minority win by the Liberals also means the government will have to work with the other parties to stay in power.
Horwath says she wants to get back to the legislature as soon as possible, and will be making demands around jobs, health care and affordability. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-Cabinet)
Premier McGuinty has some cabinet spots to fill as several of his ministers were thrashed in last night's election.
Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky lost her eastern Ontario riding to radio station news director Todd Smith.
Environment Minister John Wilkinson was defeated in his Perth-Wellington riding.
Revenue Minister Sophia Aggelonitis lost her Hamilton-area seat and Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell lost her Huron-Bruce seat. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-GTA)
Large swaths of the Greater Toronto Area were painted red as the Liberals made a strong showing there.
They took 13 seats in the 905 belt and a whopping 18 in the city of Toronto.
The Tories took a beating, winning just six seats in the G-T-A and one in Toronto.
The New Democrats took one seat in the G-T-A and five in Toronto. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-South-West)
The Progressive Conservatives made one of their strongest showings in South Western Ontario.
They picked up 17 seats in the area.
The Liberals, meanwhile, took 10 seats in the region where a number of residents oppose the government's wind energy projects.
The N-D-P won six ridings in the area. (The Canadian Press)
---
(Ont-Elxn-North)
The New Democrats edged the Liberals in Northern Ontario.
The N-D-P took five of the region's 10 seats while the Liberals took four.
The Tories grabbed just one seat.
Northern voters typically tend to elect New Democrats and Tories. (The Canadian Press)
