The2015 Canadian federal election was held on October 19, 2015, to elect the 338 members of theHouse of Commons of the42nd Parliament of Canada. In accordance with themaximum four-year term under a2007 amendment to theCanada Elections Act, thewrits of election for the 2015 election were issued by Governor GeneralDavid Johnston on August 4. At 11 weeks, the ensuing campaign was one of the longest in Canadian history:[2] It was also the first time since1979 that aprime minister attempted to remain in office into a fourth consecutive Parliament and the first time since1980 that someone attempted to win a fourth term of any kind as prime minister. (In both cases, it wasPierre, Justin Trudeau’s father, who attempted in 1979 to win a 4th consecutive term and succeeded in 1980 in winning a fourth term overall.) This is also the most recent election in which a majority government was formed.
The Liberal Party's increase of 148 seats from the previous election was the largest-ever numerical increase by a party in a Canadian election. Prior to the campaign, the Liberals had held only 36 seats—the fewest seats ever held at dissolution by any federal party that won the following election. The Liberals also became the first federal party in Canadian history to win a majority of seats without having been either the governing party or the Official Opposition in the previous parliament, and this was only the second time a party went from having the third-most seats to the most seats (the first being in1925). It was the second largest number of seats won in a federal election for the Liberals, the best being 191 in1949. This was the first election since2000 in which the Liberals gained seats. It was also the first election since1980 in which the Liberals won the most seats inQuebec, and the first election since1968 in which the Liberals won the most seats inBritish Columbia. The election also had the highest voter turnout since1993.[1] Every party represented in the House of Commons except the Liberal Party recorded a decrease in itspopular vote share. There was an increase in voter turnout among all age groups. The largest was among eligible voters aged 18 to 24, which increased 18.3 points, to 57.1%. Elections Canada reported that this was the biggest increase in turnout among this age group since it began making demographic turnout estimates.[6]
Following the election, Harper conceded defeat to Trudeau and resigned as leader of the Conservative Party.[7]Gilles Duceppe resigned as leader of the Bloc Québécois shortly after the election on October 22, 2015.Tom Mulcair announced his intention to remain leader of the NDP, but was forced to step down in October 2017, after losing a party vote on his leadership in the spring of 2016.
Bob Rae was chosen as interim leader of the Liberal Party. In July 2011Jack Layton, suffering from cancer, temporarily stepped down as leader of the NDP because of illness, indicating his intention to return for the reconvening of Parliament in September. Weeks later Layton died of cancer and was given astate funeral. In March 2012Tom Mulcair was elected leader of the New Democratic Party. In April 2013Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party. Bloc Québécois leaderDaniel Paillé stepped down in December 2013 and was eventually replaced in June 2014 byMario Beaulieu, who in turn was replaced by Duceppe in June 2015.[8] In late 2014, MPsJean-François Larose of the NDP andJean-François Fortin of the Bloc formed the new political partyStrength in Democracy. As set forth in theFair Representation Act,[9] the number of seats in the House of Commons to be contested in the 42nd Canadian federal election was 338, an increase of 30 seats from the 308 seats comprising theHouse of Commons of Canada of the41st Parliament of Canada, at itsdissolution.[10]
Prime Minister Stephen Harper requestedwrits of election for a federal general election fromGovernor GeneralDavid Johnston on August 2. The official proclamations were issued on August 4.[11] The date of the vote is determined by the fixed-dateCanada Elections Act.[12] At 11 weeks, the campaign was the longest in modern Canadian history.[13] As a result of the2012 federal electoral redistribution, the number of electoral districts was increased to 338, with additional seats based on population assigned to Alberta (6), British Columbia (6), Ontario (15), and Quebec (3).[14]
Effect of 2012 redistribution on notional number of seats held
Traditionally, party leaders participated in at least two nationally televised debates during the federal election – at least one each inEnglish andFrench. These debates were produced by a consortium of Canada's major television networks.[24] In May 2015, the Conservatives said they would not participate in the consortium debates and instead would take part in as many as five independently staged debates in the run-up to the fall federal election.[24] Ultimately, the Conservatives agreed to participate in a French-language debate organized by the consortium of broadcasters as one of their five debates.[25] The New Democratic Party confirmed thatTom Mulcair would accept every debate where the prime minister was present. The NDP had previously confirmed its intention to participate in both of the consortium debates beforeStephen Harper withdrew[26][27] but ultimately only participated in the French language consortium debate which included the Conservatives.[25] Liberal leaderJustin Trudeau attended theMaclean's,Globe and Mail, and French consortium debates; and the Liberals confirmed he would attend the other debates.[27][28][29][30][31] The Bloc Québécois attended the French language consortium debate and confirmed its attendance at the French-language TVA debate. The Green Party attended theMaclean's and French language consortium debates, and confirmed its intention to participate in the English language consortium debate.[27][30][32][33]Strength in Democracy, which had the same number of seats in the House of Commons at dissolution as the Greens and Bloc Québécois, were not invited to participate in any of the televised debates. The leaders of the party objected to their exclusion and launched a petition demanding that all parties represented in Parliament be invited to the debates.[34] Other minor parties without representation in the House of Commons were not invited to participate in any of the televised debates.
The debate included live translations into French, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese and Punjabi. Aired live onCity stations (English),CPAC (French), andOmni Television stations (all other languages); streamed live at theMaclean's website and all networks' websites,Facebook andYouTube; and onRogers Media news radio stations.[37]
The first half of the 90-minute debate covered five central themes on the economy: jobs, energy and the environment, infrastructure, housing and taxation. The second half consisted of follow-up questions and questions sent in by voters. Aired live nationwide onCPAC in both official languages with an additional English feed in Ontario onCHCH,[38] streamed live onThe Globe and Mail's website, and distributed on YouTube. Uninvited Green Party leader Elizabeth May answered questions onTwitter live during the debate at an event inVictoria, British Columbia.[39]
Bilingual[25] debate on Canada's foreign policy hosted as part of the foundation's regularMunk Debates.[29][43] The debate consisted of six 12-minute segments, with two leaders debating for the first seven minutes and the third leader brought in to the debate for the final five.[43] Aired onCPAC in both official languages with an additional English feed in Ontario onCHCH,[44] streamed live on the Munk Debates website, and distributed on Facebook.[42]
The debate focused on three themes: the economy, national security and Canada's place in the world, and social policies; the format consisted of six rounds of four-minute debate between two leaders, with an open debate section at the end of each theme.[46] Aired live in French onTVA stations,Le Canal Nouvelles, and streamed on theTVA Nouvelles website;[46] Aired withsimultaneous interpretation to English onCPAC.[47]
The second Canadian federal election to significantly incorporatesocial media, the 2015 campaign was notable for the rise of new avenues of scrutiny for potential candidates.[48] A number of damaging revelations for each of the major political parties late in the campaign led to calls for increased vetting amongst political strategists, academics and outside observers.[49][50][51]
Party
Description
Conservative
August 7, 2015:Hochelaga candidate Augustin Ali Kitoko was removed as a candidate after sharing a Facebook photo album from New Democrat leaderTom Mulcair.[52]
August 21, 2015:Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie candidate Gilles Guibord was no longer a candidate after a number of online comments onLe Journal de Montréal were uncovered, including blamingFirst Nations for not integrating into European culture, claiming the French, not theMohawks, have ancestral rights to Quebec, and speaking about man's "authority over women."[53]
August 24, 2015:Ahuntsic-Cartierville candidate Wiliam Moughrabi deleted his Facebook account after violent and sexist posts were discovered.[54]
August 25, 2015:Joliette candidate Soheil Eid apologized after comparing New Democrat leaderTom Mulcair's statements regarding theEnergy East pipeline project to Nazi propagandistJoseph Goebbels by quoting"Mentez mentez, il en restera toujours quelque chose" ("Lie lie and something will always remain").[55]
September 6, 2015:Scarborough—Rouge Park candidate Jerry Bance was dropped from the party after a video fromCBC'sMarketplace surfaced showing an appliance repairman named Jerry urinating into a mug in a client's kitchen. It was later discovered that it was Bance himself.[56] It became a popular meme on Twitter under thehashtag #peegate.[57]
September 7, 2015:Toronto—Danforth candidate Tim Dutaud was forced to resign his candidacy after it was discovered he was YouTube user UniCaller, who has uploaded videos of himself pretending to orgasm while on the phone with female customer service representatives, and mocking people with mental disabilities.[58]
September 8, 2015:Bay of Quinte Conservative Electoral District Association board member Sue MacDonell was fired after she posted on Facebook thatCree woman and newly crownedMrs. UniverseAshley Callingbull-Burnham was a "monster" and a "smug entitled Liberal pet."[52]
September 15, 2015:Bonavista—Burin—Trinity candidate Blair Dale was removed from his candidacy after racist and sexist online comments surfaced, including saying that abortion should not be an option for "irresponsible" people.[59]
September 17, 2015: Prime MinisterStephen Harper's use of the appellation "Old Stock Canadians" during a nationally televised debate with Liberal LeaderJustin Trudeau, and NDP LeaderTom Mulcair created a Twitter frenzy and substantial media coverage.[60] Without specifically repeating the phrase, Harper later claimed to be referring to Canadians whose families have been here for "one or more generations."[61]
October 1, 2015:Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook candidate Robert Strickland was lambasted after Facebook remarks made by Strickland (or a staffer) told a young voter to "gain some experience in life" before engaging in political discussions.[62]
October 1, 2015:St. Catharines incumbentRick Dykstra was alleged to have purchased sixCîroc vodka bottles for underage girls at a local nightclub and then had his campaign offer bribes in exchange for their silence, a charge Dykstra denied.[63]
October 6, 2015:Mississauga—Malton candidate Jagdish Grewal was dropped from the party after an editorial by Grewal was printed in thePunjabi Post titled "Is it wrong for a homosexual to become a normal person?" in which he defendedgay-conversion therapy to return gay youths to their "normal" heterosexuality. He remained on the ballot.[64]
October 10, 2015:The Economist said that "Muslim-bashing" had entered the election campaign, led primarily by the Conservatives, through the issue of the public wearing of theniqab.[65] See also:Zunera Ishaq
NDP
August 10, 2015:Kings—Hants candidate Morgan Wheeldon resigned his candidacy after a Facebook comment surfaced where he is accused of sayingIsrael intended to "ethnically cleanse the region."[66]
September 8, 2015: Shawn Dearn,Tom Mulcair's director of communications apologized after tweets came to light criticizing theCatholic Church, including stating that the "misogynist, homophobic, child-molesting Catholic church" is no moral authority, and used an expletive to refer toPope Benedict XVI after the pope denounced Britain's gay equality rights.[67]
September 20, 2015: NDP LeaderTom Mulcair was forced to apologize for using the term "Newfie" in a derogatory fashion as a synonym for "stupid" during a heated exchange in theQuebec legislature in 1996.[68]
September 21, 2015:Winnipeg Centre MPPat Martin apologized for offensive language. Martin called Green Party candidate Don Woodstock a "son of a bitch" during a candidates debate the previous week. In aHuffington Post article, Martin was quoted as saying Liberal candidateRobert-Falcon Ouellette is a "political slut" because he had considered running for different political parties before running for the Liberals.[69][70]
September 22, 2015:Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas candidate Alex Johnstone apologized for Facebook comments from seven years prior, where she commented on photos of theAuschwitz concentration camp with "Ahhh, the infamous Pollish [sic], phallic, hydro posts." She claimed to not know that the picture was of the infamous concentration camp.[71]
September 24, 2015:Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley candidate Stefan Johansson was asked to step down as candidate after social media posts from three years earlier emerged where he compared theHaredim sect of Judaism to theTaliban and other extremists.[72]
October 7, 2015:Brampton East candidate Harbaljit Singh Kahlon, who once told a television programmesame-sex marriage could lead to polygamy and public nudity, offered an apology and said he no longer held those views.[73]
Liberal
August 18, 2015:Calgary Nose Hill candidate Ala Buzreba stepped down as candidate after offensive Twitter tweets from several years earlier were uncovered, including "Go blow your brains out you waste of sperm" and "Your mother should have used that coat hanger."[74]
September 10, 2015:South Surrey—White Rock candidate Joy Davies resigned her candidacy after Facebook comments surfaced where she suggested thatmarijuana reduced family violence, that growing marijuana in a home poses no harm to children, and that theCanadian Cancer Society was "another outlet forbig pharma."[75]
September 10, 2015:Peace River—Westlock candidate Chris Brown apologized for offensive tweets he made in December 2009, during a bout of alcoholism after the death of his wife.[76]
September 16, 2015:Sturgeon River—Parkland candidate Chris Austin had his candidacy removed because of views that "are irreconcilable with the values" of the Liberals, including sayingStephen Harper "has turned our Nation's Capital into a War Zone as his thirst for War" in the aftermath of theParliament Hill shootings, and suggesting that theRCMP are the "CanadianGestapo."[77]
September 30, 2015:Victoria candidate Cheryl Thomas resigned after past social media posts came to light, including referring to mosques as "brainwashing stations" and saying "the oppressed of the Warsaw ghettos and the concentration camps have become the oppressors." As the candidate deadline (September 28) had already passed, her name remained on the ballot.[79]
October 14, 2015: Dan Gagnier, a co-chair of the Liberal Party's national campaign, stepped down from his position after the reveal of an email indicating he had provided advice toTransCanada on how to lobby a potential Liberal government regarding energy issues.[80]
BQ
Late August 2015:Mégantic—L'Érable candidate Virginie Provost was embarrassed after a survey asking what she would need in the event of a nuclear attack was revealed. Her answer was that she would bring "her cellphone, a penis and chips."[52]
Evolution of voting intentions during the campaign leading up to the 2015 Canadian federal election to be held on October 19, 2015. Points represent results of individual polls.
Before the campaign, there were no limits to what a political party, candidate, or third party (corporations, unions, special interest groups, etc.) can spend: spending rules are only in force after the writs have been dropped and the campaign has begun. Because the election period is set longer than the standard 37-day election period, spending limits are increased in proportion to the length of the period.[81]
Party spending limits and actual spending, 2015 vs 2011
Political parties receive a reimbursement for 50 per cent of their election expenses during the writ period. Similarly, candidates (through their official agents) receive a reimbursement of 60 per cent of their election expenses during the writ period. Both reimbursements are publicly funded.[86]
Elections Canada reports that during the financial quarter preceding the writ period, the Conservatives received $7.4 million in contributions, the NDP received $4.5 million, and the Liberals received $4.0 million.[87] The NDP had the most individual donors at 48,314, followed by the Conservatives at 45,532 and then the Liberals at 32,789.[87][88]
The New Democratic Party stated that it collected greater than $9 million in the third quarter of 2015, the most it ever received from donors, and greater than the quarterly record established by the Conservative Party in 2011.[89]
At the riding level, financial reports in each of the 338 constituencies showed that in Conservative electoral district associations ended 2014 with net assets totalling more than $19 million, Liberal riding associations reported a total of about $8 million in net assets, and NDP associations more than $4.4 million.[90]
Individuals are able to give up to $1,500 to each political party and an additional $1,500 to all the registered associations, nomination contestants and candidates of each registered party combined.[91]
A person or group must register as athird party immediately after incurring election advertising expenses totalling $500 or more.[92] There are strict limits on advertising expenses, and specific limits that can be incurred to promote or oppose the election of one or more candidates in a particular electoral district. There were 112 registered third parties in the 2015 election.[93] There was a $150,000 election advertising expenses limit. Of that amount, no more than $8,788 could be incurred to promote or oppose the election of one or more candidates in a particular electoral district.[93]
The 2015 CES included two survey components. Both included two waves of questions, one in the campaign period (CPS) and a recontact wave after the election (PES).[94]
The non-probability online survey included a sample of Canadians from across the country (CPS n=11,614; PES n=6,554).
The following table is the indicated vote choice in the 2015 election, cross-tabbed with demographic questions. The weights have been adjusted to match the actual results of the election.
Student votes aremock elections, running parallel to actual elections, in which students not ofvoting age participate. Student vote elections are administered by Student Vote Canada, and are for educational purposes and do not count towards the results. Note that the total seats adds up to 340 instead of 338, due to ties.[95]
Pie chart detailing the percentage of seats won in the House of Commons
Hours after conceding defeat on election night, incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper resigned as leader of theConservative Party, though he announced his intention to remain in the new parliament as a backbencher after being elected in the riding ofCalgary Heritage.[7][96] The Conservative caucus met on November 5, 2015, and elected former health minister and Alberta MPRona Ambrose as interim leader of the party, and hence, interimLeader of the Official Opposition.[97] The nextConservative Party of Canada leadership election was held on May 27, 2017.[98] Following his swearing in on November 4, 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that parliament would reconvene on December 3, 2015, with theSpeech from the Throne to follow on December 4.[99]
In the aftermath of the 2011 election, many pundits had characterized it as arealigning election.Lawrence Martin, commentator forThe Globe and Mail said, "Harper has completed a remarkable reconstruction of a Canadian political landscape that endured for more than a century. The realignment saw both old parties of the moderate middle, the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals, either eliminated or marginalized."[100]Andrew Coyne, writing inMaclean's, said the election marked "an unprecedented realignment of Canadian politics" as "the Conservatives are now in a position to replace the Liberals as thenatural governing party in Canada."[101]
Despite the grim outlook and poor early poll numbers, when the 2015 election was held, the Liberals under Trudeau made an unprecedented comeback. Gaining 148 seats, they won a majority government for the first time since 2000.[102] Chantal Hébert, writing in theToronto Star, claimed the comeback was "headed straight for the history books" and that Harper's name would "forever be joined with that of his Liberal nemesis in Canada's electoral annals".[103] Spencer McKay, writing for theNational Post, suggested that "maybe we've witnessed a revival of Canada's 'natural governing party'".[104]
China: Foreign Ministry Deputy Director and SpokeswomanHua Chunying expressed hope on building on existing relations between Canada and China, stating "a sustainable and steady development ofChina–Canada relations" will benefit both countries.[105]
Germany: German Ambassador to Canada Werner Wnendt said that his government welcomed Trudeau's commitment to restoring amultilateral foreign policy and "the traditional voice that Canada has had at theUN has been missed".[106]
India: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi congratulated Trudeau by telephone where he reminisced about meeting Trudeau's family, expressed hope for further improvement ofCanada–India relations, and invited Trudeau to visit India.[107]
Mexico: PresidentEnrique Peña Nieto congratulated Trudeau by telephone and tweeted that "Canada and Mexico have the opportunity to start a new chapter in their relationship".[105]
^IncludesJosé Núñez-Melo, who sat as a member of the NDP at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as aGreen Party candidate in the 2015 election. Does not includeMaria Mourani, who sat as an independent at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as an NDP candidate in the 2015 election.
^Appointed as leader without a leadership election.
^Does not includeJosé Núñez-Melo, who sat as a member of the NDP at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as aGreen Party candidate in the 2015 election
^The party totals are theoretical. They are the transposition of the 2011 district results redistributed to the new districts formed in 2015.
^Includes Liberal candidate Cheryl Thomas fromVictoria, who publicly withdrew from the election after the final list of candidates was released and thus remained on the ballot as the Liberal candidate.
^Includes Conservative candidate Jagdish Grewal fromMississauga—Malton, who was expelled by the Conservative Party after the final list of candidates was released and thus remained on the ballot as the Conservative candidate.
^IncludesJosé Núñez-Melo, who sat as a member of the NDP at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as aGreen Party candidate in the 2015 election. Does not includeMaria Mourani, who sat as an independent at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as an NDP candidate in the 2015 election.
^Does not includeJosé Núñez-Melo, who sat as a member of the NDP at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as aGreen Party candidate in the 2015 election
^IncludesManon Perreault, who sat as an independent at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as aStrength in Democracy candidate in the 2015 election. IncludesMaria Mourani, who sat as an independent at the dissolution of Parliament, but ran as an NDP candidate in the 2015 election.
^Does not includeMontcalm MPManon Perreault, who sat as an independent before the writ was dropped, after which she announced her candidacy for Strength in Democracy.
^Only the first two election campaigns after Confederation were longer: 81 days in 1867 and 96 days in 1872. In those early days voting was staggered across the country over a period of several months, necessarily extending the length of the campaigns. Prior to 2015, the longest federal election campaign lasted 74 days, in1926. (Canadian Press,"Imminent federal election to be costliest, longest in recent Canadian history"Archived September 18, 2015, at theWayback Machine.Toronto Sun, July 29, 2015)
^"Cover Photos". Official Facebook page of Conservative Party of Canada. September 13, 2015.Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. RetrievedOctober 19, 2015.
^"And the only place you can watch it on broadcast TV in Ontario is on CHCH.""Leaders prepping for debate".CHCH. Channel Zero Inc. September 17, 2015.Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2015.
^"CHCH … is the only over the air broadcaster running the next English language leaders debate live this coming Monday""Main party leaders are back on the campaign trail".CHCH News. Channel Zero Inc. September 25, 2015.Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 26, 2015.
^Andrew Coyne, "The West is in and Ontario has joined it: How the election led to an unprecedented realignment of Canadian politics,"Maclean's May 6, 2011
7.2pp)
Results by electoral district
Results by province and territory
China: Foreign Ministry Deputy Director and SpokeswomanHua Chunying expressed hope on building on existing relations between Canada and China, stating "a sustainable and steady development ofChina–Canada relations" will benefit both countries.[105]
Germany: German Ambassador to Canada Werner Wnendt said that his government welcomed Trudeau's commitment to restoring amultilateral foreign policy and "the traditional voice that Canada has had at theUN has been missed".[106]
India: Prime MinisterNarendra Modi congratulated Trudeau by telephone where he reminisced about meeting Trudeau's family, expressed hope for further improvement ofCanada–India relations, and invited Trudeau to visit India.[107]
Italy: Prime MinisterMatteo Renzi sent Trudeau a Twitter message wishing him luck and saying that he looked forward to them meeting at the2015 G-20 Antalya summit.[105]
Mexico: PresidentEnrique Peña Nieto congratulated Trudeau by telephone and tweeted that "Canada and Mexico have the opportunity to start a new chapter in their relationship".[105]
United States: PresidentBarack Obama congratulated Trudeau on the result in a telephone call where the two discussedCanada–United States relations, theTrans-Pacific Partnership, and the2015 climate change conference in Paris.[108].jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
