The election held on January 23, 2006 declared a victory for Conservative leader Stephen Harper, giving him a minority government, a smaller minority government than that of former Prime Minister Paul Martin. The Conservatives received 124 seats, the Liberals 103, the NDP 29 and the Bloc Québécois 51 with 1 independent.

Martin ended up resigning as leader of the Liberal party, throwing the party open to manoeuvring for a leadership battle.

For Estonians, Conservative Peter Van Loan, who is half Estonian, won for the second time in York-Simcoe (the riding includes Jõekääru, just north of Toronto). He is expected to be offered a ministerial position of Human Resources Development. Van Loan, who had been the president of both the provincial and federal Progressive Conservative Party, was instrumental in bringing together the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Parties to form the Conservative Party. Van Loan is also a close advisor to party leader Harper.

A loss for Estonians is the defeat of Latvian Sarmite "Sam" Bulte, a Liberal who lost to an NDP candidate by a small margin. Bulte's was one of the three ridings targeted by the NDP for victory where they massed their workers and resources.

Another Estonian, high school principal Maret Sadem-Thompson ran for the NDP against former provincial Progressive Conservative finance minister Jim Flaherty, receiving about one third of the votes.

An Estonian favourite, Estonian Central Council Medal of Merit recipient and former government Minister, the Honourable Pauline Browes whose riding encompassed Eesti Kodu/Ehatare was not able to go against the trend of the cities (which elected only Liberal or NDP members) and lost to the sitting Liberal member. Browes will be missed in Ottawa since she was a great help to the Estonian community in the late eighties and early nineties and would have been again.

One whose activities have been stilled since the Liberals are now out of power is Liberal member Borys Wrzesnewskyj who handily won his riding. We should, however, remain grateful for his efforts in a private member's bill to establish a visa free movement between Canada and Eastern Europe as well as trying to stop deportations based on Cabinet approval and not the court system.

The reality today is that a combination of Liberal and NDP votes can end this government at the next money vote. Remember that the last Progressive Conservative minority government in the late seventies lasted only eight months, so the opposition might not even have to wait a year.

It seems that Canada is destined for minority governments for the next little while. It might just be the way that we will establish a greater sense of democracy.

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