The resounding Conservative victory in landing a clear majority government in the May 2 federal election will change the face of federal politics in Canada.
Initial results yesterday morning (May 3) showed the Conservatives have increased their hold in the House of Commons with 167 seats and 40 per cent of the votes, securing Stephen Harper's grip on leading the country for the next four years.
In a history-making switch in legislative leadership, however, Jack Layton's NDP bounded ahead of the Liberals at the polls to secure 31 per cent of the vote and form the official Opposition.
This nearly triples the number of NDP seats in the House of Commons to 102.
With the new NDP Opposition and just 19 per cent of voter support for the lagging Liberal Party, the country will see a significant change in parliamentary housekeeping.
Conservative Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says working with the NDP as official Opposition in Parliament will be interesting.
"It's really brand new dynamics in Parliament. We will have the ability to move forward our legislation and ... I have no doubt Jack Layton will work very hard to ensure the government is held to account."
With much of the new NDP support stemming from Quebec, McLeod adds she is "very glad" to see voters move away from the Bloc Québécois to "embrace a federalist party."
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo NDP candidate Michael Crawford says the power shift in the House will make a difference to future legislation.
"Harper has never had to face the kind of opposition he will have to face from a very fortified New Democratic Party with Jack Layton as the leader."
Despite the Liberal's history of governing Canada for many decades prior to the Conservative' surge in popularity, its 34 elected members reflect their worst ever election defeat.
Michael Ignatieff resigned as Liberal Party leader the morning after the stunning defeat, following Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe who resigned on election night, after both also lost in their local ridings.
In another shake up of Canadian politics, the federal Green Party secured a Commons seat with the success of Elizabeth May as the party's first elected MP, after she won in her Saanich Gulf Island Riding.
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Green party candidate Donovan Cavers says May will bring up a lot of issues and make sure they are discussed.
"The most important thing to come out of the election for us was, absolutely, to have a voice finally in Parliament."