1997 Canadian federal election

1997 Canadian federal election

← 1993 June 2, 1997 (1997-06-02) 2000 →

301 seats in the House of Commons
151 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout67.0% (Decrease3.9pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Jean Chrétien in 1996.jpg
Preston Manning in 2004 (cropped).jpg
Gilles Duceppe2.jpg
Leader Jean Chrétien Preston Manning Gilles Duceppe
Party Liberal Reform Bloc Québécois
Leader since June 23, 1990 November 1, 1987 March 15, 1997
Leader's seat Saint-Maurice Calgary Southwest Laurier—
Sainte-Marie
Last election 177 seats, 41.24% 52 seats, 18.69% 54 seats, 13.52%
Seats before 174 50 50
Seats won 155 60 44
Seat change Decrease19 Increase10 Decrease6
Popular vote 4,994,277 2,513,080 1,385,821
Percentage 38.46% 19.35% 10.67%[i]
Swing Decrease2.78pp Increase0.66pp Decrease2.85pp

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Alexa McDonough cropped.jpg
Quebec Premier Jean Charest visits US Consulate (cropped).jpg
Leader Alexa McDonough Jean Charest
Party New Democratic Progressive Conservative
Leader since October 14, 1995 April 29, 1995
Leader's seat Halifax Sherbrooke
Last election 9 seats, 6.88% 2 seats, 16.04%
Seats before 9 2
Seats won 21 20
Seat change Increase12 Increase18
Popular vote 1,434,509 2,446,705
Percentage 11.05% 18.84%
Swing Increase4.17pp Increase2.80pp


The Canadian parliament after the 1997 election

Prime Minister before election

Jean Chrétien
Liberal

Prime Minister after election

Jean Chrétien
Liberal

The 1997 Canadian federal election was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members to the House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party won a second majority government. The Reform Party replaced the Bloc Québécois as the Official Opposition.

The election results closely followed the pattern of the 1993 election. The Liberals swept Ontario, while the Bloc won a majority in Quebec. Reform made sufficient gains in the West to allow Preston Manning to become leader of the Official Opposition, but lost its only seat east of Manitoba. The most significant change was major gains in Atlantic Canada by the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the rump Progressive Conservative Party. The Liberal victory was not in doubt, though some commentators on election night were predicting that the party would be cut down to a minority government and that Chrétien might lose his seat. Chrétien narrowly won his riding, and the Liberals maintained a nine-seat majority thanks to gains in Quebec at the expense of the Bloc. Jean Charest's Tories and Alexa McDonough's NDP both regained official party status in the House of Commons.

This was the first time that five political parties held official party status in a single session of Canada's Parliament, and the only time to date that five different parties have won the popular vote in at least one of the provinces and territories of Canada.
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