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 The
People of Nova Scotia Have Decided ... The ruling Tories lost their majority in Tuesday's provincial election in Nova Scotia.
Premier John Hamm's Conservative government won 25 seats, two short of the 27 needed to form a majority government. They had held 31 seats before the election.
The NDP will form the Opposition after winning 15 seats. And the Liberals were third with 12 seats. Both parties gained seats during the election, adding four seats and five seats, respectively.
When he called the mid-summer election, several analysts thought Premier Hamm was taking a gamble. And when election day came rain helped create the lowest voter turnout in provincial history, with just 65 per cent of eligible voters casting ballots.
"The people of Nova Scotia have rendered their decision. They have returned our government to office with a qualification," Hamm said when the results were final.
Federal Tory Leader Peter MacKay congratulated Hamm, but said a majority government would have been preferable.
"Of course I would have preferred to see a majority government," said MacKay. "But the people have spoken."
As the party with the most seats, the Tories have the ability to form the government. But they will need the support of one of the other parties. However, if the
Conservatives cannot find a partner to create a minority government, the provincial lieutenant governor could call on the NDP to form the government.
In Ontario in 1985, the provincial Conservatives had the most seats to form a minority government, but the Liberals formed the government after creating an alliance with the NDP.
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