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

The election closely reflected the pattern that had been set out in the 1993 election. The Liberals swept Ontario, a divided Bloc managed a reduced majority in Quebec, and much of the west was won by Reform, particularly its Alberta base, enabling the Reform to overtake the Bloc as the largest opposition party. The major change was that the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada all but wiped out the Liberals in the Maritimes. Maritime voters, upset over cuts to employment insurance and other programs, defeated two cabinet ministers. David Dingwall, Minister of Public Works from Nova Scotia, and Doug Young, Minister of National Defence from New Brunswick, both lost to NDP candidates in a major blow to the Liberals. Chretien's decision to hold an early election (one of the shorter mandates when a majority government called an election) did not help, while Manitoba was still recovering from a devestating Red River Flood earlier in the year.

Commentators on election night even predicting a minority government, although the Liberals were secure in forming the next administration due to a divided opposition. Because of losses in the Maritimes, the Liberal majority was reduced considerably from the 1993 total. Mostly because of these wins in the Maritimes, Jean Charest's Tories and Alexa McDonough's NDP both regained official party status in the House of Commons. Independent member John Nunziata, who had been expelled from the Liberal Party for opposing the GST, was re-elected in his riding in Toronto.

National results

Voter turnout was 67.0%, one of the lowest federal election turnouts ever.

Notes:

• Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

x - less than 0.005% of the popular vote

Results by province

Source: Elections Canada

Notes

• Number of Parties: 10
  • First appearance: Canadian Action Party
  • Final appearance: Reform Party of Canada
  • Final appearance before hiatus: Christian Heritage Party of Canada (returned in 2004)

• 1997 was one of only two elections in Canadian history (the other was 1993) where the official Opposition did not have the majority of the opposition's seats. 60 seats for the Reform Party, yet 86 seats for the other opposition parties and independents combined.

10 closest ridings

1. Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS: Peter Stoffer, NDP def. Ken Streatch, PC by 41 votes
2. Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet, QC: Gilbert Normand, Lib def. François Langlois, BQ by 47 votes
3. Selkirk—Interlake, MB: Howard Hilstrom, Ref def. Jon Gerrard, Lib by 66 votes
4. Cardigan, PE: Lawrence MacAulay, Lib def. Dan Hughes, PC by 99 votes
5. Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Pabok, QC: Yvan Bernier, BQ def. Patrick Gagnon, Lib by 179 votes
6. Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK: Jim Pankiw, Ref def. Dennis Gruending, NDP by 220 votes
7. Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NF: Gerry Byrne, Lib def. Art Bull, PC by 232 votes
8. Chicoutimi, QC: André Harvey, PC def. Gilbert Fillion, BQ by 317 votes
9. Frontenac—Mégantic, QC: Jean-Guy Chrétien, BQ def. Manon Lecours, Lib by 465 votes
10. Simcoe—Grey, ON: Paul Bonwick, Lib def. Paul Shaw, Ref by 481 votes

External links

• Elections Canada: 1997 election

See also: Canadian federal election, 1997