The most important result of the 2011 Canadian federal election cannot be defined in one particular instant because many instances were defining moments. There was a mass exodus from the normal traditions to a new generation of politics in Canada. The New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jack Layton labeled it the “wind of change” in Canadian politics.
The NDP ranked second for the first time in Canadian history, the Greens party got the first parliamentary seat, more women were elected into parliament, and the Quebec Bloc and Liberal party landed humiliating defeats in their strongholds and all these events marked a dramatic end to a hotly contested election. The results indicate a development of Canadian politics to completely new level. Increased competition and consequent reduction of dominance of few parties indicate that democracy is maturing although the campaigns were less issue driven.
The election campaigns began with the Liberals issuing their manifesto that contained issues on healthcare and green renovation tax. The other parties quickly followed the same road thus the campaign quickly shifted to personalities. Therefore, the Canadian campaign dwelt more on personalities than issues. The NDP leader attacked the Liberal leader on his performance as opposition leader. The Liberal leader, Ignatieff, failed in defending himself and considering his inexperience, he began losing grounds.