By most countries' standards, the political pendulum would not appear to have swung very far when one minority government replaces another, and both are fairly middle of the road. But the plurality that Stephen Harper's centre-right Conservatives gained over Paul Martin's centrist Liberals in Monday's election is significant because it returns Canada to a competitive system of two national parties that has been lacking for the past dozen years, and it does so in a way that is hopeful for the country's unity and for somewhat better relations with its big neighbour to the south.

The election outcome is an equal mix of Liberal failings and Conservative canniness. The incumbent Liberals were weakened by the sleaze allegations (concerning the funding of pro-federalist propaganda in Québec in the late 1990s) that had been hanging over Mr Martin's government ever since he inherited the Liberal leadership, and prime ministership, from Jean Chrétien. But Mr Martin, once a very successful finance minister, also proved a disappointing prime minister, losing his overall majority in the 2004 election. By contrast, Mr Harper improved on his mediocre hustings performance in 2004, softened the social conservatism that had enabled Liberals to paint him as a Bush-style republican, and focused his campaign on tax cuts.