#Canada votes Conservative

"Whether or not you cast a vote for us today our government must and will stand on guard for all regions, and we will do so faithfully,” Stephen Harper said last night.

GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Richard J. Brennan and Bruce Campion-Smith

The Conservatives have finally captured their coveted majority government in an historic election that vaulted the NDP to a stunning second-place finish, making them the official Opposition, pushing aside the Liberals to a humiliating third.

At the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper expressed elation at his huge win.

"What a great night," Harper told more than 1,500 cheering Conservative supporters.

"A strong, stable, national Conservative government," he said.

Harper said Canadians "can now turn the page from uncertainties" with a majority government.

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