‘The disappointment…is my responsibility’: Harper speaks after Conservative loss

CALGARY – The party at Stephen Harper’s campaign headquarters in Calgary emptied out quickly, with little to celebrate.

The Conservative party will form the Official Opposition and Stephen Harper will step down as leader of the party, according to a party statement.

He did not, however, say in his speech he’d step down.

“Friends, our country is one of the most enduring democracies in the world today and today, for the 42nd time in 148 years…while tonight’s result is certainly not the one we had hoped for, the people are never wrong,” he said.

“The disappointment you also feel is my responsibility and mine alone.”

Harper’s decision sends the party into its second leadership race since the Progressive Conservatives amalgamated with the Canadian Alliance.

“It was a great speech,” said Helena Barker, who was among about 250 people in the crowd. “It was strong and respectful.”

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Barker said she is glad Harper is staying on as an MP.

Her companion, Israel Lachovsky, agreed, adding Harper can support whoever replaces him as leader of the Conservative Party.

“I think that’s wise,” he said. “You want to give enough time to find (that person) and groom them.”

Conservative MP Jason Kenney said the entire party has to take responsibility for the loss to the Liberals Monday.

“Obviously it’s a bad night for the Conservative Party, but we’ll come back,” said Kenney, who was re-elected in Calgary-Southeast. “Obviously, the collapse of the NDP didn’t help us at all.”

“I think our obvious weakness has been in tone, the way we’ve often communicated our message — I think we need a conservatism that is sunnier and more optimistic than what we are sometimes doing,” Kenney added.

The crowd of hundreds of grim-looking Harper supporters had barely taken their seats inside Conservative campaign headquarters in Calgary, when Global News broadcasters declared Liberal leader Justin Trudeau had stolen the country away earlier in the evening.

“We just wanted Harper to win, of course,” said a disappointed Marion Robertson, who volunteered for the campaign of Conservative Jason Kenney in Calgary-Southeast with her husband, Earl.

Both Calgarians questioned whether Trudeau has the experience to lead Canada.

“The Liberal Party had better have some good people behind this weak leader,” said Earl Robertson.

With files from James Armstrong