Paul Martin leads Liberals; Conservatives formed from Alliance-PC merger

In the 2004 Canadian federal election, Paul Martin led the Liberal Party to secure a minority government, obtaining 43.80% of the total seats in the House of Commons. This election was notable as it marked the first electoral contest for the newly formed Conservative Party, which emerged from the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party. The formation of the Conservative Party was a strategic response to the fragmentation of the right-leaning vote in Canada, aiming to consolidate support and present a unified front against the Liberals. The merger was significant in reshaping the political landscape, as it brought together two major factions of the right, which had previously competed against each other in elections, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Conservative Party in subsequent elections. The impact of this election was profound, as it set the stage for a shift in Canadian politics. The Liberal Party, under Martin's leadership, faced challenges from the newly unified Conservative Party, which began to gain traction among voters. The election results indicated a growing discontent with the Liberal government, which had been in power for over a decade. The emergence of the Conservative Party not only altered the dynamics of political competition but also influenced policy discussions and voter alignment in Canada. The subsequent years saw the Conservative Party, under Stephen Harper, eventually forming a government, marking a significant transition in Canadian governance and party dynamics.