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REGINA — This will come as little comfort to the hundreds of Conservatives who came out here on Monday night expecting a “strong Conservative majority government” — something Andrew Scheer repeatedly assured them was in the cards, ostensibly based on internal polling. CBC was on the big screen at the International Trade Centre as the network called the election for the Liberals, just after 8 p.m. local time, and as I write this it has been deathly silent ever since, even as more and more supporters stream in.

But folks, let’s face it: Even a Conservative minority was a longshot.

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As vulnerable as Trudeau made himself, Canadians just aren’t quite as vindictive as the Conservatives needed them to be: 1935 was the last time voters outright fired a majority government that they had promoted out of opposition in the previous election. The Liberals survived the demise of Trudeaumania I in 1972 with a minority, and that was in a lousy economy; it’s no surprise they have survived the demise of Trudeaumania II in a relatively good economy (for now, at least — and Albertans might roll their eyes).