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The very worst day in government, goes the saying, is better than the finest in opposition. So it’s utterly unsurprising that staunch Conservatives are feeling bruised. It only gets worse for them in the days ahead, as Justin Trudeau’s Liberals bask in the honeymoon glow of a new government animated by reformist zeal.

But the Tories actually have a great deal to celebrate. Here are five reasons for them to buck up this week, as they bear pained witness to their arch-foe’s triumphant installation as Canada’s twenty-third prime minister.

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1. It could have been worse

The last time Canadians were in a mood to punish a Conservative government that had outworn its welcome they nearly wiped it off the map, reducing it to two seats. The 1993 election that vaulted Jean Chretien to power was a calamity from a Tory standpoint, next to which Oct. 19 looks positively benign. Stephen Harper’s Conservatives won 31.9 per cent of the popular vote — meaning their base is more or less intact. Official opposition status with 99 seats is not government, but nor is it a kick in the teeth. Given the depth and breadth of the appetite for change at the top that propelled this campaign to its conclusion, this relatively strong showing is remarkable. It suggests core elements of the Conservative record — responsible fiscal management and unequivocal support for the international effort to block the spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — were not unpopular.