This week’s Newfoundland and Labrador general election was a political earthquake that virtually no pundit or polling firm saw coming. It’s led to yet another right-leaning victory in what has been traditionally regarded as a Liberal stronghold.

Tony Wakeham and the Progressive Conservatives defeated Premier John Hogan and the Liberals and will soon form a majority government. The PCs won 21 out of 40 seats (an increase of 7) with 44.37 per cent of the vote, as compared to the Liberals winning 15 seats (a decrease of 4) and 43.43 percent. Jim Dinn’s NDP went up from one seat to 2, and two incumbent Independents were re-elected.

It’s a razor-thin victory, to be sure, but one that deserves to be celebrated.

How did Wakeham’s PCs achieve this major upset and end a decade-long period of L

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