Nearly a decade after he became prime minister, Stephen Harper has resigned as party leader following a decisive defeat by Justin Trudeau鈥檚 Liberals.
In a statement sent out late on Monday evening, Conservative Party President John Walsh said he had spoken to Harper, 鈥渁nd he has instructed me to reach out to the newly elected parliamentary caucus to appoint an Interim Leader and to the National Council to implement the leadership selection process.鈥�
In a concession speech to supporters in Calgary, Harper did not mention his resignation as leader, but said he accepted the defeat by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau 鈥渨ithout hesitation.鈥�
鈥淚t has been an unbelievable honour to serve as your prime minister,鈥� Harper told the crowd shortly before 10 p.m. local time.
鈥淲hile tonight鈥檚 result is certainly not the one we had hoped for,鈥� he added, 鈥渢he people are never wrong.鈥�
Harper congratulated Trudeau, but also emphasized that his party had managed to elect a 鈥渟trong Official Opposition.鈥� The Conservatives were leading or elected in about 100 of Parliament鈥檚 338 seats as he gave the speech.
鈥淲e have built a Canada that is stronger than ever,鈥� Harper added. 鈥淥ur economy is growing and new jobs are being created, the budget is balanced and federal taxes are at their lowest in 50 years.鈥�
鈥淭he disappointment you feel is my responsibility and mine alone,鈥� Harper added.
It鈥檚 a far cry from his speech on Jan., 23, 2006, when he first rose to power.
As he prepared to take over after 13 years of Liberal reign, Harper said in his 2006 victory speech, 鈥渢he result tonight signals a change of government, not a change of country.鈥�
Three mandates later, including a strengthened minority during the 2008 financial crisis and a strong majority in 2011, many would disagree that Canada hasn't changed.
In a 2013 speech at his party鈥檚 convention in Calgary, Harper outlined some of the ways he believed his government had, in fact, changed the country.
Harper started off by pointing out that the Conservatives had lowered taxes, including cutting the Goods and Services Tax from seven to five per cent. From his early days as Reform party MP, he had always preached lower taxes and smaller government.
He opened his concession speech Monday night on the same theme. Harper said he and wife Laureen had entered politics, 鈥渂ecause we believe hardworking Canadians should keep more of the money they earn, because we believe that government should manage the people鈥檚 money the way people manage their own.鈥�
In the 2013 speech where he outlined his accomplishments, Harper had also lauded the fact that, instead of a national day care program, his party was sending Universal Child Care Benefit cheques to parents.
鈥淲e took money out of the hands of the lobbyists, academics and bureaucrats,鈥� he said.
The practice of sending child care cheques is now so widely accepted that the NDP vowed to keep sending the UCCB, and the Liberals have committed to even bigger cheques.
Harper also mentioned his motion recognizing the Québécois as a 鈥渘ation鈥� within Canada. Although his party has never won many seats in Quebec, anxiety over sovereignty waned during his tenure.
Next on his list in that convention speech was the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which Harper said, 鈥渃racked down on repeat, violent offenders, sexual predators and drug traffickers.鈥� The bill also controversially took away judges鈥� discretion through mandatory minimum penalties for some crimes.
Harper also patted himself on the back for 鈥渆nding the Wheat Board Monopoly,鈥� for 鈥済iving the Canadian Armed Forces the respect they deserve and the equipment they need,鈥� for 鈥渇ostering opportunity, development and prosperity鈥� in Canada鈥檚 Arctic and for 鈥渆liminating the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry.鈥�
He also praised his party鈥檚 handling of the Canadian economy during the global financial crisis, and an expansion of free trade.
That 2013 speech was notable too for what it didn鈥檛 mention.
Harper avoided talking about climate change, after pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2011.
He also ignored Aboriginal issues in the speech. That wasn鈥檛 surprising considering he cancelled Paul Martin鈥檚 $5-billion Kelowna Accord with Aboriginal peoples, and rejected a steady drumbeat demanding a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
Harper was widely criticized during his tenure for eliminating the long-form census in 2010 and was accused of 鈥渕uzzling鈥� tax-payer funded scientists.
Harper rose to power on a promise to clean up Ottawa following the Liberal sponsorship scandal. His Federal Accountability Act did manage to limit union and corporate donations to political parties and set out rules for lobbying, but it was perhaps later overshadowed by his party鈥檚 own ethical scandals.
Most notable, perhaps, were the Conservative senators suspended for questionable expense claims, and the trial of Sen. Mike Duffy after Harper鈥檚 chief of staff Nigel Wright wrote a cheque to cover Duffy鈥檚 expenses.
