When Robert Stanfield and Pierre Trudeau went to bed on Oct. 30, 1972 neither knew who had a future as prime minister. The Liberals were stunned by their humiliation, losing more than seven per cent in popular vote and 38 seats. Some Tory insiders estimated that fewer than 5,000 votes, in the right places nationwide, could have made Bob Stanfield prime minister. The NDP elected the largest caucus in its brief history with 31 MPs — and the balance of power. But even in that now-forgotten era, it was a tough and tense business balancing the partisan interests of each party.

Source: thestar October 20, 2019 10:07 UTC