Former Conservative minister Pierre Poilievre re-elected in Ottawa riding
'I want [my voters] to know that I have never taken this honour for granted,' Poilievre says in victory speech
Pierre Poilievre will be returning to the House of Commons as the only Conservative MP from the city of Ottawa.
Pierre Poilievre speaks to supporters and grants limited questions to reporters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Elxn42?src=hash">#Elxn42</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttawaCenter?src=hash">#OttawaCenter</a> <a href="https://t.co/dWucTAokJy">pic.twitter.com/dWucTAokJy</a>
—@JulieIretonPoilievre took 46.9 per cent of the vote with just 1,949 more votes than Liberal candidate Chris Rodgers — a much closer result than in 2011, when he won by more than 20,000 votes.
First elected in 2004, Poilievre served as the country's minister of employment and social development under the previous Conservative government and was the lead minister for the National Capital Region.
He held his seat despite being the target in the campaign's closing weeks by members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, who went door-to-door voicing their concerns about the Conservatives' treatment of government workers.
Poilievre was gracious for much of his victory speech Monday night, thanking the electorate and saying he was "deeply grateful."
"I want them to know that I have never taken this honour for granted," he said. "It has never belonged to me, it has been lent to me, and the people have the right to give and they have the right to take away because this is their country."
He also congratulated the seven winning Liberals in Ottawa, as well as incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau, for "stirring a lot of passion and interest in our democracy."
"I believe that they have an extraordinary opportunity to do good for this country over the next four years, and I will work with them to see that they have that opportunity as a member of the opposition," Poilievre said.