1988 Canadian Federal Election

Free trade election

November 21, 1988 · Mulroney & the great collapse · 295 seats, 148 for a majority

The free trade election: John Turner vowed to tear up the Canada–US Free Trade Agreement and Brian Mulroney staked his government on it. Mulroney's 169 seats ratified the deal, though a majority of voters backed parties opposed to it.

Prime Minister before

Brian Mulroney

Progressive Conservative

Prime Minister (continued)

Brian Mulroney

Progressive Conservative

Government formed

Progressive Conservative

majority government

Turnout

75.3%

The result

Progressive Conservative
Brian Mulroney · -34 seats · 43.0%
169
seats
Liberal
John Turner · +45 seats · 31.9%
83
seats
New Democratic
Ed Broadbent · +11 seats · 20.4%
43
seats

The result by province & territory

Seats won and vote share in each province and territory. Blank cells mean the party did not contest the province; the results table splits allied labels (Liberal-Conservatives, farmers' candidates, independents) that the headline figures group together.

Progressive Conservative
BC 12 (35.3%)AB 25 (51.8%)SK 4 (36.4%)MB 7 (36.9%)ON 46 (38.2%)QC 63 (52.7%)NB 5 (40.4%)NS 5 (40.9%)PE 0 (41.5%)NL 2 (42.2%)NT 0 (26.4%)YT 0 (35.3%)
169
seats
Liberal
BC 1 (20.4%)AB 0 (13.7%)SK 0 (18.2%)MB 5 (36.5%)ON 43 (38.9%)QC 12 (30.3%)NB 5 (45.4%)NS 6 (46.5%)PE 4 (49.9%)NL 5 (45.0%)NT 2 (41.4%)YT 0 (11.3%)
83
seats
New Democratic
BC 19 (37.0%)AB 1 (17.4%)SK 10 (44.2%)MB 2 (21.3%)ON 10 (20.1%)QC 0 (14.4%)NB 0 (9.3%)NS 0 (11.4%)PE 0 (7.5%)NL 0 (12.4%)NT 0 (28.3%)YT 1 (51.4%)
43
seats
Total seats
295