In a riding that is considered one of the most secure for the Liberals in Canada, Jennings won her fifth term with about one percentage point more votes than in 2006, although turnout nationally in this election was reported to be especially low.

"I am one tired Liberal worker," Liberal volunteer Marc Bonhomme said in an interview on Tuesday evening at Jennings' Westminster Avenue campaign headquarters. He had spent much of the day shuttling back and forth from polling stations, picking up "bingo sheets," which help track which electors have not yet voted.

Pontillo was able at least to restore the Conservatives to second place, after the party had consistently arrived third in NDG-Lachine, behind the local Bloc Québécois candidate, for more than a decade. The New Democrats' Peter Deslauriers finished fourth, but managed to raise his party's share by about 3 points.

The Greens' Jessica Gal raised her party's standing nearly two points, but finished behind the NDP with about half the votes. Rachel Hoffman, a perennial Marxist-Leninist candidate, finished last, but boosted her party's support by one-tenth of a percentage point.

"I'm pleased that I've been re-elected, that I retained the confidence of my voters," said Jennings. "I'm pleased that the overwhelming and clear majority of Canadians have sent a clear message to Mr. Harper that they don't share his vision of Canada, and that's the main reason why Mr. Harper failed in one of his three objectives in calling this election.

"He had the objective of gaining a majority government. He failed at that. His second objective was to wipe the Liberal Party out so that we were no longer the official opposition. He failed at that. And his third one was to destroy Stéphane Dion, and he failed at that."

However, with the Liberals down 21 seats now, speculation has begun about Stéphane Dion's future as leader. "He's the leader of my party and I don't think that there's any reason for anyone to be calling into question his leadership," insisted Jennings.

Jennings holds the Conservative prime minister responsible for calling an election that was expensive and whose outcome was relatively indecisive. "When you consider that Mr. Harper had no reason to call an election, and in calling it violated his own electoral law, his own promise that he would respect the fixed election date, one has to wonder about his decision that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars."

Asked if she thought there might now be a longer wait until the next election, Jennings replied, "I think that Mr. Harper decided when this election was going to happen and my sense is that Mr. Harper is going to decide when the next election is going to happen. Notwithstanding that under the law that he adopted for a fixed election date, right now the next election should not happen for four years."