Always happy to help if it provides me with a good excuse to avoid doing anything that's actually productive.

It's certainly true that the NDP growth was much stronger in Quebec, but the growth outside Quebec is still noteworthy. Even outside Quebec, their seat total tops their previous best (44 versus 43 for Broadbent in 1988) and though I'm not going to do the math, their vote share outside Quebec also seems to be their best ever. Six per cent growth certainly isn't mind-blowing like 30% is, but it's still significant.

Does anybody have any numbers on the NDP outside of Quebec, and whether or not it constitutes an actual surge?

From 2008-2011, the NDP vote went up in 9 provinces and 2 territories. It went up by about:

7.5% in BC
4.1% in AB
6.7% in SK
1.8% in MB
7.4% in ON
30.7% in QC
7.9% in NB
1.4% in NS
5.6% in PE
4.3% in NT
5.4% in YT

It dropped by 1.3% in NL, and by 13.2% in NU.

If my calculations are correct, the overall NDP vote for Canada outside Quebec went up a shade over 6% from 2008 to 2011.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_ele... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_ele...

Yeah. I mean, do you realize that if we had proportional representation, the CHP would have won more than 0.4 seats?

If it's got Colm Meany, then I'm in.

Ah... ah... ah... AH-CHOOOO!

So... you're saying that even though they say they're Quebec sovereignists, they're really not?

So they're globally-minded Quebec sovereignists. They're still Quebec sovereignists.

I can't argue with that. If only because I have no idea what your point is.

I second this request, in case the weight of popular demand will help encourage someone to answer.

Also, a translated transcript would be acceptable in the interim.

Also, it should be "Quebec's totally unambiguous but in some circles unpopular constitutional status".