SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The NDP's Dennis Bevington held onto the Western Arctic seat Monday, but this time he will be entering the House of Commons as a member of Canada's official opposition against a Conservative majority government.

Liberal candidate Joe Handley, left, jokes with Dennis Bevington after showing up to congratulate Bevington on his win. "You're a scholar and a gentleman," Bevington told Handley. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"We're gonna be great," said Bevington of his party's new role, as the numbers rolled in Monday night at his headquarters in the Artist Run Community Centre on 49 Avenue.

The NDP will be "making sure we keep this Conservative government in line," he added.

Bevington's hold on the seat came with 45.8 per cent of the vote, trailed by Conservative Sandy Lee with 32.1 per cent, Liberal Joe Handley with 18.4 per cent, Green Party candidate Eli Purchase with 3.1 per cent, and Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada candidate Bonnie Dawson with 0.6 per cent.

"Well, ladies and gentleman, Orange Crush is here," Bevington exclaimed as he took the stage to give his victory speech.

"We'll work hard for you, we'll make it happen for you – you betcha," he yelled, to resounding applause.

Territorial Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger told Yellowknifer he found the election results "extremely bittersweet," as he stopped by Bevington's headquarters on election night.

While Miltenberger's support was behind Bevington and the NDP, he said a Tory majority will at least translate into business as usual. He said he's glad the devolution agreement-in-principle negotiations will continue with the same players, and he hopes to see "unfinished business" with federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty continue so the NWT's borrowing limit can be raised.

He added he has high hopes for Ottawa to install a fiber-optic line from Inuvik going south, which would bring high-speed Internet and cellphone service to many communities in the NWT.

He said the NDP will provide a strong, reliable opposition in the House of Commons.

Miltenberger hinted that the left's only chance to form government would be to merge the NDP with the Liberals, just as the right side of the spectrum did last decade with the merger of the Progressive Conservatives and Reform Party. Otherwise "we can have these elections for the next 50 years," he predicted.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley also showed up at Bevington's post-election celebration, and said he's "extremely uncomfortable" about the Tory majority.

"It's going to be a really tough four years," said Bromley. He said he would have been "fine with a coalition" if a minority Conservative government had been elected and the other parties had joined forces.

Bevington's wife Joan said she was very happy for Dennis and for the success of the NDP, and that "he's so excited" to get back into Parliament. Unfortunately the win is slightly bittersweet for her as well, as she doesn't get to see much of her husband when he is travelling around the North and to Ottawa. She's considering a move to Ottawa from Fort Smith, though, so they can spend more time together, she said.

The NDP made historic gains on Monday night and replaced the Liberals as the official opposition, though the Conservatives, a party nearly polar opposite of the New Democrats, secured a majority of seats in the House.

"We won the battle but we lost Canada," said former city councillor Kevin O'Reilly of Bevington's win.

Suzette Montreuil, a member of Bevington's communications team for the campaign, spoke in a similar vein, but added "it's a damn good thing to see NDP as the opposition."

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