The questions of who will be prime minister and which party will form government in Ottawa have been answered, leaving behind many more questions, all falling under the banner of what's next. Here are 15 questions Monday's election results have created:
1. Who's the next leader of the federal Conservatives?
Throw around the names of the favourites - Jason Kinney, Lisa Raitt, Peter MacKay - and then bring in the possible outsiders with solid right-of-centre credentials, like Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall. The national Conservative bench is deep with potential successors.
2. Who's the next leader of the federal NDP?
Party loyalists say they don't cast aside their leader after election losses like other parties but the people have spoken. They didn't buy what Tom Mulcair was selling and they won't buy it four years from now. Nathan Cullen, it's time to step up.
3. What went wrong for the Harper Conservatives?
Fear over hope. Same old over new vision. Cynicism over optimism. Arrogance over confidence. Internal squabbles.
4. What went wrong for the Mulcair NDP?
See number 3.
5. How do the Conservatives avoid becoming the U.S. Republican Party?
Fear, anger and hate do not inspire voters. Nor does social conservatism on moral issues when it infringes on individual rights. Put people and their personal freedoms over ideological sermons.
6. How does the NDP avoid permanent third-party status?
Drop the elitism and the intellectual snobbery. Marketing and sales wins elections. Without willingness to compromise on party principle, there is no path to power.
7. What should local Liberals do?
Rejoice, you're back from the dead. Now get busy for 2019. Keep your new friends and make more. Start raising money and attracting support now. Recruit nominees and name your candidate in late 2018 and get him or her out on the road.
8. What should the local NDP do?
See number seven.
9. What should Trudeau do first on his agenda?
Quick wins to build momentum - get the troops out of Syria, offer more help for refugees, repeal C-51 and start over, restore CBC funding, officially reject Northern Gateway, meet the premiers, announce a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
10. What on his agenda should he take more care and time to do?
Electoral reform, Senate reform, new legislation to meet Supreme Court rulings on prostitution and physician-assisted suicide, infrastructure spending (talk to the municipalities first), military and veterans spending, legalizing marijuana.
11. What should Christy Clark do?
Get the softwood lumber file on Trudeau's radar.
12. What should Mayor Lyn Hall do?
Be ready with an up-to-date and prioritized project wish list for federal infrastructure spending. Invite Trudeau to become the first sitting prime minister to visit Prince George since Brian Mulroney.
13. Will Trudeau increase the GST back to seven per cent?
He's young but he's neither stupid nor politically suicidal. Rich people can pay more tax and they will on his watch.
14. Will Trudeau punish Alberta and the energy sector under the guise of climate change? No, but the coddling days are over. Trudeau has the clout to bargain boldly by cutting corporate handouts, demanding meaningful, long-term investment from the industry in green technology and then saying "well, you can either deal with me or the NDP government in Edmonton? Who would you rather take your chances with?"
15. Will Justin be better than Pierre?
Too soon to say but from Justin's perspective, ask any son if they think they can do better than their old man and there's your answer.
