Darrell Dexter’s New Democrats have ripped power from the hands of Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives, winning the first majority government in the province since 2003—31 seats out of a possible 57 gives the party a firm hold. The Tories lost 11 seats, falling to 10 and winding up the third party while the Liberals became the official opposition with 11 seats. The Conservatives, who tried to paint the NDP as irresponsible spenders, actually lost support because of high spending in their own budget. The NDP rode to victory on the theme of change, but after the election Dexter’s promises were low key—keep campaign pledges, keep ERs open, fix rural roads and take the HST off energy costs.