six million Canadian newspapers. At the same time, several large corporations urged their employees to support the agreement.
The Conservative assault convinced many Canadians that Turner opposed free trade because of political opportunism, not personal conviction. "Our numbers are starting to come back," Gregg told Mulroney on 6 November. Five days later, he reported that Mulroney was about to win a majority. On election day, 21 November, the Conservatives won 169 seats, compared with 83 for the Liberals and 43 for the New Democratic Party (NDP).
The result fundamentally altered Canadian politics. The free trade deal went ahead, coming into effect on the first day of 1989. In the words of historian Norman Hillmer, it marked "a final recognition of Canada's inevitable destiny as a North American nation."
In Ottawa, Mulroney reigned supreme, the first prime minister in 30 years to win two consecutive majorities. Within a few months, both Turner and NDP leader Ed Broadbent announced their resignations. Though the NDP had posted its best result in a federal election, many members were disappointed at not having overtaken the Liberals. From then on, the party would seem content with moral victories and electoral defeats. For his part, Turner had saved the Liberals from oblivion, but could no longer fend off the critics in his own party. He was replaced by Jean Chrétien, who would accept free trade with the United States as an inalterable part of Canada's economic life.