Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will be Canada’s next prime minister after Canadians elected a Tory minority government Monday, ending a 12-year reign of Liberal rule.

The Conservatives were elected in 124 ridings, the Liberals won 103, the Bloc took 51 and the NDP was elected in 29. Quebec sent one Independent to Parliament Hill.

The Conservatives picked up more than 36% of the popular vote, an increase of seven% from 2004. This compared to the Liberals with 30% and the NDP with 17.5%. The Green party captured 4.5%.

The NDP made major gains nationally, up 10 seats from the 2004 vote.

The Tories made significant gains in Ontario and Quebec, elected in at least two dozen seats. In Quebec, where they were shut out in 2004, the Tories made major inroads, capturing 10 ridings.

Harper said his first act in Parliament will be to propose a federal accountability act.

He said this will be followed by his plan to cut the GST, provide a child-care allowance to families, toughen criminal sentencing and establish a patient wait times guarantee.

Over the next weeks, Harper will have the difficult decision of picking his cabinet, deciding among veteran party stalwarts and newly elected MPs.

Meanwhile, the Liberals will soon find themselves in a leadership race. Paul Martin announced that he will step down as leader after the party lost 32 seats from the 2004 vote.