QUEBEC CITY – Canada shifted right yesterday by electing its first Conservative government in nearly 18 years, throwing out a Liberal regime that had been tarred by scandal and charges of ethical violations.

The leader of the Conservative Party, Stephen Harper, will become Canada’s 22nd prime minister. An Alberta economist, Mr. Harper, 46, spent the last two years rebuilding the Conservative Party after a devastating defeat in the last election in June 2004.

The ousted incumbents, Paul Martin’s Liberals, were humbled as the Conservatives gained a number of new seats in the key central Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The Conservative result in Quebec appears to be the strongest finish in the French speaking province since 1988, and the best finish by a non-Quebec Conservative leader since 1965.

With results beginning to trickle in from western Canada, it was almost certain at press time that Mr. Harper would be the head of a minority government, and not a majority. That means the Conservatives would need the support of at least one other party in parliament to pass legislation. It would mean they will have to compromise.

At the dissolution of parliament in November, the Liberals held 133 seats, the Conservatives 98, the separatist Bloc Quebecois 53 and the socialist New Democrats 18. When the election began, it was widely expected the Liberals would squeak out another minority. But Mr. Harper gained momentum early and never let up.

The new Conservative government could mean big changes for Canadian-American relations, which have soured in recent years. It is expected that bilateral issues of concern such as the dispute over softwood lumber, the war on terror, and border security would stand a better chance at being resolved under renewed Canadian leadership.

Mr. Martin has made the Bush administration, which is unpopular in Canada, an issue in the campaign. He has regularly accused Mr. Harper and the Conservatives of secretly harboring a Republican-style agenda. Mr. Martin also chided America over its refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol at an environmental conference in Montreal in December.

Mr. Martin’s predecessor, Jean Chretien, had a similarly frosty relationship with Washington. Mr. Chretien all but endorsed Vice President Gore in the 2000 presidential race, refused to join the American-led coalition in the Iraq war and in late 2002, his communications director was overheard calling President Bush a “moron.”

The Conservatives now have a mandate to implement their agenda, which includes various tax cuts, increased accountability measures in government, democratic reforms, and increased spending on the cash-strapped Canadian military.

The defeat of Mr. Martin’s government is a bitter ending to a disastrous two-year stint in power for the former shipping tycoon. The former finance minister had been aiming for the prime minister’s job for most of his adult life, a position that eluded his father, Paul Martin Sr., a twice-failed candidate for the Liberal Party leadership. From the moment he won the top job in December, 2003, however, Mr. Martin has faced trouble.

A November 2003 report of Canada’s auditor general revealed irregularities in a government sponsorship program aimed at promoting national unity in the province of Quebec. Mr. Martin responded by calling a judicial inquiry in February 2004.

The inquiry reported in November of last year that some officials acted improperly and had taken part in an elaborate kickback scheme to benefit themselves and the Liberal Party. Mr. Martin responded by promising that his party would pay back any improperly received funds and banned 10 of the offenders from the Liberals for life.

The fallout from the sponsorship scandal and the announcement mid-campaign of another investigation of Mr. Martin’s finance minister threw the Liberals off message for days. It also reinforced voters’ perceptions that the Liberals were corrupt.

The Conservatives ran an error-free campaign, focusing on policy and the future. Mr. Harper spent the first half of the campaign making a policy announcement each day, thus dominating the news agenda.

Mr. Martin’s communications director attacked the Conservative plan for child-care tax credits by saying Canadian parents couldn’t be trusted with the money because they might spend it on “beer and popcorn.” And last week, during an announcement endorsing the Liberals, a prominent union leader told Quebec voters they should vote for anyone – including the separatist Bloc Quebecois – to stop Mr. Harper.