Harper's Tories hang on in Canada

OTTAWA, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tory minority government survived a confidence vote Thursday in the House of Commons.

Harper's conservative government survived when the New Democratic Party members of Parliament abstained, leaving the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois shy of the votes they needed to force a general election.

"We're gratified we survived the non-confidence motion," Industry Minister Tony Clement said after the vote. "It allows us to continue to focus on what Canadians expect us to focus on, which is the economy."

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff had contended the Conservatives had done a poor job of dealing with the economy and had produced "a terrible record of failure."