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Nathan Cullen disappointed by NDP losses

But the Skeena - Bulkey Valley incumbent promises NDP will fight back

On a night when he himself was re-elected with over 50 per cent of the vote, Skeena – Bulkley Valley NDP incumbent Nathan Cullen says he's disappointed his party did not win tonight's federal election or hold on to its status as the official opposition but it is now in third place.

“We suffer from high expectations. When we used to get more than 30 seats, it was considered a breakthrough. Now to go from 100 [seats] down to 30s and 40s is disappointing,” Cullen said this evening.

When the NDP was the third largest party in House of Commons, Cullen said its MPs scrambled and fought for attention, something they'll go back and do again.

“We know we're good at it and we'll rebuild.”

As for what went wrong for the NDP and whether the length of the campaign was part of the problem, Cullen said it will take a number of weeks to sort things out.

“We're not the party to win at all costs and give up our values and principles to do it,” he said.

Cullen said it is too soon to say if voters chose Liberal candidates over NDP ones to defeat Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a strategic decision which cost the NDP seats.