Conservatives were victims for 'desire for change': Joe Oliver

Outgoing Finance Minister Joe Oliver, who lost the Eglinton-Lawrence riding, said the Conservatives were the victims of a "desire for change."

Oliver lost to Liberal Marco Mendicino Monday night amidst a wave of Liberal wins across the country.

"Clearly, we were the victim of a desire for change and when that kind of wave sweeps across the country, it’s very hard to stop," Oliver told CTV News following his failed re-election bid.

"We were in office for almost 10 years. Sometimes resentments accumulate."

Mendicino first made waves this summer, when he defeated former Conservative MP Eve Adams for the Liberal nomination. He returns the north Toronto riding back to the Liberal fold. 

• Who is Marco Mendicino?

The riding had been held by the Liberals for decades before Oliver’s win in 2011. He began serving as finance minister in 2014.