 The by-election (one of 15 held on the same day across the country) was seen as a litmus test for the Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau.Nevertheless, Hare was defeated in the 1979 federal election despite the defeat of Trudeau's government by Joe Clark's Progressive Conservatives.Joe Borowski, co-ordinator of the anti-abortion group Campaign Life claimed that his group's work was the main reason for Hare's defeat.