Canada PM Harper at risk as east coast swings left

CALGARY/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadians looked set for political change on Monday as early election results showed the Liberals leading in 31 out of 32 seats in Atlantic Canada, suggesting Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives could be on the way out.

Justin Trudeau's Liberals, who had a total of 36 seats in Parliament before the election, had been widely expected to pick up support in the eastern Canadian region. In 2011, the Conservatives won 14 of 32 Atlantic seats, with the center-left Liberals taking 12 and New Democratic Party six.

"These are not the results we were hoping for in Atlantic Canada," former Conservative Justice Minister Peter MacKay, who resigned in May, told CTV News.

The 11-week campaign was considered too close to call for nearly two months, a virtual tie between the Conservatives, Liberals and left-leaning NDP.

Trudeau, the 43-year-old son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, emerged as a front-runner in the final weeks of the campaign.

(Writing by Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)