Thursday, October 24, 2019
MERIDIANSOURCE.CA
VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 17
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Lloyd voters left wanting GEOFF LEE
WRITER
.................................. Lloydminster voters who were hoping for a Conservative Party victory in the federal election were left with a bittersweet taste of rehashed Grits from a re-elected Liberal government minority. The Trudeau Liberals won 157 seats followed by the Conservatives with 121, the Bloc Quebecois 32, New Democrats 24, Greens 3 and one independent. There was joy however for the landslide re-election of Border City Conservative MPs Rosemarie Falk in Battlefords-Lloydminster in Saskatchewan and Shannon Stubbs representing Lakeland in Alberta. “That’s great representation that they both got elected in our area. Both MPs have spoken very clearly and loudly for our constituencies in Ottawa,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers. Aalbers was one of many Falk and Stubbs supporters who watched the election
results on big screens at the Sawmill Restaurant on Monday night. Falk captured 27,784 votes with 79 per cent of the popular vote while Stubbs attracted 47,551 votes and 84.1 per cent of the popular vote. Falk beat four candidates and waited until her re-election was confirmed to make a comment. “I feel great—it’s great that I’m going to be able to go back to Ottawa and represent the people of Battlefords-Lloydminster,” she said. “We’re going to continue to fight for small businesses, for our farmers, for our oil and gas workers and also fight for lower taxes.” All 14 seats in Saskatchewan and all but one of 34 seats in Alberta went Tory blue as voters vented their frustration over feelings of western alienation at the polls. The prospect of a Liberal minority didn’t sit well with Conservative supporter J.J. McColm. “It scares me for the
economy around here and the results—the sense of desperation I think the economy has and the wish for change,” he said. He says he was hoping there would be a Conservative majority for the economy out west. Still, he was happy to see Falk and Stubbs well in the lead after hearing both of them speak at the all-candidates forum in Lloydminster on Oct. 10. “They definitely seemed polished and good at what they were doing,” said McColm. Ll o y d m i n s t e r M LA Colleen Young, who volunteered to work in Falk’s camp, says a Liberal minority might not be any better for the west than the previous Trudeau majority. “We might have a bit of a challenge if the Liberals join with the Bloc and form the government, and we’ll probably be back in an election in another year’s time,” she said. Locally though, she says she is very happy for Falk to be re-elected.
Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Rosemarie Falk, the incumbent Conservative Party candidate for Battlefords-Lloydminster in Saskatchewan, checks the election results on one of the TVs during the federal election on Monday night at the Sawmill Restaurant.
“It’s great to have been working with her over the last while and I’m glad I’ve got someone to work with and continue to advocate for our constituents in this area,” she said. Falk says the main issues voters in the Bat-
tlefords-Lloydminster riding honed in on during the 40-day campaign was jobs and an antiTrudeau sentiment. “We know the Trudeau government did not care about oil and gas workers as well as our farmers,”
said Falk. “This is something I heard over and over again wherever I went, whether that was at doors or even on the side of the road when people would talk to me.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3