Anderson representing Southwest under Liberal majority
Posted on October 22, 2015 by Maple CreekBy Marcia Love
It was a Liberal majority win for Canada, but the Conservatives kept their stronghold in Saskatchewan on Monday, including in the Cypress Hills-Grasslands constituency.
David Anderson was re-elected for a sixth consecutive term within the riding on Oct. 19, earning 69 per cent of the vote. He won the seat by 19,670 votes. Liberal candidate Marvin Wiens had 15 per cent of the vote, the NDP’s Trevor Peterson had 13 per cent, and the Green Party’s William Caton had three per cent.
The Frontier native has held the Cypress Hills-Grasslands seat since 2000. He is pleased to continue to represent the interests of southwestern Saskatchewan in Ottawa, although this time it will be under a Liberal government.
“We’ve gone from a small group of opposition to a minority government to majority government, now we’ve got a pretty strong opposition group,” Anderson stated. “Certainly every Parliament’s been different, and this one’s going to have its own unique challenges, but we will do our best to ensure that southwest Saskatchewan is well represented.”
Anderson thanked the voters of Cypress Hills-Grasslands for re-electing him as their Member of Parliament.
He noted the importance of protecting the economy of the Southwest — especially when it comes to agriculture and trade.
“The two go together. We grow products here that need to be exported around the world, and certainly our focus has been on trying to expand that trade relationship,” Anderson explained. “The Liberals were not really interested in that when they were in before; we hope that they will take some lessons from us and make that a priority.”
The 2015 election saw the riding boundaries extended for Cypress Hills-Grasslands, reaching north to Kindersley and east to Caronport.
The MP is looking forward to continuing his work on behalf of the constituents of Cypress Hills-Grasslands.
“Our Conservative government’s low-tax, balanced budget plan has helped steer Canada through a period of sustained global economic instability and turmoil,” he stated. “Canada’s economy remains stronger than most, but it needs careful management and protection. I will be sure to challenge this government so that its decisions ensure the interests and the voices of the people of Cypress Hills-Grasslands are heard.”
Anderson also acknowledged the efforts of the other candidates who ran in Cypress Hills-Grasslands, as well as the hard work of volunteers involved in the campaign.
Within Saskatchewan, the Conservatives lost just three seats in this election, winning 10 of the province’s 14 ridings.
The NDP gained the most ground. While the party had no seats in the 2011 election, it secured three seats — Saskatoon West, Regina-Lewvan and Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River. The northern riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River was won by a tight margin of 70 votes.
The turnout for the federal election was the highest it’s been in 22 years, with 68.5 per cent of eligible voters heading to the polls.
The historic Liberal victory, which saw the party gain 184 seats for a majority government, will see Justin Trudeau follow in his father’s footsteps nearly 50 years after Pierre Trudeau became prime minister.
The Conservatives won 99 seats, the NDP won 44, the Bloc Quebecois won 10, and the Green Party won one with leader Elizabeth May re-elected in the B.C. riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.
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