Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek MP Kelly Block was re-elected by a landslide in Monday’s federal election.
Block captured nearly 70 per cent of the votes in her riding, according to preliminary results Tuesday morning.
With 191 of 192 polls reporting, Block received 26,780 votes, well ahead of the 5,249 votes that went to second-place finisher, NDP candidate, Shannon O’Toole. Micheal Bohach of the People’s Party of Canada was third with 3,774 votes; Liberal Harrisono Andruschak was fourth with 1,909 votes; Maverick Party candidate Diane Pastoor was fifth with 1,013 votes, and Cherese Reemaul of the Green Party trailed with 368 votes.
Block will join 13 other returning Conservative MPs in Ottawa, including Saskatoon-Grasswood MP Kevin Waugh, when Parliament resumes later this fall. Waugh also won his riding by a comfortable majority.
“I’m very grateful that the voters of Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek are once again putting their confidence in me as their elected representative,” said Block in an interview early Tuesday morning. “Even though we would agree it’s a very conservative riding, we have never taken anything for granted. We have been to every corner of the constituency to talk to people and hear their concerns, and we’ve called into a lot of the rural areas.
“I believe that really makes a difference, because people know I’m listening to them and working on their behalf.”
With the Liberals under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau winning another minority government, the election did little to change the national standings.
“The new Parliament will be almost identical to the previous one,” said Block. “This election was a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
“But what it did reveal, and I heard this a lot on the doorsteps during the campaign, was that people in Saskatchewan really want a change in government.
“I’m thrilled that all 14 seats stayed Conservative here, but nationally it was not the result we were hoping for.”
Block said she will work hard for all her constituents, regardless of which party they voted for.
“The Conservatives have been, and will continue to be, a strong voice in Ottawa that fights for all Canadians,” she said. “We need to be united.”
Block said she’s looking forward to getting back to helping constituents.
“I’m sure I have a lot of e-mails waiting for me,” she said. “We’ll have some catching up to do, as we clean out our campaign office and get back to the constituency work.”