The torch has been passed. With a strong mandate from the people – and former MLA Kevin Phillips' green tie around his neck – Todd Goudy will be the next MLA for Melfort.
Goudy, who’s the Saskatchewan Party candidate, received 78.5 per cent of the vote – 3,270 votes, in the March 1 byelection. Lorne Schroeder of the NDP received 809 votes, 19.4 per cent of the vote, and Shawn Setyo of the Greens received 77 votes, 1.8 per cent. The turnout was 34 per cent of registered voters.
“For you to send me to Regina to represent you, I really take that seriously,” Goudy told the crowd at his victory party. “It’s such a humbling thing to grow up here and be sent off to Regina, so I’m going to do my absolute best because I really, really love you all.”
The pastor and school board trustee said he has a lot to learn now he’s elected.
“My first goal is to learn the ropes from the guys that have done it well in the past,” he said in an interview. “I’ve been able to spend some time with the other MLAs as they came to help me door knock and they gave me some good advice, so I’m going to be having fun learning from these guys.”
One key point of advice he’s learned from his new colleagues: it’s the job of an MLA to listen more than they speak.
“You need to listen to the people and hear their concerns. You can’t always please everyone but we do hear what the people have to say.”
With 78.5 per cent of the vote, Goudy received a higher percentage of the vote than Phillips did in the last election, which was 77 per cent. The MLA-elect said he doesn’t believe the increase is because of him – in fact, he feels he has big shoes to fill.
“If there’s any movement in the numbers, I think the people are giving the Sask. Party a clear mandate to continue to lead and I think that shows the people do trust the leadership that we currently have in Regina.”
As for any big ticket items that Goudy will lobby for now he’s an MLA, he said he had one big ask granted already.
“I asked Scott [Moe, the premier] for removing the PST from farm insurance and that’s been pushed forward, so I’m not going to be pushing for more in the next few days. I’m going to be thanking him that he listened,” he said. “I’ll wait a bit of time here before I have any big requests for them.”
NDP heartened with door-to-door response
Schroeder said the New Democrats managed to hold their own in the election, keeping close to what they received in the last election. They got 19.4 per cent of the vote in both elections.
“I’m quite enthusiastic and quite heartened by the response of the people as I went door-to-door,” he said. “There’s an undercurrent in the [public] mood for more fairness, a change. They want to be heard. People want to be heard and right now they feel we have a top-down government.”
The LeRoy-area farmer said there wasn’t enough discontent out there yet to kick the Saskatchewan Party government out, but he heard a lot of good ideas from the grassroots that could be built on rejuvenating rural and small-town Saskatchewan. The task now is to refine them and have them ready for the next election.
Schroeder congratulated Goudy on a nice, clean election campaign.
“He’s a good man and he’s my MLA now,” he said. “We will be in contact going forward because he represents all of us now and he needs to understand he represents the poor and the poverty-stricken people also.”
Schroeder said he wasn’t sure if he’d run in the next election, saying it would depend on what’s happening then, but he’s going to remain engaged.
“I’m going to continue building on the relationships I’ve made over these last 27 days.”
Premier thrilled with results
Among the guests celebrating with Goudy was the premier himself. Moe said he’s pleased to see Goudy, Everett Hindley in Swift Current and Ken Francis in Kindersley win their seats.
“We’ll be back up to 49 MLAs on the governing side representing the people of the province of Saskatchewan and I think it’s fair to say that tonight, our team is strengthened with these three fine individuals joining us.”
Moe said the results come from both Goudy as an individual and his party’s focus on ensuring the province’s industries and communities continue to grow in the decades ahead.
Now that Goudy’s a part of his team, Moe is planning to put him to work.
“We’re going to get him set up in the constituency, first and foremost, so he has a contact avenue for the people of the constituency to contact Todd as their MLA.”
The premier added the spring session starts March 12 and Goudy will be getting right into it.
“He will be busy starting from right now.”