Conservative Derek Sloan unseated Liberal Mike Bossio 41.4-percent to 37-percent in Hastings-Lennox and Addington.
“I’m humbled and I’m honoured by the choice of the riding to select me as MP,” he tells My Bancroft Now. He says he plans to reach out to those who didn’t vote Conservative to ensure them he will property represent everyone in the riding. In the immediate future, Sloan says he’ll be looking at getting his office open in the riding and Ottawa and getting staff on board as well.
He says he will also reach out to Mayors and Reeves in the riding. “I just want to reach out to let them know I’m there and get to know their priorities,” Sloan says.
While he’s disappointed in the Liberals getting a minority government, he is happy that his party made some “solid gains.” He points out how the Conservatives won the popular vote, despite coming in second place to the Liberals in terms of seats. “We’re getting broad support across the country, it’s just not concentrated in the right areas to win,” Sloan says.
The first-past-the-post voting system was a hot topic on the national campaign trail. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised to make changes to it when campaigning in 2015, but that never happened. “No system is perfect,” Sloan says when asked if he would change the current system. “I think if it’s changed there would be repercussions that people don’t realize.” He explains that a population-based vote would more than likely result in consistent minority governments, adding that it might come at a loss of local representation. “Right now we have the ability for local people to get together in a riding association for your affiliated party and choose who they want to represent them,” Sloan says. “It really allows the grassroots person to have a say.” Under a different system, Sloan says the party leaders would select an “all-star list of candidates” and locals may not have any input over who runs in that situation
“I’m not saying there should never be a change, but I don’t think a lot of people think through what it really means to make the change,” Sloan says.