Belanger, Beatty Re-Elected As Opposition MLAs

Belanger, Beatty Re-Elected As Opposition MLAs

Thursday, November 08, 2007 at 13:30

 

 

Even though the provincial political landscape has been transformed, there hasn’t been any change in the northern Saskatchewan ridings.

 

NDP incumbents Buckley Belanger and Joan Beatty easily won the races in Athabasca and Cumberland, respectively.

 

In Athabasca, Belanger finished with 1,871 votes. The Saskatchewan Party’s Phil Elliot was second with 992 votes.

 

In the Cumberland constituency, Beatty received 3,103 votes — well ahead of the Saskatchewan Party’s Winston McKay, who took 1,038 votes.

 

Beatty isn’t sure what led to the NDP’s downfall, but says it seems a lot of provincial residents don’t know what the NDP stands for or what the NDP has done for them.

 

Beatty admits it’s going to be an adjustment going from cabinet to the Opposition benches — but she’s looking forward to the time it will free up for constituency work.

 

Belanger says he’s grateful for the win and he thanks northerners for their loyalty.

 

He believes his party’s sound economic record and social programming helped his bid for re-election.

 

Belanger adds he has no doubt the Saskatchewan Party will have difficulty living up to many of its promises.

 

He also says he looks forward to the challenge of being in Opposition.