As most of you know, I announced my retirement from politics in June and, with speculation rampant of a federal election this fall, this may be the last MP Report I ever write.
I first want to say what a great pleasure and honour it has been for me to serve as your elected representative these past 17 years. Even though I have been interested in politics my whole life, I had never imagined myself running for office until that fateful day in 2004. While the intervening time has seen many challenges, it has on the whole been the most fulfilling experience I could have imagined.
Of course, I very nearly didn’t get the job in the first place. In my first campaign, I won by only 122 votes — a margin so narrow it went to recount. That experience taught me the power of democracy and that I could never, ever take my constituents for granted.
There have been so many highlights during my career, both local and national, that I scarcely know where to start. First and foremost, I would have to note the people of this riding, whose hometown spirit represents the very best of the Saskatchewan way of life. It has been an honour to get to know each and every one of you. I am proud that my staff and I were able to assist so many of you with your dealings with the federal government, including helping so many thousands of new Canadians make a new home in this country.
I am also glad to have had the opportunity to have added to our local communities in so many ways — all the local rinks, parks and public works which I helped secure funding. Two very large ones to which I contributed (I certainly can’t claim sole credit) were the Global Transportation Hub and the $27 million in federal funding for the Cooperators’ Centre at Evraz Place.
On the national scene, I am proud to have contributed to the historic battle to end the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly. There were so many positive policy changes during the Harper government, but that is one that I saw as most meaningful to my rural constituents at home.
I was also honoured to serve as Parliamentary Secretary to Government House Leaders over a nine-year period. This gave me a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes negotiations that allow our Parliament to function. I am also proud of the work that I did on a number of Parliamentary committees, including serving as chair of the Government Operations committee. Despite the public image of constant partisan antagonism, Parliamentary committees are small and all-party, requiring members from different parties to work cooperatively. This gave me a tremendous opportunity to get to know and, yes, in a few cases, even become friends with MPs from across the aisle.
If you are wondering what comes next for Tom Lukiwski, I can’t say that I have that completely figured out. I think for most of us, when we face retirement, the prospect of having a wide-open schedule can be a bit intimidating. I expect there will be a bit of golf involved. There will certainly be as much time with the grandkids as I can manage, and their parents will tolerate. Perhaps some day I will get bored and think about doing some consulting. But, for now, I’m content to take life as it comes.
Once again, thank you very much to all the people of Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan and to all the people of my former riding of Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre for all the years of trust and support you invested in me. I will cherish it as long as I live.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
