When it comes to dairy farming, Caronport’s Blaine McLeod has all you need to know about the business covered -- from running the farm to selling his product, it’s a matter of course when you’ve been doing something for more than 42 years.
Now, McLeod is the new Member of the Legislature Assembly for Lumsden-Morse riding in Moose Jaw and Regina. There’s a lot more travelling involved, as well as a big learning curve in his new job.
Recently, the 64-year-old spent a day welcoming constituents to his new office space in the Diefenbaker Commons Professional Building located at 99 Diefenbaker Drive.
“It’s nice to have our own space like this, and we’ve had such good cooperation from (Moose Jaw North MLA) Tim McLeod and his staff getting settled in,”
McLeod said. “He shared this space previously with (former Lumsden-Morse MLA) Lyle Stewart, so it made sense for us to move in since the space was vacant and here we are.”
McLeod and staff members Brandy Magnus and Kelly Hinderager have been able to work alongside Tim’s constituency manager Jacqui Stephens to get settled in, and that’s helped make things go that much more smoothly.
“She’s been more than welcoming and a really good mentor to help with all this,” McLeod said. “We’re well on our way to being established as a good functioning constituency office and we’re really pleased with that.”
The Sask Party candidate won Lumsden-Morse by-election in early August by over 1,500 votes; shortly after getting immersed in the job.
“I was elected on August 10th and three days later I was attending my first full caucus meeting with the Sask Party,” McLeod said.
From there, it was getting familiarized with how everything works and how to do your job.
“It was learn the names, learn the constituencies, learn where every person's role is in the in the party, understanding how that all works together,” McLeod explained. “We wanted to hit the ground running but the logistics of making it all happen, {took time, so…} you just pick it all up as you go.”
Regarding his work environment at the Saskatchewan Legislature building in Regina, “There’s a tremendous sense of awe and reverence that's (there),” he said.
“The history that's there, and the quality of workmanship and just the sense of awe of what you see and experience when you're there, and I hope I never lose that.”
“Then there are all the procedures and protocols, when you stand, when you sit and the caveats associated with all that. I was familiar with a little bit of some of it, but there’s such a deep history and pageantry associated with it… there have only been 700 or so MLAs since our province was founded in 1905, and I’m proud to say I’m one of them and will have a hand in history going forward.”
McLeod didn’t have a lot of time to settle in before things ramped up. No sooner was he seated than the special session surrounding the Parental Bill of Rights was called, and McLeod quickly had to get up to speed.
“(The special session) was very unusual, it’s not something that happens very often, as well as the notwithstanding clause to ensure that that legislation was solid and secure and parental rights were enshrined in the education system,” McLeod said, of dealing with one of the most contentious issues in recent Sask political history.
“Obviously there were really strong feelings on both sides of the equation. But one of the things I heard really loud and clear on the campaign trail was parents want to know what's happening in their child's education. So we brought forth a platform that we felt helps in that regard.”
The current legislative session runs until Dec. 7, with four days a week in the House and Fridays dedicated to constituency involvement.
McLeod currently has a pair of committees in his profile, including Internal Affairs and Justice, and the bipartisan Economy Committee. Beyond that, it’s a matter of working with his fellow MLAs to craft and pass meaningful legislation that will help the province.
“It takes a team to be able to move things and make change and you're one of 61 voices in the legislature,” McLeod said. “Your support and your encouragement to the party that's governing comes from the inside with voices, hearing the voices from all sides of the equation from outside, and trying to make good common sense solutions that are going to have maximum impact for everybody here.”
Shortly, McLeod will also have to focus on the next full provincial election that will take place on or before Oct. 28, 2024.
“That’s just how the timing worked out, but it’ll be another chance to hear what people have to say and earn their votes,” McLeod said. “Hopefully everyone will like the message we have and the work we’ve done and they’ll vote for us again!”
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