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Sooke: Local reaction to federal election

‘I don’t see any change whatsoever’
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Monday night’s federal election showed nothing is going to change for Sooke voters, say local officials.

The Trudeau Liberals won their second straight minority government.

Saanich-Esquimalt Sooke incumbent Randall Garrison strolled to his fourth straight election victory for the New Democrat Party.

RELATED: Liberals projected to win minority government

The Liberal Party of Canada won a majority in the 2015 election but was relegated to a minority government following the 2019 election. Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau forced an election two years before his government’s four-year term was set to expire as he sought to achieve another majority.

“I don’t see any change whatsoever,” said Mike Hicks, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area director, on election night. “It was an election about nothing.”

Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce executive director Britt Santowski said it was like living 2019 all over again.

“It’s business as usual,” she said.

Santowski hopes that the new Liberal government will offer post-pandemic aid to small businesses, especially as the economic sectors move out of the tourist season and into winter.

“It’s still really needed.”

Hicks is encouraged by the re-election of Garrison and hopes that will results in “good things” for Juan de Fuca residents.

Sooke Mayor Maja Tait was unavailable for comment Monday night.

RELATED: Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke MP not done with Ottawa yet



editor@sookenewsmirror.com

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