By Ryan Pilon

Hoback re-elected as MP for Prince Albert

May 3, 2011 | 6:29 AM

There were shrieks of excitement, handshakes all around, and people congratulating Randy Hoback at the Travelodge ballroom Monday night, when he was re-elected as the MP for the Prince Albert riding.

Hoback won about 60% of the vote.

“Maybe a little bit relieved, honoured, humbled, a combination of those things,” said Hoback about how his re-election felt.

“Plus something we’ve always wanted to see is a Harper majority government and we’re there. It’s kind of a celebration that’s been pent up since 2006.”

Now that the Harper government has a majority Hoback said they’ll have more freedom to push bills through parliament that they couldn’t as a minority.

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“The crime agenda is always something that the constituents have been concerned about. We’ve had pieces of crime legislation sitting there that the oppositions just wouldn’t let us get through, so I believe that’s part of our first order of business,” Hoback said.

The long gun registry and changes to the Canadian Wheat Board are also issues he feels are important to address, Hoback said.

It was a crazy election night, as not only did the Harper government receive a majority, but the NDP were voted as the official opposition, and the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois lost a lot of seats.

“Well, you know, this is earth-shattering. Just look at the results coming out of Quebec. We’re seeing the Bloc literally wiped out. And sure, it is NDP members and I’d like to see those Conservative members, but you know what, at least the NDP will sing the national anthem at the House of Commons and the Bloc wouldn’t,” said Hoback.

“You know, it’s going to be interesting. Mr. Layton is going to have a whole pile of new MP’s. He’s going to have to figure out how to handle them, he’s going to figure out how what roles they’re going to have and what responsibilities they’re going to take, and he’s also got to have to come up with a strategy and policies that are actually credible,” Hoback said.

“It’s something he hasn’t done in the past. He’d say one thing at one part of the country, and another thing at another part of the country, and no one cared because he was never considered a contender. So we’ll have to see how he handles that.”

Hoback said that now with a majority, Canadians will see the benefits of a Harper majority and believes Harper will serve as prime minister for years to come.

As for his own role at parliament, he said he’ll accept whatever he’s given and that his first focus is the people in the riding of Prince Albert and what their needs are.

rpilon@panow.com