Deciding to step into the world of politics

July 22, 2024, 9:48 am
Kevin Weedmark

I have spoken to hundreds if not thousands of politicians over the years, and when I have asked them why they got into politics the answer is very often the same: “It wasn’t my idea, but a few people talked to me and said that I would be the best person to run, and when I thought about it, I agreed that I could do it,” or something along those lines.

That answer came back so often that I sometimes wondered if that’s just something politicians say, but now that I have decided to run for office, I can honestly say that’s how it happened for me.

I never really thought about running for politics. I love my community, I love my business, I love the people I work with—I’m loving my life right now.

I always like learning and mastering something new, like learning to fly a drone or getting a bit better at photography.

But going into a whole new field with a steep learning curve on government policy is not something that crossed my mind until a couple of weeks ago.

There were a couple of sudden developments on July 8, first with our MP, Dr. Robert Kitchen deciding that he will not run again in the next federal election.

I was on vacation in Vancouver when Dr. Kitchen called me and told me that he would not be running again. We broke the news on the World-Spectator website.

Later that afternoon, MLA Steven Bonk decided he would not run again in Moosomin-Montmartre, and instead would seek the federal Conservative nomination in Souris-Moose Mountain since Dr. Kitchen was retiring.

Steven had a few moments of panic as he wanted to get the word out quickly that he intended to run and I was out swimming in English Bay when he called. But eventually I swam back to shore and tapped out the story on my phone and the word got out.

A few days later, back in Moosomin, a few people got together and the question was raised who would run to replace Steven in Moosomin-Montmartre. A couple of people suggested to me at that get-together that it should be me, and then the texts and phone calls started coming in suggesting it should be me.

When I let a few people know that I would seriously think about it, the texts and phone calls multiplied.

I reached out to Daryl Harrison, the MLA for Cannington, for his insight and advice, and got some very good insight into what it means to be an MLA.

I got a call from Warren Kaeding, the MLA for Melville-Saltcoats urging me to run, and I got calls from a couple of cabinet ministers strongly encouraging me to run. I got offers from a few government insiders to help me with my campaign, and I had more and more people from across the riding offering to help.

Kara collected testimonials from people who wanted to show their support for me, and I have to admit I was touched to read all of them—it was kind of like a preview of my funeral, but I’m not sure if people will say such nice things then.

I had a decision to make, and the two questions I had were whether I could make a bigger difference as an MLA or through the World-Spectator and the Chamber of Commerce, and whether Kara would fully support me. I’m in a unique relationship with Kara. We live together, we work together, we usually socialize together, we are rarely apart, other than when I’m away for a night or two for a meeting in Regina or Saskatoon.

If I happen to be successful and I become an MLA, it would mean a bit more time apart for the first time, so I left the decision up to Kara whether I could pursue this or not.

She agreed, and I have to admit being apart from her a bit more will be the toughest part if I am elected.

But I am excited about the possibilities. We have seen time again in our business how we can make a difference for people, and speaking to MLAs, cabinet ministers, and government insiders, the message I got was that because I’m connecting with the right people to make a difference from outside government, I will make a very effective MLA.

It’s always exciting to see projects come to fruition. After all the work it took to get the Moosomin Airport Expansion completed, it was great to see the new runway being used to transport patients on the Saskatchewan Air Ambulance last week. After chairing the meeting where the province and Nutrien committed the funds to complete the airport project last year, I was on the tarmac when the Air Ambulance landed in Moosomin last week.

If I am fortunate enough to be elected MLA, I hope there are many more moments like that. And when anyone asks me why I got into politics I will tell them what I have been told many times, that a few people suggested it and after thinking about it I had to go for it.