Voters elect Williamson as MP

Voters in New Brunswick Southwest gave Conservative candidate John Williamson another chance to represent them in Ottawa on October 21. He received 19,457 votes in Canada's 43rd general election, giving him a margin of more than 9,000 over Liberal Karen Ludwig -- who upset then‑incumbent Williamson in 2015.
Ludwig called to offer congratulations once the outcome became clear, Williamson said in an election night interview at his campaign office just outside St. George. "I have a good understanding of the job going forward, but I also know that it's difficult, as well, when the results don't come in as one hopes," he says. "Now we roll up our sleeves and we begin the transition. We want to make sure that's as smooth as possible, and we'll take a couple of weeks to get the office up and running."
"I'm not sure if there was anything more we could have done. The people have spoken," Ludwig said in an interview after the election. "Right now, I'm taking a break, and I'm going to be with my family and pick up where I left off. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead."
Ludwig did not shut the door completely on running for public office again. "I'm not saying never, but I'm saying not now. There is a lot of reflection that I need to do, but I am very proud. I'm very, very proud of the work I did over the last four years. I'm proud of the team that was around me, and I set a high benchmark for others to follow, and I will see what happens there, but I really believe I moved the needle on how people could look at a politician with some respect and integrity."
Williamson intends to start his new term as MP by reaching out to municipal leaders and provincial legislators across New Brunswick Southwest, which covers 10,770 square kilometers of small town and rural countryside from St. Stephen and St. Andrews almost to Sussex in one direction, Nackawic in another, abutting the city boundaries of Saint John and Fredericton.
He also plans to work with Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs, who campaigned for the Conservatives in the election against the Liberal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "We are a small province, a mighty province, but if we are not working together, we get lost in Ottawa," Williamson says. "I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work on that," he says, pledging to vote in Parliament "in a manner that represents the values and priorities back home."
He campaigned on repealing the carbon tax and changes to Canada's firearms laws, as well as what he calls threats to aquaculture and traditional fisheries -- based on Liberal election pledges to move West Coast fish farms onshore and to expand marine protected areas. However, he will have to pursue these issues from the opposition side of the House of Commons, unlike his first term in Ottawa when the Conservatives formed the government.
When the dust settled the night of the election, the Liberals came up with 157 seats, the Conservatives 121, Bloc Quebecois 32, New Democrats 24, Greens 3 and Independents 1, according to preliminary results posted online by Elections Canada. The Conservatives won 34.4% of the popular vote across the country, marginally more than the Liberals at 33.1%. However, under Canada's "first past the post" voting system, the Liberals won the most seats, albeit fewer than the 170 needed for a majority of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.
This allows Trudeau to continue as leader of a minority Liberal government, most likely with support from New Democratic Party (NDP) MPs to avoid an early return to the polls. The left‑leaning NDP will cause difficulty for Williamson and other Conservatives pursuing a center‑right agenda.