Region, local municipalities ready to work with new and returning MPs

Regional Chair Karen Redman says now that the federal election is over, the region is prepared to work with all local Members of Parliament on both sides of the aisle.

Monday's election saw three Liberal MPs and one Green MP elected in Waterloo region. As of Wednesday at noon, the results in Kitchener-Conestoga remain outstanding with the process of counting mail-in ballots still underway and the race too close to call, although Liberal incumbent Tim Louis does have a slight lead over Conservative Carlene Hawley.

If Louis is re-elected, it will mean three of the five MPs will have had previous experience in Parliament.

Redman says from the region's perspective, having both MPs who are part of the governing party and on the opposition benches is good for the community.

"Elections can be really divisive but if you look at the major issues that resonate in Waterloo region: affordability, housing, climate change and child care, most of the major parties did agree or had some plank in their platform and they sort of haggled over the other five per cent," she said in an interview on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition.

"The federal challenges can be addressed at the municipal level and I think federal governments have recognized that in the past and we will work with whoever's in government," Redman added.

"That's both sides of the aisle too, because opposition members or members that aren't members of the government still can be really effective in taking our voice to Ottawa."

'We'll be able to achieve great things'

Kitchener is broken up and represented in three ridings: Kitchener Centre, Kitchener-Conestoga and Kitchener South-Hespeler.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says he's not concerned that one of the three MPs who will represent his city will be incoming Green MP Mike Morrice.

"The things that are priorities for us are ones that we know will be and we believe will be carried forward by all of the new elected officials," Vrbanovic said.

"Many of the issues that [Morrice] identified and that the party identified are priorities for our community and we will work with him and with the government MPs to ensure that these issues are at the forefront of priorities for the federal government."

Vrbanovic also noted Morrice has been very involved in the community, including his work with Sustainable Waterloo Region.

"Whether I'm talking about climate change, affordable housing, investment in transit at the region, these are issues that are important to not only Kitchener, but all of the communities," he said. "We believe we'll be able to achieve great things with everyone."

Minority government not a concern

The election resulted in another minority governmentand people may have concerns that could result in bickering between the parties will mean not much work gets done.

But Redman says it's been her experience, at both the federal level when she served as an MP and also now as regional chair, that most people go to Parliament for the right reasons.

"And that's to make their communities and our country stronger and better for the people who live there, so I think when they get there, they realize there's a lot more commonalities. You can't judge how Parliament works by looking at question period because that's probably parliamentarians at their worst," she said.