Sask.'s longest-serving current MLA Buckley Belanger resigning to seek a federal seat

Buckley Belanger will be resigning as MLA for theAthabasca riding in northern Saskatchewan and will seekthe Liberal Party nomination for the federal riding of DesnethMissinippiChurchill River.

The federal riding is currently held by the Conservative Party.

Belanger, a member of the Saskatchewan NDP,was first elected to the legislature in 1995 and has been re-elected in every consecutive election. He is the longest-serving current MLA in the province.

Belangersaidhe is ready for a new challenge.

"There just doesn't seem to be any respect afforded by the provincial government towardnorthern Saskatchewan," he said. "The Federal Liberals and Trudeau have assured me that this is really important to them as a federal party."

In a statement, NDP Leader Ryan Meili said the party is sorry to see Belanger go and thankedhim for his service.

"We're sorry to see Mr. Belanger leave our caucus and are grateful for his service as Saskatchewan's longest-serving Indigenous MLA," Meili said. "Our focus now will be making sure there is a strong voice for northwest Saskatchewan."

Belanger saidhis constituents are not satisfied with the state of affairs in northern Saskatchewan.

"The feedback that we got is that there are a lot of people who are really disappointed," he said. "They are disappointed over the lastnumber of years where nothing seems to be happening in northern Saskatchewan."