Prince Albert’s re-elected Member of Parliament is ready to get back to work.
Randy Hoback, who won with over 60 per cent of the popular vote in Monday’s federal election, said he is prepared to continue advocating and working with the First Nations in his constituency.
He added he is looking to set up some meetings to get to know the new leadership in one community.
“Muskoday, I look forward to getting to know the new chief, I haven’t had a chance to meet with her yet and I’ve talked to former Chief Bear and he’s coordinating an invite I believe as we speak,” said Hoback.
Hoback said he is also looking to build relationships with Flying Dust First Nation, which was recently added to the riding. He explained when looking to build relationships with First Nations his office reaches out directly to leadership while also working through intermediaries.
“Richard Ahenakew’s been a great resource for me and helping me with some of the First Nations here, in closer to [City of] Prince Albert and there’s different individuals we work through to keep building those bridges,” he said.
The longtime MP explained in his experience First Nations tend to have a range of concerns which vary depending on the community.
“In James Smith, with Chief Burns we talk about a variety of different things that they’ve got on the go,” said Hoback.
Currently Hoback is not aware of any First Nations in the riding that are dealing with unmarked graves, but fully supports providing resources to help communities.
“I support the funding and the documentation to make sure these unmarked graves are properly taken care of and treated with respect and dignity and that the family members have some closure in this horrible event in our history,” he said.
When it comes to Reconciliation overall, Hoback stressed it is important for politicians, including himself to continue to learn to better understand the experiences of First Nations people in Canada.
“We’ve got some more learning to do before we can discover what’s the best path forward from our side,” he said.
Going forward Hoback said he hopes to build and continue to have strong relationships with not just First Nations, but all local governments across the riding.
“I want them to know when something [is] going on in their community, that I am here,” he said.
(Randy Hoback with supporters on election night: Photo Courtesy of Facebook)