Wagantall not running in next federal election
August 5, 2025, 11:06 am
Kevin Weedmark
In the midst of a sleepy, summer afternoon on July 28, Yorkton-Melville Member of Parliament Cathay Wagantall made an announcement that she will not seek a fifth term when the next federal election is called.
“First of all, I absolutely love my job, and I love the riding,” she said. “For me, another election and then another four years at this point in my life is a commitment that I don’t think I would be able to do to the extent it would need to be done. Also, it would be unfair to someone else who is possibly looking at serving, not having the runway in front of them to be able to prepare. I was very blessed when I ran, Garry (Breitkreuz, previous Yorkton-Melville MP) gave me the opportunity. There was time for me to get out and get to know the riding, to get to know people, and to build my case for the nomination.
“I am prepared to continue on, I am still a Member of Parliament, and I will do due diligence,” continued Wagantall. “My staff, of course, are aware, but they are as committed as ever. Transitions are never easy, even good ones.
There’s challenges involved. So that’s why I wrote the news release that I did—I just wanted folks to know right up front that I love the job, I love the people that I get the privilege of working with and working for.”
Wagantall was first elected MP in the Yorkton-Melville riding on Oct. 19, 2015 after having won the Conservative nomination 11 months earlier. She’s the third MP in the riding as NDP Lorne Nystrom won the first contest in 1968 and Breitkreuz was elected in 1993. The riding has also grown substantially, now with a population of more than 71,000 in 43,272 square kilometres.
“We just inherited Carrot River and Tobin Lake, which is, for me, a drive of four hours,” Wagantall said. “I was just up there last weekend, it was awesome! I met with Carrot River Council, with the RM, with the folks up at Tobin Lake, and went to a rodeo. It’s wonderful to be engaged in that way, to hear from them, and for them to know that you have their backs on the Hill. It is an expansive riding, that’s for sure.”
In the most recent federal election—a little more than three months ago—Wagantall secured 77.5 per cent of the popular vote which was not only her strongest lead, but the largest percentage in the history of the riding.
Wagantall says MP role a privilege
Of her time in Ottawa, Wagantall noted “it’s been a privilege to do three private members bills over the course of this time, and to serve on the standing committee for Veterans Affairs.”
On the topic of entering politics, Wagantall said that MPs are regular citizens that answer a particular calling.
“And that applies to even at the local and provincial level,” she added. “Often, you face the hardships of dealing with people’s circumstances that aren’t the best, but at the same time, you know people do it for the right reasons. You can’t paint everybody with that ‘politician’ brush. It’s been a decade and I still don’t think of myself as a politician! Obviously, my heart is for Canada, and I certainly hope that we have opportunity as the province of Saskatchewan and Alberta to have some real significant influence over this government.”
Enacting that change sometimes looks different than what those outside the political realm might see. One example is the Conservative support of Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which was initiated by the Liberals.
“There was a lot of concern over a lot of the issues within that legislation, and folks kind of went, ‘oh my goodness, they’re supporting the government’,” Wagantall said. “Well, we supported the government to get it to committee, and people often don’t understand that vote gets it to committee so you can truly digest it, break it down, and hopefully have good amendments.”
As Wagantall explained, Bill C-5 ended up with 13 amendments and the votes of Bloc Québécois members.
“Right now, the NDP are not on committee, and we were able to put a number of checks and balances into that legislation that will really protect the provinces and constituents with good decision making,” Wagantall said. “Of course, we’re still dealing with the fact that all of those environmental legislative bills that hamper our economy across the board still exist. He’s (Prime Minister Mark Carney) willing to remove them for his 10 projects, but, again, it’s picking winners and losers, and there’s a lot of productivity that’s just waiting to happen. It should be the opportunity that Canadians deserve.”
Wagantall believes a fall election might not be out of the question.
“For me, my preference is that this Prime Minister does what he promised and brings forward a proper budget to the House in the fall,” she said. “In which case, I’m fairly confident that we would probably see the government fall just on the basis of financially—in the spending that he has already done. That goes far and beyond what was happening previously that was concerning Canadians.”
The Liberals have been in power during Wagantall’s time as an MP, and while she says it would have been nice to have the opportunity to serve in government, she pointed to a larger cause.
“Yes, I would love to have had the opportunity to serve in government, but the goal is to bring them down and to form a majority government so things can get done that Canadians need,” she said. “We have an amazing new cohort of caucus senators, and of course, we’re looking forward to Pierre (Poilievre) winning this by-election and getting back in the House where he should be.”
Life after politics
Behind every MP is a team of family and friends supporting their efforts. However, Wagantall’s team is also looking forward to having her around more often, too.
“I’ve got some pretty happy campers,” she said of her grandkids. “You’ll always hear, ‘I’m leaving because of family,’ and to some degree, that is always part of a decision to make a major shift in where you are and what you’re doing. That will certainly be the case for me, I can assure you. My husband has been like my two right arms in this huge riding in addition to running our business, so I’m very grateful.”
She also expressed gratitude to her team and biggest fans, acknowledging the motivation and inspiration they provide.
“I am incredibly grateful to my professional, capable, and passionate staff both past and present on Parliament Hill and in the Constituency,” Wagantall noted. “I know they are the very best because of the constant positive feedback I receive. I simply could not do justice to my responsibilities without them.”
As for the purpose and driving force behind why she chose to enter politics at the federal level in the first place, Wagantall returned to her family.
“I am beyond thankful for the support of my husband and best friend,” she noted. “He is always by my side in spirit when we are apart, and more often than not, deeply engaged as we choose to do life together in every way, every day. To our precious three, their amazing spouses, and our 10 incredible grandchildren—our gifts from God—please know that although it may be hard to fully understand at times, you are the reason I serve Canada in this way.”
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