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When Ralph Goodale lost his seat in Monday’s federal election after 26 years of representing Regina-Wascana, he said he didn’t have any immediate plans for the future.
He left the door open, though, saying there will be new challenges to face in the weeks, months and years ahead and adding: “There will be opportunities for all of us.”
“I’m sure that Liberals will work hard for good, positive principles that will be of assistance to this province and this region and this country. To the extent that I can help with that in some way, I’m happy to do it,” Goodale said.
He quickly ruled out the possibility of filling the open Saskatchewan seat in the Senate when asked about the idea on election night.
“Oh good lord, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” he said.
Jim Farney, department head for politics and international studies at the University of Regina, explained it was usual to appoint partisans to the Senate until 2015, when the Justin Trudeau government moved to a non-partisan appointment process.
With Goodale willing to help out his party in some way other than as a MP and cabinet minister, Farney said the prime minister could reach out to Goodale informally for advice. The province turned 100 per cent Conservative blue in Monday’s election and Trudeau has expressed willingness to listen to the prairies.
“There is this kind of ongoing question around how will the Trudeau government hear from Alberta and Saskatchewan? That might not be a formal role but that might be an informal role that would keep (Goodale) pretty busy,” said Farney.
“The prime minister is still going to need to hear from someone other than (Premier) Scott Moe on what’s going on in Saskatchewan,” Farney added.
Other options for Goodale could include becoming a CEO or sitting on the boards of federal Crown corporations. Farney called filling the role of ambassador to the U.S. another attractive option for someone with Goodale’s resume.
“Often, that role has gone to somebody with pretty deep connections to the business community and he was finance minister back in the day. There’s also an important security dimension to the relationship and he was most recently minister of public safety so that could be a definite possibility,” said Farney.
Another option after a long career in politics for the 70-year-old Goodale could be to simply retire, but Farney has doubts it will be that easy.
“I find it hard to believe anybody that energetic would go from 180 to zero,” Farney said.
