YORKTON - Greg Ottenbreit has announced he will not seek re-election.
At the end of the current run next fall Ottenbreit will have represented the Yorkton constituency for 16 years.
For his efforts and dedication Ottenbreit needs a hearty pat on the back, and a heartfelt thank you.
You might not like Ottenbreit’s political views, and you may look back and think of instances where he made mistakes, but you still have to admire someone willing to serve for others for more than a decade and a half.
It needs to be remembered that in a multi-party political system at best you hope to poll 50 per cent of the votes cast – often winning with a lower percentage if multiple candidates do well.
Factor in the sadly growing number of people who don’t vote, and whether a city councillor, MLA, of MP, you head to work each day knowing many would rather have had someone else in your place.
Yet, a good representative has to set that aside and speak for all as best they can, as often as they can.
In the case of Ottenbreit his heart has always been solidly focused on Yorkton.
That doesn’t mean politicians don’t occasionally stub their toes – just ask Yorkton council about its library decision – but generally they are doing what they believe is best.
The library is a fine example. There is no doubt Council thought it was doing something good, but ended up being over zealous in that effort, did not engage the actual owners of the library building – taxpayers – until it was too late, and the good idea became a botched undertaking.
But, even in the mess of the library, the seven at council made an initial decision they thought best for the city. The process was severely flawed, but again the people thought they were doing well.
There is no doubt through 16 years there are times Ottenbreit will have questioned what he was doing, but he would have made choices he believed were best for Yorkton and Saskatchewan. Others would have made different decisions no doubt, but we can only ask of our elected officials to do their best.
There is little doubt Ottenbreit has done that for our constituency for some 16 years, and he should be proud of that service.
It’s not an easy job satisfying a diverse electorate, many who may have voted for others, balancing the needs of the constituency with those of the broader province, and facing the microscopic dissection of every statement, gesture and decision by social media followers.
It can be a thankless job, but now with the end of his service on the horizon we should be rectifying that by thanking Greg Ottenbreit for his years as MLA.
