Randy Kamp’s constituency office stayed open throughout the election campaign, fielding calls from Canadians, helping them navigate bureaucracy and fill out forms.
A day after his fourth victory as Conservative MP for Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, Kamp was back at his desk catching up on everything he’d missed over the past five weeks.
The Tory blue election signs planted throughout the riding were already gone.
“We’ve got people with cases and issues that I have to follow up on. I get back to work as quickly as I can,” said Kamp, adding most of the files deal with immigration.
At the final tally, Kamp garnered 28,803 votes almost 10,000 more than the second-place finisher, NDP candidate Craig Speirs, who received 18,835. Liberal Mandeep Bhuller came a distant third, taking 2,739 votes, while Green Peter Tam wasn’t far behind with 2,629.
A date for Parliament’s resumption has yet to be set, so Kamp will remain in Maple Ridge until one is picked.
Under Section 38 of the constitution, the governor general is only obligated to summon the House “from Time to Time,” meaning a precise date of the next legislative session is not fixed.
When the 41st session does begin, Kamp returns as a member of a majority government.
The obstacles the Conservatives faced in minority are now gone.
Previously-defeated crime bills and scrapping the long gun registry are at the top of the legislative agenda.
Kamp said the government will immediately begin work on a new infrastructure program, similar to the Economic Action Plan, but smaller in scope.
They also intend to bring back a federal budget, similar to the one that was defeated March 26.
Kamp said his constituents can look forward to the continuation of the energy retrofit program and additional funding for low income seniors.
As for his role in a majority government, Kamp is ambivalent about where he’ll be going.
As parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Kamp was trying to resolve the issue of halibut allocation before the writ dropped.
He’d like to conclude that work, but “wouldn’t mind getting involved with some other department.
“We’ll just wait and see what I am asked to do,” said Kamp.
Until then, he plans on keeping busy, especially trying to complete several projects around his house, assigned to him by his wife Ruth.
He mowed his lawn on Tuesday, less than a day after his sweeping victory.
“I always cut my own lawn,” said Kamp.
If it’s sunny this weekend, he’ll be pottering around the garden in his backyard.
Speirs will try to keep his seat on MR council
Unable to snag a new job as an MP, Craig Speirs is turning his attention again to civic politics.
The NDP candidate intends to seek a fifth term as a councillor for the District of Maple Ridge come November.
“I just want to serve. It’s about having a voice and being involved,” Speirs said. 
“I’ve been involved at all levels of government, so it’s not a stretch for me to run at any level.”
Speirs lost to Conservative incumbent Randy Kamp by 9,968 votes in Monday’s federal election.
He believes the Albion flats plan will be an issue during the civic election in November.
Albion is a shining example of how important the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve is, said Speirs.
“We could lose Grade A farmland in a heartbeat,” he added.
“The ALC is not going to allow us to put shopping on farmland. What a waste. To me, it’s all about staying within the urban boundaries, not sprawling and we need councillors who will do that.”
Speirs will continue to be “pointed in his criticism” about district decisions concerning development on farmland.
“I haven’t been put in place to keep my mouth shut,” he said.