Conservative MP Rosemarie Falk, who represents Battlefords–Lloydminster–Meadow Lake, reflects on a turbulent political year and says her focus remains on affordability and safer communities heading into 2026. (MP Rosemarie Falk/Website)

By Kenneth Cheung

YEAR-ENDER CHAT

MP Falk says 2025 was a ‘long year’ in Ottawa as she keeps the same focus heading into 2026

Dec 26, 2025 | 1:00 PM

After what she describes as a long year marked by political upheaval, Battlefords–Lloydminster–Meadow Lake MP Rosemarie Falk says her focus remains unchanged heading into 2026 — affordability, crime, and representing a riding that now stretches further north than ever before.

“This has been a long year,” Falk said in an interview reflecting on 2025.

She pointed to major national political turbulence as a defining feature of the year, saying, “we know that Justin Trudeau prorogued parliament in the spring. Mark Carney was appointed as Liberal leader, and then we went right into an election about seven days after that.”

From her perspective, Parliament struggled to get much done through that turbulence.

“I don’t know if Parliament got a lot done, but there was one bill passed [Bill C-5] that gave Mark Carney the opportunity to use powers to get special projects done across the country. We have yet to see that happen or be utilized,” she said.

BATTLEFORDS COMMUNITY PLAYERS

For the love of theatre: 'Bittergirl' cast brings heartbreak and humour to the stage

12h ago

Feb. 24, 2022

'You just get used to it': Four years after fleeing war, a displaced Ukrainian reflects on life in Saskatchewan

14h ago

International incident

Sask. residents vacationing in Mexico making best of a bad situation

15h ago

This year also marked Falk’s first year serving her expanded riding, which now includes Meadow Lake and surrounding northern communities.

“They’re a great community,” she said, adding that getting beyond campaign visits and spending time in those communities during a regular parliamentary year was important.

The expansion followed Statistics Canada data showing population shifts, leading to boundary adjustments to keep ridings as evenly represented as possible.

She said Meadow Lake brings a distinct economic landscape, particularly when it comes to forestry and ongoing softwood lumber trade tensions with the United States.

‘Affordability is top of mind’ and so is crime, Falk says

Falk said the concerns she hears in the three ridings are echoed further north: people worried about making ends meet and feeling safe in their communities.

“People just want to be able to go to work, provide for their families, provide for themselves, be able to contribute to their communities, and be able to have some money.”

Crime remains another key theme, she added.

“We hear a lot about just repeat violent offenders being out on bail instead of in jail,” Falk said, adding that part of her role is to “continually raise these issues, bring forward thoughtful whether it’s amendments, debates to laws or to propose laws.”

Looking back on the year in Ottawa, Falk said Conservatives focused heavily on financial pressures on households and what she argues are failures in Liberal justice policy.

She also criticized federal environmental policy, saying even with changes to the consumer carbon tax, industry and agriculture feel the impact.

“Mark Carney boasts that he removed the consumer carbon tax, but he actually hiked the industrial carbon tax and wasn’t very forthcoming with that,” Falk said.

“This is going to make freights more expensive… making everything more expensive, including our food.”

On crime, she said Conservatives pushed harder restrictions for repeat violent offenders through private legislation and opposition motions.

“We’ve brought forward opposition day motions… basically make bail tougher for repeat violent offenders… but the Liberals have failed to move on their legislation,” she said.

“At the end of the day, the needle isn’t moving on any of them.”

Watching closely for First Nations clean water legislation

Falk also weighed in on Mark Carney’s commitment to reintroduce First Nations clean drinking water legislation next spring. She said she wants to see the details and timing.

“My question would be, why hasn’t it been tabled already?” she said. “

“If these relationships are important to the Prime Minister… I’d be interested to know if consultation has been started or not and these are conversations we absolutely should be having. I would be interested to see what the meat and potatoes, the contents of the bills would be.”

Inside the internal shakeups the Conservatives faced

With Michael Ma and Chris d’Entremont crossing the floor and Matt Jeneroux resigning in 2025, the federal political landscape shifted, but Falk said she does not share concerns about Pierre Poilievre’s leadership.

“I don’t question Pierre’s leadership. People that I’ve spoken to aren’t questioning his leadership,” she said.

In discussing MPs who left the party, she said, “Michael Ma chose to endorse the very policies that he was elected to oppose.”

“Those are the same policies that are letting repeat criminals walk free, driving up food prices and making life more expensive for Canadians. And, I mean, just days before, he commented and said critique some of these things before crossing the floor.”

She also claimed that Prime Minister Mark Carney is disrespecting voters.

“So rather than a principled leader, he’s more focused on how he can do it the easy way,” she said. “Just recently, he was at the Canadian Club, and he gave a speech where he arrogantly encouraged audience members to call their local MPs and, if they’re not Liberal, to tell them to come on over.”

Looking ahead

Asked what people should expect in 2026, Falk said the only certainty is change.

“A week is a long time in politics. So much can happen and so much can change in a short amount of time,” she said.

With that, she said she wants constituents to stay engaged and reach out.

“If you’ve got any questions, concerns for sure, give my office a call and or an email, and we can have a conversation and unpack some of those things together,” she said.

And as the year closes, Falk said she simply hopes people get time with the people they love.

“I would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and and I hope that everybody has some time with loved ones… all over this holiday season.”

—

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com