Trost blames loss on complacency, fatigue

Longtime Saskatoon University MP Brad Trost says he’s kicking himself after losing a hotly contested Conservative Party of Canada nomination race.

“I screwed up based on complacency and, frankly, exhaustion from doing too many other things,” Trost, who has represented the riding since 2004, said Monday afternoon.

“I should have taken this a little more serious. I have no one to blame but myself,” Trost added.

He placed fourth in the party’s leadership race — which was ultimately won by Andrew Scheer — last year.

Saskatchewan Party MLA Corey Tochor won the three-way race, which concluded Saturday afternoon. Trost placed second after the first round of voting eliminated local businessman and political operative Brad Redekopp.

The nomination race was regarded as a referendum on Trost, whose social conservatism has occasionally attracted controversy and who is locked in a legal battle with the party over a leaked membership list.

The Conservatives haven’t released the actual vote totals, but Trost said he lost by 29 votes. That’s especially hard to swallow because around 300 identified supporters failed to show up and vote, he said.

“You have to give people the sense of urgency.”

Trost expressed confidence in his ability to win in the weeks leading up to the nomination meeting, which was held Saturday at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.

Asked what he plans to do next, Trost said he will serve out his term — the next federal election is scheduled for October 2019 — but has “no idea” what the future holds.

“At this point, I haven’t figured out anything.”