DIEPPE, N.B. – Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association (APTA) president, Ralph Boyd, was pleased to see a number of familiar faces win their respective ridings during the recent federal election.

After years of establishing relationships with key contenders, Boyd said he’s looking forward to continuing to work with a number of those victors as well as the new faces that will represent the East.

“We have good coverage in the Atlantic region, both from the Opposition party and the governing party,” Boyd says. “With a population of just 2.4 million people in the Atlantic provinces, it’s always important to get as many people as we can get in Ottawa on the government side.”

Some winners of note include Liberal John Efford who won the Avalon riding in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“He’s been very supportive of our issues with Marine Atlantic and he was instrumental in getting a meeting with Transport Minister Tony Valeri to discuss Marine Atlantic,” says Boyd. “He’s very conscious of the need to improve that service.”

Liberal Gerry Byrne was also re-elected on the Rock, and Boyd said “He’s been involved with a number of things we’ve been involved in.”

In Nova Scotia there were a number of new faces elected but Boyd said “The new faces are a little bit surprising to us but they appear to be very good prospects for the future.”

Conservative Peter MacKay won the Central Nova riding in Nova Scotia, prompting Boyd to comment “It’s always nice to see representation for the Opposition within the region.”

Liberal Scott Brison was another familiar face to win his riding of Kings-Hants in Nova Scotia.

In P.E.I., former solicitor general Wayne Easter was elected along with Lawrence MacAulay, who the APTA has worked with.

“We have had contact with Lawrence in the past, especially in the area of border security,” says Boyd. Liberal Andy Scott won his Fredericton riding – another Liberal the APTA has worked with in the past.

Liberal Claudette Bradshaw won the Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe riding by a landslide. “It’s always nice to see another key person will be returning to Ottawa,” Boyd said of Bradshaw.

Also winning in New Brunswick was fellow Liberal, Andy Savoy who emerged from a tough battle with a Conservative rival in Tobique-Mactaquac.

“He has been an exceptional individual,” says Boyd, who has served on Savoy’s transportation advisory committee.