Manitoba’s premier insists she is “excited” about the party’s future, as well as changes in its inner circle, after several members of the Progressive Conservative faction announced they will not run in the next election.
Although she did not say specifically when there would be a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Heather Stefanson said on Monday she would “make changes”.
It comes after 11 of the 36 Tory MPs who were in the faction a year ago either resigned or recently said they don’t plan to run in this year’s provincial election, which is due to be held on or before October 3 .
Among these 11 were five cabinet members.
Despite the number of MLAs stepping down, Stephanson said Monday she was optimistic about what she described as an influx of newcomers looking to run under the PC banner in the upcoming election, as well as several new faces as cabinet ministers. .
“This is an exciting opportunity for our party and our province to rejuvenate and look to the future. I think it’s so exciting – we have so many people coming forward and excited to run for our party,” she said after a Travel Manitoba Press Conference on Monday.
Asked if the departures reflected the Tories’ low position in opinion polls, Stefanson put them down to family considerations and members’ long years in politics.
“A lot of people took the holidays to make decisions with their families and I think we’ve seen most of those coming up.”
Most recently, Labor Secretary Reg Helver said Friday that he will not run in the election scheduled for this fall.
Another cabinet member – Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations Minister Alan Lagimodiere – said last week he did not plan to run again, as did Speaker Myrna Dryger and backbencher Cathy Cox.
Deputy Prime Minister Cliff Cullen said late last month he would not run again. It followed similar announcements from Municipal Affairs Minister Eileen Clarke, as well as backbenchers Ralph Eichler, Blaine Pedersen, Dennis Smook and Ian Wishart.
The exodus began last June when Scott Fielding, then minister responsible for liquor and lotteries in Manitoba, resigned from his post. He was replaced by former City Councilor Kevin Klein in a hotly contested by-election last month.
While several Tory MLAs have indicated they plan to stand again, three have yet to declare their intentions: Shannon Martin (McPhillips), Brad Michaleski (Dauphin) and Rick Wowchuk (Swan River).
An NDP assembly spokesman said in an email that the PC party is too self-centered to think about families affected by a struggling health care system and high cost of living.
“A cabinet reshuffle won’t fix anything, only a new NDP government can make life easier for families,” the statement said.
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