Manitoba NDP leader claims PC leadership hopeful tried to enlist him in 'takedown' of rival

The leader of Manitoba's Official Opposition claims one of the candidates vying to become leader of the governing Progressive Conservative Party reached out to the NDP with dirt on her competition.

NDP leader Wab Kinew claims Shelly Glover's campaign shared concerns about sales of PC memberships by Heather Stefanson's campaign.

The PCs will choose one of the two women to become the party's next leader — and Manitoba's next premier — on Oct. 30.

Kinew claimed Glover tried to enlist the NDP's help in her effort to claim the job.

"The Glover campaign reached out to the NDP a week ago to try and use us for a takedown of Heather Stefanson. The Glover camp then provided us with compromising information," Kinew said on the floor of the Manitoba Legislature.

Kinew then claimed the Glover campaign alleged the Stefanson campaign has sold PC memberships improperly.

"We call on the Glover campaign to explain to PC party members why they are trying to use the NDP to win that leadership race. We call on the campaign being run by the member for Tuxedo to respond to the allegation of irregular memberships."

The NDP later shared screenshots of texts sent from a Glover campaign spokesperson to an NDP MLA. In the texts, the Glover spokesperson noted Stefanson sold some PC memberships directly through the her campaign website while Election Manitoba rules seem to forbid the practice.

Stefanson's campaign said the Progressive Conservative Party has already dismissed the Glover campaign's complaint about the Tuxedo MLA's membership sales.

The Progressive Conservative Party declined to comment on the complaint.

"We will not be commenting on the internal complaints process," party spokesperson Keith Stewart said Wednesday in a statement.

The Glover campaign also declined to comment on the complaint.

"There are a number of matters being reviewed by the PC party and as such it would be inappropriate  for the campaign to comment at this time," Glover spokesperson David MacKay said Wednesday in a statement.

Elections Manitoba also declined to say whether it is looking into a complaint.

"I'm afraid my policy is not to disclose whether an investigation is ongoing, nor to discuss the progress of an investigation," elections commissioner Bill Bowles said Wednesday in a statement.

Stefanson's campaign called the allegations of collusion between Glover and the NDP unfortunate.

"It does not sit well with the values of our PC party. While the Shelly Glover campaign would rather work with the NDP than our PC party members, Heather will work hard for all PC members, regardless of who they support, and all Manitobans," Stefanson's campaign said in a statement.

Glover's campaign denied Kinew's allegations.

In a statement, a Glover spokesperson said "a campaign volunteer, in a personal exchange with an NDP MLA, has shared information related to campaign rules but by no means asked the NDP to take action on the campaign's behalf."

The NDP identified that volunteer as the same Glover spokesperson.

"It is clear the NDP Leader is very concerned that the next leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba will be a strong and capable woman. And she will be leading a renewed and united PC party more than capable of winning the next election," the Glover campaign said.

"Mr. Kinew's attempts to prompt division in our party are the type of low-rent political games he likes to play. But it will not work."

On the floor of the legislature, Deputy Premier Rochelle Squires accused Kinew of pulling a stunt.

"It's obvious that the leader of the opposition is obsessed with the Manitoba PC party leadership and I can assure you if he keeps up with stunts like that, he'll have plenty of opportunities to talk about his own leadership in due time," Squires said.

Before Kinew raised his allegation about Glover's campaign, he claimed the former Conservative MP is trying to cater to people opposed to COVID-19 while also stating she supports vaccination. 

"You are being exploited by people who will say or do anything to advance their careers," Kinew said in reference to comments Glover made about "natural immunity" to CBC News and to Western Standard, a conservative publication based in Alberta.

Glover told both media outlets health-care workers who contracted COVID believe they should be exempt from Manitoba's directive they get vaccinated by Monday or take rapid COVID tests up to three times a week.

Glover later clarified she does not believe contracting COVID should be an exemption.