Clock is ticking to name candidates as Manitoba NDP calls Tuxedo byelection for June 18
Ian Froese | CBC News | Posted: May 20, 2024 3:49 PM | Last Updated: May 21
NDP, Green Party announce hopefuls Monday as seat of former premier Heather Stefanson up for grabs
The electoral seat of former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson is up for grabs — and both the governing NDP and a Liberal candidate who's previously had byelection success against the Tories believe the conditions are ripe for a steal.
A byelection to fill the vacancy in the Tuxedo constituency will be held on Tuesday, June 18, Premier Wab Kinew announced on Monday.
Hours later, the NDP told a campaign office full of supporters that registered nurse Carla Compton will carry the party's banner for the upcoming vote.
Compton previously ran unsuccessfully in the riding in 2019 and didn't put her name forward last fall.
"My motivation is how I can help the most people, and I know every day I'm having a positive impact on my patients, my colleagues, where I work, and I'm very grateful for that," she said.
"But I also know sometimes you're given an opportunity where you can help more people, and that's what this feels like for me."
NDP volunteers later fanned out and knocked on doors in a race the party believes is winnable, despite the riding historically being a stronghold for the Progressive Conservatives.
The NDP came within 300 votes of upsetting the Tories and Stefanson last year.
The Progressive Conservatives were planning to hold a nomination meeting in early June, but that plan will now change and it will be happening within the next week, party president Brent Pooles said in an interview Monday.
"There's a 21-day notice period for the nomination, and we're going to waive that notice," he said. "We will have the nomination no later than a week tomorrow."
'Some arrogance' from NDP: PC president
Kinew's government called the byelection before any other party announced a candidate, but it didn't catch the PCs flat-footed, Pooles said. He also said "there's some arrogance" to the NDP's strategy.
"It's 'Look at us, we can do what we want, when we want,'" Pooles said. "That's what they feel and that's fine — we'll do what we need to do.
"They've been out on the doors; we've been out on the doors," he said.
Kinew responded to the Tory president's comments during Monday's news conference.
"We're able to have a candidate nominated when the writ is dropped," Kinew said. "It takes a little bit of organization to be able to do that.
"I think you should ask yourself if other parties are not able to nominate candidates by the time the writ dropped, even though [the PCs] had inside knowledge of when the byelection would be coming — based on when Heather Stefanson resigned — I think you got to question their organizational ability."
Pooles, however, said his party isn't appointing candidates.
"There's certain protocols we have to follow, and different than the NDP, we are not appointing our candidate."
Kinew said "lots of names" were put forward for the Tuxedo nomination, but the party refused to say whether more than one person was on the ballot.
Tories have contested nomination
The PC hopefuls in the nomination race are former MLA Shannon Martin, real estate agent Lori Shenkarow and family lawyer Lawrence Pinsky.
Martin, who served as member of the legislative assembly from 2014 to 2023, previously told CBC News his phone "lit up" when Stefanson announced she was resigning.
"I had residents of Tuxedo and just people I know ask me to take a serious look at this, saying, 'You know what, Shannon, we need your brand of energy, we need your brand of politics here at the legislature,'" he said in a recent interview.
Neither Shenkarow nor Pinsky were available Monday for interviews.
In prepared statements and letters to supporters, both candidates boasted of their years living and volunteering in Tuxedo.
Shenkarow said in a statement that Tuxedo residents need a strong voice to stand up for them, including in relation to concerns about the NDP's stance on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Pinsky, in a multi-page letter to constituents, made brief references to NDP members posting "propaganda" and pro bono work he's done with university students facing discrimination. Pinsky didn't answer questions requesting an explanation of his comments, but said last month in an email to a community member, obtained by CBC News, that the Oct. 7 attack on Israel drove him to consider elected office.
The Manitoba Liberal Party is preparing for a contested nomination with two hopefuls.
Willard Reaves, a star Blue Bomber running back in the 1980s, wants another shot at a byelection, after coming within 200 votes of taking PC stronghold Fort Whyte in 2022.
"There's no hesitation; I know I can do it," Reaves said.
"I'm not that status quo-type politician who tells people what they want to hear, right? And if it's not the truth, then I'm not going to tell it," he said.
"The fact is that I know how to represent people, no matter what riding it would be."
Interim Manitoba Liberal leader Cindy Lamoureux chose Reaves as deputy leader last year, after the party was reduced from three seats in the legislature to one. Reaves also ran unsuccessfully in the 2023 election in Fort Whyte.
Jamie Pfau, president of the Manitoba Foster Parent Association, is also seeking the Liberal Party's Tuxedo nomination.
She got involved in advocacy over the last year, around issues like child welfare and mental health, and has been in alignment with the Manitoba Liberals.
"I've just found every time that I've wanted to see something or I've wanted something changed, that it is Cindy Lamoureux who was asking those questions" in question period, she said.
Green Party Leader Janine Gibson announced Monday she'll put her name on the Tuxedo ballot as well.
Under provincial law, a byelection must be held within six months of a seat becoming vacant.
WATCH | Tory stronghold Tuxedo expected to be tight byelection: