Manitoba

Manitoba health minister pours water on backroom deals rumour in Selinger's win

Health minister Sharon Blady poured water on Winnipeg paramedics' concern that they lost out in a backroom deal that saw Premier Greg Selinger win the NDP leadership contest after the union for Winnipeg firefighters threw its support behind him.
Greg Selinger won the NDP leadership race on the second ballot Sunday, due in part to the support of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, the union for firefighters. Alex Forrest, UFFW president, is seen in the yellow shirt. (CBC)

Health minister Sharon Blady poured water on Winnipeg paramedics' concern that they lost out in a backroom deal that saw Premier Greg Selinger win the NDP leadership contest after the union for Winnipeg firefighters threw its support behind him.  

Blady said she played no role in the move that saw Selinger win the leadership vote by a thin margin of 33 votes, thanks in part to the last minute support of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg.

"They are big boys," she said Tuesday. "They make their own decisions."

Blady said no one asked for a deal and "nothing was promised."

"I think that it is interesting there is speculation that some how I influenced or intimidated firefighters," she said. "I can't influence or intimidate my 22-year-old. I certainly can't influence firefighters."

Health minister Sharon Blady said Tuesday she did not influence firefighters to throw their support behind Greg Selinger so he could retain his position as leader of the party and premier of Manitoba. (CBC)
It comes after Eric Glass, administrative director of the Paramedics Association of Manitoba, said there were concerns a deal between Selinger and the UFFW could scuttle the group's hope of gaining professional self-regulation, a goal it has been asking the province for since 2011. 

That would create a self-governing college responsible for all pre-hospital practitioners in Manitoba, and paramedics would be licensed and self- regulated.

The UFFW are opposed to that paramedics being licensed and self-regulated. 

Glass said paramedics heard rumblings during the convention that deals to keep the status quo were in the works. 

Eric Glass, administrative director of the Paramedics Association of Manitoba wants the premier to commit to moving forward with the professional self regulation of paramedics. But worries a rumoured deal could hurt that.
"We have accounts relayed to us by a couple of delegates that were present at the NDP convention this past weekend that call into question the ongoing status of our application for self-regulation, so we are going to be approaching the premier," Glass said.

Glass said the Health Professions Advisory Council said the paramedics' application for self-regulation was on the health minister's desk in February. Now he's worried it may not keep moving forward. 

"We would hope that government would not concede any of those recommendations in return for any sort of support at a convention or any other form," Glass said.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, which represents the paramedics' association, has written a letter to the premier asking him to confirm his government will move forward on self-regulation and provide a timeline for the initiative.

Monday, Progressive Conservative leader Brian Pallister criticized the premier for cutting backroom deals with unions, such as UFFW, to secure the win, but offered no proof. 

Both Premier Greg Selinger and UFFW head Alex Forrest deny any deals was made for support.