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Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
NDP casts eyes on vacant Spruce Woods seat
Premier Wab Kinew says he wants to see more rural NDP MLAs elected, but stopped short of revealing when he'll call a byelection for Spruce Woods. The western Manitoba seat long-held by the Tories was vacated in March by Grant Jackson, who successfully ran for the Conservatives in the federal election. Kinew, who was in the electoral district Friday for a funding announcement, said the NDP will field a candidate there when it is time. ALEX LAMBERT / THE BRANDON SUN FILES Spruce Woods was vacated in March by Tory Grant Jackson. 'I'm asking rural Manitoba to send more people to sit with our team on our side of the legislative chamber,' the premier told a crowd at Oak Lake, 52 kilometres west of Brandon. 'We want people to know we're investing in the future of the province,' he said, touting a flurry of government investments in the Westman region in recent weeks. The Progressive Conservatives accused the NDP of 'buying votes' ahead of the byelection that must be called by Sept. 24. Under Elections Manitoba rules, when the writ of election drops, a government communications blackout begins. 'It's very curious to me that in the last several weeks before a blackout period before a byelection, the premier has made four significant announcements in Spruce Woods and Westman,' said Brandon West MLA Wayne Balcaen. 'It's akin to buying votes, in my opinion,' said the PC justice critic and former Brandon Police Service chief. On Friday, the premier announced $95,000 for an aeration system for Oak Lake. On Thursday, the province announced $500,000 for Brandon's Spruce Woods Housing Co-Op. On Wednesday, the province announced $19.7 million to rehabilitate Oak Lake Dam. 'That's all in Spruce Woods' district,' Balcaen said. 'Before that, there was crickets from this government, with anything to do with Spruce Woods and more so anything in rural Manitoba.' Standing near Oak Lake's shore Friday, Kinew told attendees that, when elected to its majority win, his NDP government indeed remembered rural Manitoba, including cutting the provincial fuel tax and reopening the Carberry hospital emergency department. Kinew said he wants to end the Western Canadian urban-rural political divide. 'I want our province to be united. I think it would be a shame if we just kind of throw up our hands and say, 'That's the way things are,'' the premier said. 'I think it's incumbent on people in government to listen to the concerns of people from all geographic regions and do their best to bring that to the table,' he told the crowd. 'When the byelection comes, yes, we are going to bring a candidate forward from the area who we want you to send to the legislature … Somebody to sit at the decision making table, rather than to just chirp from the sideline.' That won't be easy in Spruce Woods, which is considered a safe Tory seat. 'They usually win by 20 or 30 or 40 points,' said University of Manitoba political studies Prof. Christopher Adams. 'I would say that the NDP would be very surprised if they won that constituency.' He noted, however, there have been recent upsets with the New Democrats winning so-called safe seats. Carla Compton took Tuxedo — Tory blue for decades — in a 2024 byelection after PC premier Heather Stefanson lost the 2023 election and vacated the seat. Long-time Liberal MLA for River Heights Jon Gerrard lost in that election to the NDP's Mike Moroz. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'I think there's not enough of a backlash to the PCs happening in Spruce Woods, as was happening in Tuxedo,' Adams said. 'It's not a great time for the PCs in rural Manitoba, but I think I'd be very surprised if there were an upset in Spruce Woods.' The PCs are languishing in the polls and their new leader, Fort Whyte MLA Obby Khan, didn't have strong support in Spruce Woods during the leadership race earlier this year. His opponent, Wally Daudrich, won a greater share of votes in the electoral district. Two candidates have thus far registered with Elections Manitoba to run in the byelection. The PCs nominated longtime party volunteer Colleen Robbins; Brandon teacher Stephen Reid will carry the banner for the Liberals. 'I think any seat is open for any political party,' said Balcaen. 'We have to constantly put in the effort and the work with our constituents and you know we'll continue to do that … We work for every vote we get.' Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
99 days and counting: NDP criticized as byelection wait continues
Progressive Conservative leader Obby Khan is accusing Premier Wab Kinew of playing political games by being slow to call a byelection in a traditional Tory stronghold. The seat in Spruce Woods has been open since March 24, when Tory MLA Grant Jackson resigned to run federally for the Conservatives in the Brandon-Souris riding. 'I think it is really irresponsible,' Khan said in an interview. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Progressive Conservatives leader Obby Khan said it's irresponsible that the NDP government hasn't yet called a byelection in Spruce Woods, a Tory stronghold. 'I think it is really wrong that the premier is not calling a byelection so that the constituents of Spruce Woods can have a voice. As the premier, he is supposed to represent all Manitobans and it is clear he is playing political games in Spruce Woods and it is really, really sad to see the true colours of the premier come out.' Khan pointed out that when former premier Heather Stefanson stepped down after the PCs lost the provincial election in 2023, Kinew called a byelection 43 days later and NDP MLA Carla Compton was elected. He said when the Transcona seat opened following the death of NDP MLA Nello Altomare, a byelection was called 63 days later and NDP candidate Shannon Corbett was victorious. As of Tuesday, the Spruce Woods seat has been vacant for 99 days. 'He is blocking the people of Spruce Woods from having a voice,' Khan said. 'He needs to do the right thing here — call the byelection today.' In a brief statement, cabinet spokesman Ryan Stelter said: 'the Spruce Woods byelection will be called in due course according to the normal timeline.' Elections Manitoba spokesman Mike Ambrose said the Manitoba Elections Act stipulates a byelection must be held within 180 days of a seat becoming vacant. He said because that date is Sept. 19 — a Friday — and both elections and byelections can only be held on Tuesdays, it means the latest an election can be held is Sept. 16. As a result, Kinew doesn't have to call the byelection until Aug. 19 at the latest, Ambrose said, as it must be held within 28 to 34 days after the writ is dropped. The spokesperson said Elections Manitoba is prepared for whenever the byelection is called and has already rented space for staff and polling stations. University of Manitoba political studies Prof. Christopher Adams believes changes should be made to ensure byelections are called sooner. 'This is way too long,' Adams said. 'They should tighten it up. They tightened it up — with fixed elections — even though we've had premiers going against the spirit of the law by calling an election early. There should be shortening for byelections. These are the representatives of the constituents.' Adams said having an open seat is more than just one fewer politician in the legislature. 'The constituency officers are like service centres for people and, without an MLA, there is no constituency office,' he said. 'It is irresponsible for the government to have a seat open for a long time.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Kelly Saunders, an associate political science professor at Brandon University, said she had hoped there would be a trickle down effect when Prime Minister Mark Carney said 'no games' and announced he would quickly call a byelection for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre to run in. Carney announced Monday the byelection will be held on Aug. 18. Poilievre lost his Carleton, Ont. seat in the April federal election and will turn to an Alberta riding in an attempt to regain his seat. 'I really liked Mark Carney's approach, quite frankly,' Saunders said. 'The people expect to be represented. I'm not quite sure why the premier is dragging his feet on this — it doesn't look good. He didn't come in as 'sunny days' like Justin Trudeau did, but people thought there would be a different tone in government. I can understand Obby Khan's frustration. 'I think it just weakens the NDP brand a bit.' Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
