The writ is scheduled to drop later today for the upcoming Manitoba election, the final provincial (scheduled) election of 2023.
The Progressive Conservatives have 35 seats, down from the 36 seats in the 2019 election. The New Democratic Party is the opposition party with 18 seats, the same number as in the 2019 election. The Liberals have 3 seats in the 57-seat Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. There is 1 vacant seat. 29 seats are needed for a majority.
Heather Stefanson is the unelected premier, serving in that role since October 30, 2021. Stefanson succeeded Brian Pallister, who was premier from 2016-2021 (Kelvin Goertzen served as interim party leader and premier).
Wab Kinew is the opposition leader for the NDP. Dougald Lamont is the Liberal Party leader.
The Progressive Conservatives are trying for a third term in government, having won the 2016 and 2019 elections.
The three leaders all represent ridings in the city of Winnipeg: Heather Stefanson (Tuxedo), Wab Kinew (Fort Rouge), and Dougald Lamont (St. Boniface). Kinew and Lamont were party leaders in the 2019 election. Winnipeg is a major battleground for determining which party will be in charge of the province.
Greg Selinger was the last NDP premier (2009-2016).
Heather Stefanson will be Manitoba's first female premier
NDP vow to make $10-a-day child care available over summer, holidays https://t.co/ZgZROl39ER
— Wab Kinew (@WabKinew) August 21, 2023
One of the strategies of passing the baton to a new leader is whether the election is about the previous premier (Pallister) or the current premier (Stefanson). Costa Rica likely won't come up in this election as Pallister spent an alarming amount of time in that country.
Stefanson is one of 2 female provincial premiers with Danielle Smith (Alberta). Smith was elected from her unelected status earlier in 2023. Kinew is the only Indigenous MLA in such a position as a provincial opposition leader.
Manitoba has similar issues as the rest of Canada from the cost of groceries to housing as well as special issues such as searching for human remains in a Winnipeg landfill. This race will likely come down to leadership concerns, whether Manitoba voters want the same leadership from Stefanson or a new direction with Kinew as the new premier. The Liberals would only be a factor if the NDP won a race by a small margin or a strong minority government.
You raised them and nurtured them. So who better than you—as parents—to know what’s best for your child as you send them off to school?
— Heather Stefanson (@HStefansonMB) August 17, 2023
That’s why our PC Team is fighting for enhanced parental rights in #Manitoba. #cdnpoli #mbpoli pic.twitter.com/EOftvavZTr
While Stefanson hasn't spoken with the fervour of New Brunswick and Saskatchewan on trans rights in schools for those under 16, the dog whistles of "enhanced parental rights" are out. New Brunswick hasn't had a leadership test or a possible election.
The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives have said if the party is re-elected, they will expand parents rights over what children learn in school. This makes a potential new policy on pronouns a campaign issue.
Brian Pallister, PCs lose seats but win a second term in Manitoba
2019 Manitoba election preview
"We want to end homelessness in this province, and that means treating it as the emergency it is. Right now, under the PCs, people have to be homeless for six months to get help," said @DougaldLamont #mbpoli #MBelxn2023 #RealChange https://t.co/Cha1UKixzW
— Manitoba Liberals (@MBLiberalParty) August 25, 2023
Whichever party is in control next month, the new government will struggle with a major concern. This may be the first Canadian provincial election where housing is a major campaign issue.
2023 Canadian politics preview
CanadianCrossing.com Manitoba coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
Advance voting in Manitoba runs September 23-30 from 8 am to 8 pm except Sundays running from noon-6 pm. Election day is October 3 with polls open from 8 am to 8 pm CDT.
CBC News has notes on all 57 ridings (to be updated). We noted the relatively independent Winnipeg Free Press in our Canada Journalism Guide and CBC News has local CBC Radio One shows on CBW-AM 990 and CBW-FM at 89.3. You can also listen via the CBC Listen app.
We will have a comprehensive summary of the results next month.
photo credit: CBC News
Twitter captures: @WabKinew; @HStefansonMB; @MBLiberalParty
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