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Smith gets shot at NDP endorsementfor fall vote

Nomination meeting set

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 05/4/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Harvey Smith (RUTH.BONNEVILLE@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)

Veteran city councillor Harvey Smith has been given one more chance to run for Winnipeg city council re-election with the NDP's blessing.

On March 30, the provincial New Democrats surprised the Daniel McIntyre councillor by endorsing another candidate -- Keith Bellamy, a constituency assistant to Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin -- to run in the inner-city ward.

Smith subsequently appealed the decision to senior party officials. However, they upheld the selection of Bellamy, which was determined by an endorsement committee comprised of two party representatives from each of the four provincial ridings that overlap with Daniel McIntyre.

Party officials have since met with Smith and Bellamy and decided it would be wise to hold a public nomination meeting instead.

"The two candidates agreed there should be a nomination meeting to clear the air, and we've arranged that," NDP president Lorraine Sigurdson said.

Daniel McIntyre residents who were party members on March 30 will be eligible to vote at a nomination meeting on May 30. Both Smith and Bellamy said they will respect the outcome of the nomination meeting, Sigurdson said.

Smith declined to comment. Bellamy said the meeting isn't a setback. "The endorsement is mine until such time as Harvey beats me in a nomination meeting," he said. "We're looking forward to the opportunity to be shown to be the clear choice of the membership in Daniel McIntyre."

Smith has sat on council for 18 years, representing Sargent Park from 1980 to 1986 and then Daniel McIntyre from 1998 until the present. He also served as the NDP MLA for Ellice from 1986 to 1988.

Along with working for NDP MP Martin, Bellamy managed Coun. John Orlikow's campaign during the 2009 River Heights-Fort Garry byelection.

The provincial NDP also plans to settle at least two other nomination contests in city wards, either through a meeting or an endorsement committee.

One is expected in Old Kildonan, which will be a wide-open race following the retirement of 30-year council veteran Mike O'Shaughnessy. The other will take place in Elmwood-East Kildonan, which Lillian Thomas has represented since 1989. Thomas has groomed her executive assistant Darryl Livingstone for the job, but former CTV reporter Shaneen Robinson -- daughter of Manitoba's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson -- and school trustee Rod Giesbrecht are also seeking the NDP nomination.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 4, 2010 B3

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