PRESCOTT JAMES Enlarge Image

The NDP’s youngest MLA Matthew Wiebe thinks politics is a little bit like ultimate frisbee.

Concordia’s newest MLA likens politics to playing ultimate frisbee.

Matthew Wiebe succeeded his former boss Gary Doer as the NDP MLA for the riding after capturing about 60% of the vote in the March 2 provincial byelection.
Wiebe, 31, now the youngest MLA currently sitting in the Manitoba Legislature. His only regret is that he may no longer have as much time for his favourite sport as he used to.

"I think ultimate is a good metaphor for politics," he laughs. "You are working as part of a team and it is always important to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates.

"But I am looking forward to getting back onto the field this spring and chasing the disk for real."

Wiebe acknowledged that the days following the election were a flurry and he had little time to savour to savour his victory.

"It’s been very busy," Wiebe said. "We are trying to get the constituency office up and running as quick as possible so we can start hearing from people as soon as possible. I’ve also been doing quite a few interviews with the media."

An Elmwood resident and University of Manitoba economics grad, Wiebe captured all 40 polls in the Concordia byelection.

While he will be the youngest person sitting in the Manitoba Legislature, Wiebe said his relative youth could be a blessing.

"We have some younger MLAs in the NDP caucus now and I think it is part of a renewal in the party," he said.

"We’ve had a great government for a lot of years and we want to keep as many of them as possible, but we know that going forward we are going to continue to renew. We have a great new premier and I am excited to be part of that team and part of that renewal."

Wiebe got involved in politics for the first time when he was just 21 and volunteered for candidate Harry Schellenberg’s campaign in the riding of Rossmere.

"I literally just came in off the street and said let me help out and let me help out and help you get elected," Wiebe recalled.

"I’ve stayed involved since then and continued to work hard and volunteer. I just find the whole thing fascinating."

Wiebe enjoyed that experience so much that he eventually became Doer’s constituency assistant before moving onto his current role.

While his political responsibilities have changed as a result of last week’s byelection, his focus hasn’t.

"I’ve always been concerned about the issues specifically in my home community and that is something I definitely got from my parents," Wiebe said.

"We have our issues in Concordia that we need to prioritize and I am going to concentrate on things like active transportation and infrastructure in our nieghbourhood. I also want to focus on Concordia Hospital and healthcare."

Wiebe is also looking to make job creation and affordable housing a priority in his riding. He would also like to get more funding for the North East Pioneers Greenway and get more daycare spaces opened at Sherwood School and Hampstead School.

prescott.james@canstarnews.com