Selinger uses speech to repeat NDP’s economic record

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There were no new promises but plenty of campaign-style potshots as Premier Greg Selinger issued his final state of the province speech before next spring’s election.

Speaking to a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce audience of about 1,000 at the RBC Convention Centre Tuesday, Selinger said the election of a Progressive Conservative or Liberal government in April would stall what he described as Manitoba’s strong economic momentum.

“Our success is something we cannot rest on,” said the premier, who repeated his assertion Manitoba leads Canada in job creation. “We have to take it to the next level.”

Selinger, who leads an NDP government that’s been in power since 1999, said his party deserves another term because of its commitment toward infrastructure spending. He claimed the Tories would threaten economic growth through service cuts and lambasted the Liberals for pledging to privatize the retail sale of alcohol.

Selinger also claimed credit for the construction of downtown Winnipeg buildings such as the privately owned Alt Hotel and Heritage Landing on Assiniboine and suggested inner-city revitalization would stall if his party isn’t re-elected.

“Without grinding a point too hard, I say to you those things are at risk, without staying in the same direction,” he said, saying the NDP offers “optimism grounded in experience.”

While Selinger made no new promises, he reiterated plans to help build an all-weather road to Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, develop a rail park at CentrePort and create green jobs. “We are on the cusp of dramatic change,” he said.

The premier made only one oblique mention of his PST hike, which caused the popularity of his government to plummet. “We know we’ve made some difficult decisions, and we know we haven’t always got it right,” he said.

Selinger earned only one enthusiastic cheer — for promising to build the Shoal Lake road — and also garnered a laugh when he mentioned he had a good hug with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A short burst of polite applause followed the end of the address.

“If it felt like a campaign speech, let’s say it was a campaign speech. It’s all good,” Selinger told reporters afterward. “We all have to make sure we have a clear vision for the future and a clear focus on the priorities of Manitobans.”

Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president Dave Angus, however, said he wished the premier was more clear about what an NDP government would do with a fifth term in office.

“It left some questions,” Angus said. “I wish he would have taken a deeper dive on the economy.”

Angus nonetheless commended the premier for mentioning the economy at all and name-checking the new media sector. He also repeated his assertion Manitoba needs a venture-capital fund and said it’s time for the province to get over the failure of the Crocus Investment Fund.

— with files from Larry Kusch

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca