NDP defeats now-former Liberal leader Dougald Lamont in St. Boniface

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This article was published 03/10/2023 (790 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Liberals were nearly shut out of the legislature Tuesday, as the party’s now-former leader and a long-time MLA were defeated, leaving only a single seat red.

Before beginning a teary-eyed concession speech at the Norwood Hotel, Dougald Lamont introduced himself as “the former leader of the Manitoba Liberals.”

“Ultimately, the people have decided, and sometimes, you get caught in a wave — and it doesn’t seem to matter what you do,” Lamont told a crowd of more than 100 supporters inside a ballroom decorated with red and white balloons in St. Boniface, where he is no longer the elected representative.

Lamont, who worked in public relations and journalism prior to entering politics, has been at the helm of the party for the last six years. He was elected to the legislature in a 2018 byelection prompted by former NDP leader Greg Selinger’s mid-term resignation.

St. Boniface has flip-flopped between the Liberals and New Democrats in recent history. On Tuesday, rookie nominee Robert Loiselle, a francophone teacher who lives in Norwood Flats with his wife and two daughters, took the seat back for the NDP.

Veteran Liberal MLA Jon Gerrard was unseated by NDP candidate Mike Moroz in a shocking upset in the Liberal stronghold of River Heights. Tyndall Park’s Cindy Lamoureux was the only sitting party member who retained her seat.

Lamoureux called the evening “bittersweet” upon arriving to the Norwood Hotel Tuesday.

Gerrard, who was first elected in 1999, said he is incredibly proud of Lamont’s leadership and the larger Liberal team.

“You may ask, ‘What is my next step?’ And I can tell you one thing: I will have more time for (my wife), my children and my grandchildren — but I will not go silently into the night,” he said, adding he will remain politically active and support Lamoureux however he can.

Early optimistic murmurs at the party’s election night headquarters – “It’s still early,” and “We’ll get there” – quieted around 9 p.m. when what initially appeared to be nail-biter races widened in favour of the NDP.

After Lamont stepped down, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, who ran for Southdale under the Liberal banner, led a warrior song “about rising with courage.” Emotional supporters put their hands on Lamont’s shoulders and gathered in a circle to listen to the song and drum. Many attendees left the hotel with puffy-eyes.

Since 2019, the Liberals had been operating one seat shy of official party status and the many perks — including increased funding, research staff and guaranteed participation in question period — that come with it.

Political parties need to win four or more seats to be “recognized” in the legislature, and recent efforts to make that definition more inclusive have failed.

Longtime MLA Gerrard sought to update provincial laws in 2020 to recognize parties with at least two elected representatives, if they won a combined total of at least 10 per cent of all votes. The private member’s bill died at the third reading stage.

The Liberals earned 15 per cent of the popular vote during the last election.

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At the time, the party cited that statistic, more lenient rules in other provinces and concerns independent MLAs are treated with second-class status “in ways that (are) less than democratic.”

The highlights of the Liberals’ 2023 platform include a commitment to mostly repeal the Tories’ marquee education property tax rebate program and overhaul the provincial income tax schedule.

The party also pledged to introduce ranked ballots in provincial elections, provide bonuses to health-care workers and create 10,000 same-day housing units for people experiencing homelessness, among numerous promises made throughout the campaign.

The Liberals were unable to field a full slate of candidates. They nominated MLA hopefuls in 49 of 57 constituencies.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Maggie Macintosh
Education reporter

Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.

Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.

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