Ashton joins race to succeed Doer

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This article was published 04/09/2009 (6163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – Steve Ashton preached the politics of inclusiveness and vowed to fight for social and economic justice for all Manitobans as he entered the provincial NDP leadership this afternoon.

“I can’t stress strongly enough that the key thing that any premier has to do is to be able bring people together,” Ashton, 53, told supporters at his campaign launch at the Union Centre on Broadway.

Ashton said for the past 10 years, Manitobans have had “caring and competent government,” and that he wants to build upon that.

However, he also told a roomful of supporters — including business owners and labour leaders, students and seniors, aboriginal leaders and members of visible minorities — that he would make ending poverty a priority.

“I believe that with the unlimited potential we have in Manitoba, there’s no reason why we can’t achieve social and economic justice for all,” he said.

In the room were four of his caucus colleagues, including three who said they were backing his leadership. They included Bidhu Jha (Radisson), Tom Nevakshonoff (Interlake) and Daryl Reid (Transcona).

St. James MLA Bonnie Korzeniowski, who also attended Andrew Swan’s leadership campaign launch on Wednesday, said she wished to show support for all her colleagues who are running for the leadership. She said she hasn’t yet made up her mind who to vote for yet.

Ashton was introduced at today’s event by his daughter Niki, the federal NDP Member of Parliament for Churchill.

Ashton and Swan are the first two to declare their candidacy in the race to succeed Gary Doer as party leader and premier of Manitoba.

Doer announced his departure last week. He will become Canada’s ambassador to the United States.

Several potential leadership hopefuls have said in the past week that they would not be contesting the leadership, including Family Services Minister Gord Mackintosh, Health Minister Theresa Oswald, and Manitoba MPs Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) and Judy Wasylycia-Leis (Winnipeg North).

Finance Minister Greg Selinger told the Free Press this morning that he will announce his intentions on Tuesday.

The NDP leadership convention will be held in Winnipeg on Oct. 17.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca