Premier Selinger emotional at ceremony
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2009 (5807 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WINNIPEG – As he spoke his first words as the 21st premier of Manitoba, the emotion of the moment caught up with Greg Selinger this morning.
Selinger’s voice quavered for a few seconds as he thanked his family and supporters after taking the oath of office shortly after 11 a.m. in a large Legislative Building reception room.
Lt.-Gov. Philip Lee presided over the brief ceremony that was also attended by David Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, who took the train into Winnipeg accompanied by Canada’s new ambassador to the United States, Gary Doer, last night.
Doer, the man Selinger is replacing, starts his new job today. He did not attend the ceremony.
Selinger opened his short address, after taking the oath of office, with a joke.
“Well, you know with that warm introduction, we could almost start an election campaign,” he said, as the audience, which included the entire NDP caucus and numerous staffers and well-wishers, hooted. “(But) we did promise to govern for the next two years so that’s what we’ll do.”
It was then, with his wife Claudette Toupin and his two sons sitting in the front row before him, that the impact of the moment caught up with the normally unflappable Selinger.
“It perhaps sounds trite but I’m obviously humbled and honoured to have this opportunity,” he said. It’s clearly not possible without the support of your family and the volunteers. So the job is to get on with the show and we will do that.”