Tories revel in new role after 16 years on sidelines

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This article was published 04/11/2016 (3260 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Six months after seizing government — and with their political opponents in disarray — Manitoba Progressive Conservatives were in a mood to celebrate as they gathered for their first annual general meeting since their historic victory.

“Isn’t it nice to take an hour to introduce all the MLAs?” Premier Brian Pallister exclaimed at the evening banquet, after virtually all of the 40 Tories elected joined him onstage, exchanging high-fives.

After more than 16 years in the political wilderness, the PCs were still basking in the glow of an election victory in which they took 52.6 per cent of the popular vote.

Pallister encouraged the approximately 400 members in attendance Friday to savour the victory but remain humble.

He told a story that got a big laugh from the crowd. He said he was at the Co-op gas station in Austin three weeks ago. As he fixed himself a coffee, he heard one of two young men behind the counter whisper excitedly that the premier had just walked into the store.

“And I turned around to see…”

Pallister didn’t finish the line as the crowd roared.

“I tell you that because it’s important. It’s important to remember where we’ve come from, to remember who we are, to remember what we stand for and to be humble about it.”

Pallister said his new government faces “monumental challenges.”

“We were hired after a decade of debt to fix the finances of our province. We were hired by the people of Manitoba after a decade of decay to repair the services of our people, and we were hired by the people of Manitoba after a period of decline to rebuild our economy on the basis of the private sector.”

He took a shot at the vanquished NDP, noting two years ago on Thursday marked the second anniversary of the day five members of Greg Selinger’s cabinet called a news conference to say they could no longer work with him.

The NDP, he said, “showed the people of Manitoba what a team does not look like, and we are going to show Manitoba what a team does look like.”

Earlier in the day, members participated in policy workshops and heard a 50-minute presentation from election campaign manager David McLaughlin on how the election was won.

It’s important to remember where we’ve come from, to remember who we are, to remember what we stand for and to be humble about it’– Premier Brian Pallister (right)

The meeting concludes today with a keynote address by the premier and debate on more than a dozen policy resolutions. Several resolutions merely rubber-stamp policies already enunciated by Pallister. However, others build on current policies and would take the party in new directions.

A resolution by the PC Lac du Bonnet constituency association wants the province to work with the tourism industry to “provide a worldwide advertising and promotion program that fully showcases the vast recreation opportunities that are available” in Manitoba.

A motion by Interlake Tories encourages the “exploration” of an interprovincial energy corridor to allow Manitoba Hydro to export electricity to neighbouring provinces.

A resolution from the Midland Constituency Association urges the government to review provincial court funding and the speed in which child protection cases are handled.

Another motion from Lac du Bonnet PCs urges a provincially co-ordinated recruitment effort for doctors and nurses, rather than “haphazard,” regionally driven programs.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca