Smith proclaims ‘we’re back’ after NDP win

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This article was published 13/06/2017 (3047 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bernadette Smith handily won Tuesday’s byelection in the Point Douglas NDP stronghold Tuesday night —­ the best news Manitoba New Democrats have had in a long time.

“Enough of the Brian Pallister cuts — he’s going to feel the pain,” an ebullient Smith declared Tuesday night. “They doubted we could keep this seat. We’re back. The NDP never left.”

MLA Nahanni Fontaine told a jubilant crowd that not only is Smith the third indigenous woman and fourth indigenous member of the NDP caucus, she is the first elected politician anywhere in Canada from a missing and murdered indigenous women and girls family.

Smith’s sister, Claudette Osborne, has been missing from Winnipeg since 2008.

Briefly giving way to tears, Smith remembered her sister Tuesday night: “I’m fighting hard to make sure no other women go missing in Canada,” she said.

An educator in the Seven Oaks School Division, Smith is the co-founder of both the Manitoba Coalition of Families of Missing and Murdered Women in Manitoba, and the Drag the Red Initiative.

“We’re sending a strong message to Brian Pallister that this riding of Point Douglas wants its services protected,” Smith told the crowd at the Ukrainian Labour Temple.

Smith won the inner-city riding by a strong margin over Liberal runner-up John Cacayuran, though by the smallest percentage of votes ever for a Point Douglas MLA. With 45 of 47 polls reporting, Smith had 41.5 per cent of the vote, the first time the NDP has ever had less than 52 per cent of the votes cast in Point Douglas.

Former cabinet minister Kevin Chief, widely seen as a leadership front runner, resigned eight months after his re-election to join the private sector.

Smith’s victory leaves the Tories with 40 seats, the NDP 13, Liberals three, and one Independent, Mohinder Saran, who was kicked out of the NDP caucus earlier this year.

Smith showed up only 19 minutes after the polls closed, an unusual move for a candidate — they usually wait until the outcome is known.

The crowd erupted as soon as a beaming Smith walked into the iconic hall.

Complaints and allegations of election violations have been flying throughout the campaign. The NDP accused the Tory government of continuing to tout government programs after the writ dropped. The Conservatives said NDP MLAs were improperly hanging out and possibly campaigning at advance polling stations. The NDP accused the Liberals of paying people to remove NDP signs.

Clarifying what was earlier reported, Elections Manitoba said Tuesday the commissioner of elections can begin investigating allegations immediately, but has a year to decide whether to prosecute.

One of the lowest-income ridings in Manitoba, Point Douglas has always elected New Democrats — Donald Malinowski, George Hickes, and Chief. There were 10,761 eligible voters Tuesday,

Voter turnout in 2016 was 42.5 per cent, the only Winnipeg riding in which less than half of eligible voters cast a ballot. With two polls to go Tuesday, turnout was 28.3 per cent.

Unofficial results posted on the Elections Manitoba website show the total number of votes cast was 3,484. Smith received 1,534, with Cacayuran reciving 1,006.

Also running Tuesday were Tory Jodi Moskal (562 votes), Sabrina Koehn Binesi of the Greens (147 votes), Communist Frank Komarniski (29 votes), and Gary Marshall of the Manitoba Party (181 votes).

Former cabinet minister Steve Ashton showed up after getting out the vote at a seniors’ centre, but was still declining to say if he’ll contest the NDP leadership Sept. 16. “There’s always time for anything,” chuckled Ashton.

MLA Wab Kinew, the only leadership candidate so far, stood grinning behind Smith as she delivered her victory speech.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca