Steve Ashton hopes third time’s a charm in NDP leadership bid

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/06/2017 (3380 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Steve Ashton’s first act as head of an NDP government in 2020 will be to raise Manitoba’s minimum wage to $15 an hour immediately.

Then he’ll reopen the Concordia Hospital emergency department the Progressive Conservative government plans to close next year.

And yes, Ashton said outside the Concordia Hospital Wednesday morning, his government would also reopen the ERs at Victoria and Seven Oaks hospitals, and the Misericordia urgent care centre.

“The Pallister government never had a mandate to shut down ERs,” the 61-year-old declared.

Ashton’s announcement of his third leadership campaign was low key — he put the word out in just a single tweet, and there were no signs, no placards, no buttons and barely any orange shirts at his rally.

Ashton said he will not campaign against anyone, he’ll campaign for his vision of rebuilding the NDP and presenting it as a progressive alternative to Premier Brian Pallister.

MLA Wab Kinew is also running in the Sept. 16 leadership race.

A former cabinet minister and longtime Thompson MLA, Ashton said he learned more from his loss to Tory Kelly Bindle last year than he did in his victories.

Ashton said he could lead the NDP from outside the house, rebuilding the party throughout Manitoba while taking on Pallister’s austerity policies.

“Not everything is focused on what happens at the Manitoba legislature,” he said.

However, MLA Ted Marcelino said in an interview he would be willing to step down in his Tyndall Park riding to trigger a byelection Ashton could contest, should Ashton become leader.

Interim leader Flor Marcelino and house leader Jim Maloway also showed up to support Ashton, along with city Coun. Jason Schreyer.

Ashton invoked memories of Tommy Douglas and Ed Schreyer, and compared himself favourably to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and to U.K. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“It’s important Manitobans have a choice, a clear choice. I am seeking to provide a clear progressive choice,” he said.

Asked if the NDP is not now a clear progressive choice, Ashton was vague in his responses. He was similarly vague about how many new party members he has signed up.

Asked if he will defend the record of the Greg Selinger-led NDP government, Ashton said he was part of that government and has not run his campaigns on negativity.

He will run on traditional NDP values and challenge the status quo, while “rejecting the job-killing austerity of the Pallister government,” he said.

On climate change, Manitoba should be playing a leading role, Ashton said, though emphasizing, “There is nothing more important to New Democrats than health care.”

He would also reduce post-secondary tuition fees, Ashton promised.

“There is rebuilding that needs to be done, and lessons that need to be learned. We’re going to put the democracy into New Democratic Party. We need to be the progressive alternative. We can’t be running on what we did five, 10, 15 years ago,” he said.

“It’s about the future, not the rear-view mirror.”

Kinew waited until late Wednesday afternoon to issue a statement.

“Since the start of this campaign I have been working with the expectation that someone else would join the race. I look forward to talking with New Democrats in the months to come,” he said.

“Steve and I have different visions for the NDP. It’s clear to me that the party needs a new direction, one focused on listening to Manitobans, creating the jobs of the future, and building communities we all want to live in.

“Last election, Manitobans told us that to get there we will need new leadership. I hope to be that leader, and with the support of party members, bring the next generation of New Democrats to government.”

Kinew did not respond to requests to elaborate on how his vision differs from Ashton’s.

Several members of the NDP caucus have already declared their support for Kinew, including former cabinet ministers Andrew Swan and James Alllum, St. Johns MLA Nahanni Fontaine and Concordia MLA Matt Wiebe.

Allum said Wednesday that while he respects Ashton’s right to run, he doesn’t think it’s a good idea.

“Manitobans are clearly looking for generational change in the NDP. Steve made a profound contribution over a long period of time, but I think what we’ve been told by the people of Manitoba is that we need to move forward and that we need generational change in the party in order to reflect the new face of Manitoba going forward,” he said.

Wiebe welcomed the fact there will now be a leadership contest, but he, too, marked Ashton as yesterday’s man.

“What I’ve heard from members is that they’re ready to turn the page, to move on, to look at the future rather than looking backwards at the past,” he said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca