Lamont interview: ‘Giving people something to vote for’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/08/2023 (781 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Liberals are hitting the campaign trail hoping to change voters’ hearts and minds — and win enough seats to reduce whichever party comes out ahead on election night to a minority government.

“There’s a ton of seats that we can win, so for us, it’s about making that clear,” Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said during a one-on-one interview with the Free Press, ahead of the writ drop expected Tuesday.

Kinew interview: ‘message of unity and a message that faces the future’

The party currently occupies just three seats in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba — one short of official status and the many perks that come with a larger roster of MLAs.

However, past byelections have proven Liberal candidates can compete against the governing Progressive Conservatives and the Opposition New Democrats, when their message is bolstered by a full campaign, Lamont said.

In March 2022, the Grits narrowly missed out on a fourth seat in the legislature when Tory candidate Obby Khan beat Willard Reaves by a margin of just 197 votes in the Fort Whyte byelection.

Rhonda Nichol also had a strong result for the Liberals in the December 2022 Kirkfield Park byelection, finishing third but earning 27 per cent of the vote. (Tory candidate Kevin Klein won with 36.9 per cent of the vote.)

Both Reeves and Nichol will let their names stand on the Oct. 3 ballot for Round 2.

“The whole point of campaigns is to change hearts and minds, and they can and they do,” Lamont said. “When we get our message out and when we connect with people, it works, and we are able to change those hearts and minds.”

Lamont said the party is applying lessons learned from the recent byelections and doubling down its efforts on the doorstep this fall.

Running a tight ground game and putting strong candidates in front of voters as often as possible will be key to improving the party’s showing, Lamont said, while dismissing past public opinion polls that signal Liberal support is faltering.

In June, a Free Press-Probe Research poll found provincial support for the Liberals at 10 per cent; within Winnipeg, support was 12 per cent. The poll also found only 40 per cent of people who voted Liberal in 2019 continue to support them.

The next voter support poll will be released in September.

Lamont encouraged voters to take a hard look at the candidates each party is running, and to compare the policies and platforms they offer.

As of Thursday, the Liberals had 33 nominated candidates, with another 12 in the queue for next week. The party will have a full slate of 57, Lamont said.

“When we get our message out and when we connect with people, it works, and we are able to change those hearts and minds.”–Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont

“We have incredible candidates with experience and they know how these systems work. They are people who are dedicated to their community and they know what it takes to fix this stuff, if they’re elected.”

He described the Liberal campaign platform as containing practical responses to crime, health, the environment, and affordability, offering people who do not want to vote NDP or PCs a serious alternative. A fully costed platform is expected early in the official campaign period.

The St. Boniface MLA criticized the NDP for promising a gas tax holiday amid a climate crisis and pledging to stay the course on major Progressive Conservative tax breaks. He’s hoping to appeal to both disaffected NDP and Tory supporters who want a “progressive and fiscally responsible” approach to government.

Lamont said shoring up the health-care system, helping people with the cost of living, and pursuing electoral reform (namely ranked ballots) are the top three priorities for his party and its members.

“These are things that we’ll push for no matter what, and we’ll expect other parties to support no matter what.”

Lamont said he will consider the campaign successful if enough Manitoba Liberals are elected to go “well beyond official party status” and position the party to make its election promises reality — including setting terms to support either a PC or NDP minority government.

The last time Manitoba elected a minority government was April 1988, when the PCs led by Gary Filmon won 25 seats, the Liberals under Sharon Carstairs took 20, and the NDP secured 12.

“We are highly competitive… Both the other parties, I don’t think they deserve to form a majority government, and I think they will have a lot of trouble,” Lamont said. “We are in a position to do extremely well and, certainly, at the minimum, make sure that neither one of these parties gets a majority.

“If you are voting for a Manitoba Liberal, and if you are electing those Manitoba Liberals, those promises can happen.”

The 54-year-old Lamont is one of three Liberal incumbents seeking re-election. Longtime River Heights MLA Jon Gerrard and Tyndall Park MLA Cindy Lamoureux are also running again.

Lamont said he feels confident about his chances in St. Boniface, despite “being targeted by the NDP.”

The local NDP candidate is teacher Robert Loiselle. The PCs have selected University of Winnipeg student Kirt Hayer to represent them in the constituency.

“Really, when you look at the other two parties, they’re just focused on giving people something to vote against,” Lamont said.

“We’re very focused on giving people something to vote for.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca