Tory shadow cabinet unveiled

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This article was published 24/10/2023 (709 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE Opposition Progressive Conservatives have unveiled their shadow cabinet.

With 10 of the 22 caucus members newly elected, some of the top roles are going to novice MLAs, including health critic Kathleen Cook (Roblin).

“Health is a big and important file,” said Cook, who worked closely with the PC health critic from 2005 to 2011 as a policy analyst.

“It’s got a direct impact on Manitobans and it’s also the biggest line item expenditure for the government,” she said in an interview Tuesday, after the PC caucus issued a release announcing shadow cabinet members.

Tory Leader Heather Stefanson — who hasn’t held a news conference since Oct. 2 — was scheduled for a media event on the subject Tuesday morning at the legislature, but cancelled at the last minute, citing illness.

“Holding the (NDP) government to account for its performance in health is going to be critical,” Cook said.

“They’ve made a lot of promises, particularly with respect to health care. Most of their campaign commitments were health-care related and Manitobans have a reasonable expectation that they’re going to deliver on those commitments.”

Justice critic Wayne Balcaen (Brandon West) said he’s new to politics but as a former Brandon police chief, brings practical experience to his role in the shadow cabinet.

“I’ve gleaned my experience through the actual work within the justice system,” Balcaen said in an interview Tuesday. “I think I have a lot to bring to the table with the connections that I have within law enforcement and our entire justice portfolio.

“I will make sure that the programs that are offering services to Manitobans are held to account through this government and make sure that those aren’t left to go by the wayside,” Balcaen said.

Lac du Bonnet incumbent and former education minister Wayne Ewasko was named education critic.

There’s no mention of an Indigenous reconciliation critic, but a PC caucus spokesman said Stefanson, as party leader, will shadow NDP Premier Wab Kinew in that portfolio.

All 22 Tory MLAs have roles as critics or caucus officers, with Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli) named PC house leader.

Longtime Steinbach MLA, cabinet veteran and former interim premier Kelvin Goertzen’s only role now is as deputy leader.

Stefanson has not made herself available to answer questions from reporters since a PC party news conference Oct. 2, the day before her government lost its bid for a third consecutive majority government.

On Oct. 3, after she congratulated Kinew in a positive, gracious concession speech that contrasted with the negative messaging of the PC election campaign, she refused to take reporters questions.

She has declined Free Press interview requests since also announcing she would remain as PC leader until the Tories choose a new one. (Stefanson has granted an interview to the CBC.)

After taking her oath of office at Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, the MLA for Tuxedo again declined to speak to reporters.

Meantime, Stefanson staying on as interim leader is “horrible” for the party and will only get worse when question period begins, one political commentator predicted.

As Opposition leader, Stefanson will fire the first questions at the NDP, who have ample ammunition based on the PCs’ time in government to fire back, said Deveryn Ross, who was deputy chief of staff to Tory premier Brian Pallister.

“With each question and each supplemental question, she’s going to get hit again and again and again with failures, her failures in government and her government’s failures,” the former PC insider said.

“It’s going to be constantly — day after day — a reminder of not only why they aren’t the government anymore but the mistakes that they made and the mistakes that they made during the campaign.

“She’s going to have to defend that, which is something (former NDP premier) Greg Selinger and (former PC premier) Gary Filmon never had to do,” Ross added. “They had the good grace to sit in the back row until they moved on, but Heather Stefanson could be there (as leader) for the next two years.

“That’s a real problem for a caucus with a lot of new members trying to gain their traction, trying to rebrand themselves as a viable alternative in the next election, when she’s literally the face of the party.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca