Stefanson’s vanishing act ‘unusual’ for committed opposition leader, U of M prof says

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This article was published 03/11/2023 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A month after her Progressive Conservative government was sent packing by Manitoba voters, former premier and party leader Heather Stefanson has all but disappeared from the political landscape.

Aside from popping up once at the legislature Oct. 23 to take the oath of office, the leader of the official Opposition hasn’t held a media availability since Oct. 2, the day before the election, at PC campaign headquarters.

She was scheduled for a media event Oct. 24 at the legislature to unveil her opposition shadow cabinet but cancelled at the last minute, citing illness, which a member of her staff said was not serious in nature.

Stefanson promised in her election-night concession speech that the Tories in opposition would hold the NDP government to account — that they “will hold their feet to the fire.”

For the last four weeks, however, the party’s leader and member for Tuxedo has been a no-show as Premier Wab Kinew’s NDP government rolls out its agenda. Aside from social media posts taking shots at NDP announcements, Stefanson hasn’t been seen or heard from. Several requests for interviews have been referred to deputy leader Kelvin Goertzen.

“This has been a month now and journalists are quite right to ask the question, ‘Where is the leader?’” said University of Manitoba political studies Prof. Christopher Adams.

Taking a break after an election, he said, is “quite understandable for the first week…. Maybe you’re physically exhausted and mentally exhausted from a campaign.”

But laying low for more than a month is “unusual,” Adams said.

“I don’t know of other cases in which this has happened and I would expect that it usually doesn’t happen because the leader usually steps down after a defeat.”

Stefanson promised to stay on in the position until someone new is chosen sometime in the next 18 months.

On Friday, a member of Stefanson’s staff said she was not available for an interview, and that she has been out of town since last week, spending time with family.

While she will return ahead of the Nov. 21 start of the legislative session, Stefanson will not be back in time to participate in the election of a new speaker of the house next Thursday, he said.

“I think the party’s got to resolve this soon — that either she’s the leader or she isn’t the leader,” said Adams. “I think people do want to have some sort of sense of where the party and the caucus are at (on issues).”

The Opposition leader’s role involves more than taking the lead in question period when the house is back in session, said Manitoba’s former clerk of the executive council and president and CEO of the Institute on Governance.

“Our system of responsible government and parliamentary democracy requires an active, engaged opposition ready and willing to do its job. Nothing less,” David McLaughlin said from Ottawa.

“It is never too soon for the opposition to begin challenging the government. It is not a question of whether they should or not challenge the government, but how and when.”

McLaughlin, who was appointed by former premier Brian Pallister and fired by Stefanson when she became premier, noted that on Oct. 3, Stefanson not only announced her intention to stay on as leader, she expressed her desire to hold the NDP government to account.

“Manitobans, therefore, have every right to expect her to do so — regularly and visibly,” he said.

“Since it’s the government that sets the pace for action, not the opposition, the opposition has no choice but to be ‘ready aye ready’ to start raising questions right away in some form.”

Otherwise, he said, the government gets a free pass and is not held to account.

“An absent or disengaged opposition leader will, over time, undermine that party’s ability to be relevant, rebuild and carry out its proper function,” he said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca