Deputy Tory leader defends Stefanson’s extended holiday: ‘no one should begrudge her of that’

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This article was published 07/11/2023 (719 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson is taking a much-needed break after losing the provincial election following an intense campaign, her deputy leader said Tuesday.

“Running an election campaign and losing the government is no small thing, so she’s taking a bit of a holiday and no one should begrudge her of that,” Kelvin Goertzen said when asked about the Tory leader’s absence.

Stefanson has not been available to answer reporters’ questions since a campaign event on the eve of the election. In her Oct. 3 election night concession speech, Stefanson said her party would be holding the NDP government’s “feet to the fire,” then disappeared from the political stage.

“…Sometimes people need a break and sometimes people need a holiday,” the deputy PC leader said at an unrelated news conference. “She’s getting a holiday with her family, partially, and I think that that’s important.”

A spokesman for the PC caucus would not say where Stefanson, who has owned a home in Florida, is vacationing, citing her right to privacy.

After the PCs lost the election, Stefanson said she would step down as leader when a new one is chosen, sometime in the next 18 months.

In the meantime, the PC caucus stands behind her as leader, Goertzen said.

“I think that all Manitobans… have had different things in their life happen, which were challenging and were difficult and were intense (and) have had to take a break,” the former justice minister said.

“Our caucus supports each other, we support our leader, but we support each other as caucus members and when you’re part of a caucus we describe it as being part of a family,” the longtime MLA for Steinbach said.

Stefanson will return to work for the start of the legislative session on Nov. 21.

She will miss the election of a house speaker on Thursday, which is taking place sooner than the PC leader likely expected when she was planning her holiday, Goertzen said.

“Nobody’s suggesting it’s ideal but I don’t think that the election of the speaker is going to be the most hotly contested election that Manitoba’s ever had,” the former government house leader quipped.

— with files from Danielle DaSilva

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca