‘The honour of a lifetime’ Stefanson, Manitoba’s first female premier, to leave politics after 23 years By: Carol Sanders Posted: 6:57 PM CDT Thursday, Apr. 25, 2024

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Former premier Heather Stefanson announced in the legislature Thursday she is resigning her Tuxedo seat after 23 years, effective May 6.

The Progressive Conservative MLA, Manitoba’s first female premier with previous top cabinet posts while in government, called it “the honour of a lifetime.”

“These roles allowed me to serve Manitobans and help pave the way for future generations of women in public service,” Stefanson told a surprised house during members’ statements Thursday afternoon.

“Thank you, Manitoba, for the opportunity, the responsibility and the honour,” said the 53-year-old.

Stefanson took over as leader of the PCs after former premier Brian Pallister was ousted in 2021. She narrowly defeated former Conservative MP and police officer Shelly Glover in a leadership race, a result unsuccessfully challenged in court. Stefanson was sworn in on Nov. 2, 2021.

She was narrowly re-elected in Tuxedo on Oct. 3, winning what had been considered a “safe” Tory seat by 263 votes out of 9,972 votes cast. On election night, after her PCs were trounced by the NDP, Stefanson announced she was resigning as party leader. In January, the PC caucus chose Wayne Ewasko as interim leader.

A byelection in Tuxedo is to be held within six months.

Stefanson described “challenging times” during her tenure as premier in the midst of a global pandemic and economic hard times. As her family looked on from the gallery, Stefanson said she was proud of her government’s accomplishments, including record economic growth, job creation, tax “relief” and running one of the country’s most successful vaccine programs. She said her government balanced the budget while making historic investments in health care, education and social services.

“We have set the table for success into the future for Manitoba.”

She congratulated Premier Wab Kinew on his “historic legacy” as Manitoba’s first First Nation premier, and wished him well. She said having a strong opposition party is “equally important. I know we have that in our incredible team on this side of the house.”

Ewasko called Stefanson a good friend and thanked her for her years of service.

“Her being elected as the first woman premier was an absolute milestone,” Ewasko told the house.

Kinew applauded Stefanson’s life of service.

“The legacy that she leaves will be defined by her and others but on a personal level, later today I will reread the letter that she left for me on the desk in the premier’s office and reflect on our shared commitment to the people of Manitoba,” he said.

“Thank you, Manitoba, for the opportunity, the responsibility and the honour.”–Heather Stefanson

Stefanson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 2000, when she won the Tuxedo byelection to replace former premier Gary Filmon. She was re-elected in the south Winnipeg riding six times.

She will be remembered as the 24th premier of Manitoba and the first woman on the job — but also as a leader involved in controversy and infighting that led to a court case, veteran political observer Paul Thomas said.

“Her tenure as premier was short and not without problems, some of her own making,” said Thomas, a University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus.

“In fairness, she had to struggle to overcome the legacy of a domineering, ideologically driven predecessor whose austerity crusade to shrink government deepened the problems of the pandemic and the related economic downturn. She inherited a party that was far behind in the polls.”

Brandon University political science Prof. Kelly Saunders agreed.

“I think that would have been tough for anybody no matter who they are,” Saunders said. “She was not really able to move away from that. I really don’t think she was able to put her own stamp on the party or on the caucus or on the cabinet. In terms of her legacy, I think it’s going to be a mixed record in the eyes of many Manitobans.”

After promising to be a different kind of premier than Pallister — to be more conciliatory and reach out to marginalized groups — Stefanson’s election campaign ran on several divisive issues. Those included refusing to search a landfill north of Winnipeg for the remains of two First Nations women police believe are buried there, as well as “parental rights.”

What’s next for Stefanson? “Stay tuned,” she told reporters, using an oft-repeated response she dubbed her “trademark.”

“I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter in life. I do have some irons in the fire and some exciting things coming in the near future. I can’t say what those are but I’m very excited about the next chapter in my life.”

The veteran politician didn’t rule out staying active in the party provincially and federally but said she would never again run for office.

“I am not keeping a foot in the door at all. This is the end of my life in elected politics.”

Stefanson served as justice minister, families minister and health minister during her time in cabinet and was deputy premier under Pallister. She said she takes pride in several accomplishments in cabinet, including family reunification by ending “birth alerts,” the process whereby child welfare authorities would be notified not to let a newborn leave hospital with a parent deemed high risk, and establishing a criminal justice modernization strategy.

“We don’t do this alone. As elected members, we’re only as good as those working with us,” she said.

What she hopes to be remembered for most, though, is “turning things around” after a global pandemic rocked Manitoba’s economy and health-care system.

“We’ve set us in the right direction,” she said, adding she’d also like to be remembered for “paving the way for women in elected politics in our province.”

“I’d like to get more involved in that area — to try and recruit more people and more women in particular into politics. We’ve seen that regress a little bit — not just in Manitoba but across the country and around the world. I think it’s very important that we attract more women to be involved in politics.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca