McFadyen launches verbal attack on Doer

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This article was published 18/05/2007 (6960 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen launched a bitter verbal attack on Premier Gary Doer Friday, calling him “desperate” and a “liar” who will do anything to get elected.

It came just over 24 hours after a Free Press/Probe poll showed Manitoba voters aren’t that taken with McFadyen and will likely return Doer to the premier’s office on Tuesday. And McFadyen’s rant had political pundits believing he and his party might be buckling under the pressure.

“You can tell they’re really frustrated and angry,” said University of Manitoba politics professor Kim Speers.

Doer’s popularity has been an issue for the Tories from the outset of the campaign and much of the NDP’s campaign strategy is built around the leader.

Some Tory and Liberal candidates have said they know they have NDP opponents in their ridings, but in reality, they’re all running against Doer.

As such, McFadyen’s pointed attack on Doer included an accusation he will cut and run from the premier’s office as soon as he can. Voters, said McFadyen, should be aware that if they vote for Doer, they won’t have him for premier for an entire term.

“It will be IOUs to pay off the unions and then he’ll bail,” McFadyen said.

Before McFadyen’s attack, Doer addressed the question of his future plans twice this week – once on radio and once to the Free Press editorial board. He said both times he will serve out his entire mandate as premier.

In the past, Doer has been highly critical of MLAs, including former Tory Leader Stuart Murray, and his own former intergovernmental affairs minister MaryAnn Mihychuk, who don’t serve out their full term.

McFadyen also attacked Doer Friday for making “desperate” and “pathetic” promises, like expanding the Southdale community centre, and said he is “Howard Pawley in slow motion.”

He said Pawley, the last NDP premier in Manitoba, put Manitoba into the brink of financial ruin in two terms and Doer will do it in three.

He also said one of the only reasons Doer wants to be re-elected is to avoid an inquiry into the Crocus Investment Fund, because “at the end of that Crocus inquiry there are a number of people who are going to have to retain lawyers.”

Doer did some name-calling of his own Friday, referring to McFadyen as “Mr. Reckless” and Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard as “Dr. Fantasy.”

But in contrast to McFadyen’s pursed lips and angry tone, Doer was relaxed and jovial. He chose not to respond to McFadyen’s outburst.

McFadyen said he doesn’t stoop to name-calling and tried to suggest his party has run a positive campaign.

He brushed off the fact his party has been running negative attack ads against Doer since last fall, and that he called Doer a “chicken” and a “liar” several times just this week.

“I jokingly made such a reference,” said McFadyen. “It was light-hearted. I don’t believe in name-calling.”

Speers said the poll results this week “probably sucked the wind out of the Conservative camp” and left McFadyen a little more emotional than he has been to this point.

“He was probably wearing his heart on his sleeve,” said Speers.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca