End NDP ‘circus’: Pallister

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This article was published 07/03/2015 (4037 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s time for the NDP’s leadership “circus” to end and some governing to begin, Opposition Leader Brian Pallister says.

“Ringling Brothers have decided that they can change. They’ve decided to no longer use elephants in their circus, yet the NDP is still using dinosaur ideas, such as vote-buying, completing ballots for people without their knowledge, offering free lunches and these types of things,” Pallister said Friday, referring to some of the allegations made during the 11-week NDP leadership campaign.

The Conservative leader spoke to reporters Friday as the NDP’s three-day annual convention was set to begin in Winnipeg. The governing party will select a leader on Sunday. Premier Greg Selinger is being challenged for his job by former cabinet ministers Theresa Oswald and Steve Ashton.

“We’ve seen a political organization that’s in free fall,” Pallister said of the NDP, winners of four straight majority governments but now lagging well back of the Tories in the polls and in grave danger of being kicked out of office in next spring’s election. “It’s caught in the past, and most importantly, it’s putting itself ahead of the best interests of Manitobans.”

He said for the past four months, while the NDP has wrestled with the leadership issue, the business of government has languished.

During the leadership campaign, the three candidates brought forward “no significant ideas” on how to reduce hospital wait times, improve the quality of education for young people, grow the economy or reduce wasteful government spending, the Tory leader said.

“These are the major issues Manitobans believe are priorities,” he said.

Pallister was also critical of the NDP’s delegate system for choosing leaders and its provisions for unions to be handed large voting blocs. Without mentioning organized labour specifically, he said: “The real say belongs with four or five people in a backroom somewhere, and that’s who’s going to determine the outcome of this leadership race — not the people of Manitoba, not even the members of the New Democratic Party.”

The Conservative leader wouldn’t hazard a guess as to who might emerge as the NDP leader following four months of turmoil that have divided the governing party.

“I think Manitobans will be relieved,” he said. “It’s almost like an accident scene… you can’t avert your eyes, but you know that there is damage done. You know that there is hurt happening.”