History repeating itself for PC party

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/01/2024 (594 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was nine years ago, almost to the day. I was interviewing Progressive Conservative Party leader Brian Pallister about his party’s plans as the next provincial election drew closer. I asked him about the challenges he had faced since becoming leader, and the obstacles standing in the way of winning the election.

Without any hesitation, he told me that one of the biggest challenges he had encountered was that he had inherited a caucus full of “experienced losers” who had grown comfortable on the opposition benches.

He said that too many of his Tory MLAs weren’t putting in the effort needed to defeat the NDP. He told me that “all they care about is winning in their home ridings by big margins, but they don’t give a (poop) about what’s happening in the riding beside them.”

He said that needed to change, and that he was pushing his MLAs to meet specific membership sales and fundraising targets. He was also implementing a process that would link each MLA with an unheld riding, in order to help PC candidates in those ridings.

Pallister felt those measures would help, but said it was a challenge to overcome an attitude within his caucus and party that, after four straight election losses to the NDP, had allowed losing to become a habit that was too easily accepted.

That was nine years ago. Fifteen months later, in April of 2016, the Tories won 40 of 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly, which tied them with the 1915 Liberals for the largest majority in Manitoba history.

In 2019, Pallister’s Tories were re-elected with 36 seats. Just four years later, however, with Pallister replaced by Heather Stefanson as PC party leader, the Tories won just 22 seats and were defeated by Wab Kinew’s New Democrats.

All of that is water under the political bridge, but it provides context for understanding the immense challenges faced by today’s Progressive Conservative Party, as it attempts to recover and rebuild from its election defeat and replace Stefanson as leader.

Foremost among those challenges is that the party is in the throes of an identity crisis. Will it become an inclusive and moderate alternative to the NDP, capable of winning seats in Winnipeg, or will it continue to be the party that defiantly ran on a racist, intolerant campaign platform just four months ago?

The answer is far from clear, given that many of the architects of the platform remain active and influential in the party, as if they did nothing wrong and have nothing to apologize for. Sadly, many party supporters agree with them.

The second big obstacle facing the party is its ability to present itself as an ethical, honest alternative to the Kinew government. Former Tory cabinet minister Rochelle Squires has suggested that the festering Sio Silica situation raises issues of corruption.

Conflict of interest commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor is investigating that issue, but the stench of impropriety will hover over the party until there is a full, public resolution and the new PC party leader commits to an ethical standard that would prevent such scandals in a future Tory government.

Who would that leader be? Candidates aren’t lining up for the job.

Kevin Klein and Obby Khan are considering leadership bids, but they each supported the party’s platform in the last election, and vigorously defended that platform when challenged. How can they credibly distance themselves, and the party they hope to lead, from that legacy?

Beyond that, what remains of the PC party they may seek to lead? It is deep in debt, membership numbers have dropped dramatically, and much of the human infrastructure that facilitated day-to-day operations no longer exists.

With all of those challenges, the Manitoba PC Party is facing an existential crisis. It may take years to rebuild itself into a credible contender to form government and, given the damage it has done to its “brand,” that may not even be possible.

History may be repeating itself for the PC Party. Given all the problems the party is facing, and how long it may take to fix them, there is every possibility they will again become the “experienced losers” their former leader described them as.

Deveryn Ross is a political commentator living in Brandon. deverynrossletters@gmail.com X: @deverynross