Theresa Oswald not seeking re-election

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This article was published 27/10/2015 (3918 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Longtime Seine River MLA Theresa Oswald has announced she will not seek re-election next spring.

“Serving the people of Seine River has been a rare privilege and I thank them for their continued support and trust over the past 12 years,” Oswald said in a news release this morning.

“By working with my colleagues in our NDP government, and with MLAs across the aisle at times, we’ve made some real progress on health care and education, while also supporting a strong economy that is creating good job opportunities for families in my community and all across Manitoba.”

Oswald — a former teacher and vice-principal — was first elected in 2003 and was the first NDP MLA to represent the riding. In 2004, then-Premier Gary Doer appointed Oswald as Minister Responsible for Healthy Living, Seniors and Healthy Child Manitoba. In 2006, Oswald became the province’s first female Minister of Health, a portfolio she held for more than seven years.

In 2013, she was promoted to lead the government’s new flagship department of Jobs and the Economy, where she led the introduction of the Rent Assist benefit. She also worked with business, labour and academic leaders on establishing Research Manitoba and drafting a new Innovation Strategy.

Last year, Oswald was one of five former cabinet ministers to challenge Premier Greg Selinger’s leadership, when she ran against him in a leadership contest and lost.   

The provincial election is scheduled for April 19, 2016.

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