Partisanship trumps bad blood: Selinger will vote for Selby on Monday

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This article was published 15/10/2015 (3621 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s not quite a formal endorsement, but Premier Greg Selinger is backing erstwhile enemy Erin Selby in Monday’s federal election.

As the former NDP MLA for Southdale, Selby was one of five Selinger cabinet ministers to spark last fall’s caucus revolt, which snowballed into a party leadership review the premier barely survived.

This fall, she’s the NDP candidate in the federal riding of Saint Boniface-Saint Vital.

Selinger, a resident of the riding, said he intends to vote for Selby on Monday.

“I’ll be voting for my party,” the premier said Thursday following a funding announcement at the Manitoba Museum. He did not mention Selby by name.

This also means Selinger will be voting against a friend, former St. Boniface councillor Dan Vandal, the Liberal candidate in Saint Boniface-Saint Vital.

“Premier Selinger has no choice. He is leading by example,” Vandal said in an email statement. “And he is a very forgiving soul!”

Selby, for her part, suggested there is no longer any bad blood between the two politicians.

“I spoke with the premier when I was making the decision to run and he was very supportive then,” she said in a Twitter message.

With the federal Liberals leading in the latest polls, Selinger declined to comment on whether a Justin Trudeau-led government would change the dynamic of Manitoba-Ottawa relations.

“I don’t think we should speculate right now. The election is obviously one that’s hotly contested all across the country. Let’s see the result and take it from there,” Selinger said.

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The end of the federal campaign will make way for the resumption of the fourth session of the fortieth Manitoba Legislature.

On Tuesday, MLAs will return to the house, where they will sit for 11 days over the next three weeks.

“There are many bills that we want to get completed,” said Selinger, referring to legislation governing the likes of electronic cigarettes and City of Winnipeg whistleblower protection.

The Legislature will take a break for the week that includes Remembrance Day and then return on Nov. 16.

Selinger said there will be a throne speech for the new session, but declined to reveal the date.