Another NDPer says Premier Greg Selinger has to go

WINNIPEG – Premier Greg Selinger got out of the capital Wednesday but he couldn’t get away from the calls from within his own party to resign.

Clarence Petterson, the NDP member for Flin Flon, told the premier during a visit to the northern city that he has to go.

“I have a lot of respect for Premier Selinger but I think it’s important he resign immediately for the good of the people of Manitoba,” Petterson told 680 CJOB’s Richard Cloutier in a telephone interview Thursday morning.

That brings to six the number of NDP MLAs who have either openly called for the premier to step down, or strongly hinted that he should consider it. Petterson is the first backbencher to do it.

Five senior cabinet ministers spoke out Monday and Tuesday, prompting Selinger to hold a news conference late in the day Tuesday to insist he is staying on and plans to lead the NDP into the next election. Another cabinet minister, Tourism Culture and Sport Minister Ron Lemieux, didn’t repeat the call for Selinger to resign, but stopped short of saying his decision to stay on was the correct one, during an interview Wednesday.

READ MORE: Cabinet minister says she won’t resign after criticizing Selinger

Another top NDP party official also added Wednesday to calls for Selinger’s ouster.

Darlene Dziewit, a long time party member and current senior strategist, voiced her support for the dissident cabinet ministers.

It’s still unclear what comes next for Manitoba’s governing party. Selinger said “all options are on the table” regarding possible consequences for the disloyal members of his caucus. But so far none have been fired from their cabinet portfolios, and Wednesday all five stayed out of sight.

Justice Minister Andrew Swan, Health Minister Erin Selby, Jobs and Economy Minister Theresa Oswald, Finance Minister Jennifer Howard and Municipal Government Minister Stan Struthers are unlikely to be able to continue in the cabinet unless they publicly voice their support for Selinger, which none has done so far.

The NDP dissidents have said the party that’s been in power since 1999 is languishing in the polls and unlikely to win another election with Selinger at the helm due to his personal unpopularity.