WINNIPEG — The premier isn’t answering any media questions about how he will run for the NDP leadership while running the province.
“We’ll do our announcements at a separate time, at a separate place,” Greg Selinger said after the Remembrance Day Service at the RBC Convention Centre. “With respect to any other matters, this is a government event and I am here as the premier of the province and anything relating to party matters will be at another time.”
Selinger has not made himself available to answer media questions since shuffling his cabinet Nov. 3.
“I have been making statements and you have seen my press statements,” Selinger told reporters. “When I am in a government role, I strictly will stay with that.”
Selinger issued a statement Monday that said: “It’s time to put this question of leadership into a democratic arena where I’m ready, willing and able to show why I was elected leader of the party by our members and elected premier by Manitoba voters.”
Selinger said in the statement that he would like to have the leadership vote during the NDP convention at the beginning of March.
It is still not clear who will run against the premier.
There is speculation among political scientists that Andrew Swan could be a contender.
Swan openly questioned Selinger’s leadership in October, along with Theresa Oswald, Stan Struthers, Jennifer Howard and Erin Selby.
All five resigned from cabinet but have remained NDP MLAs.
Andrew Swan would not rule out running against the premier when he was asked following a Remembrance Day service in his constituency.
“The five of us, we all spoke together and resigned from cabinet together,” Swan said. “We do speak for many others in cabinet and caucus and within the New Democratic Party. I don’t think anyone is going to say anything until we have a chance to hear what the party executive has put in place.”
Swan previously was the province’s justice minister.
“In the very short term, I am the MLA for Minto,” he said. “In the longer term, I guess we’ll see where things go.”
The NDP executive has called an emergency meeting for Saturday to sort out how a leadership contest would work.
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