WINNIPEG – The word underdog doesn’t usually get thrown around by a sitting Premier, but that’s what Greg Selinger admitted his party was Friday night.
Selinger spoke at the first day of the provincial NDP convention. Surprisingly, he addressed the Christine Melnick ousting from caucus near the top of his speech, speaking volumes to how unprecedented this past week was.
“This week I had to make a tough decision from caucus and we did it after consulting with caucus,” said Selinger during his speech. “They supported that decision and I know it hasn’t been easy on any of us in this room.”
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Selinger did go on to say the reason for her removal was to re-focus their party and government. He also spent much of the speech talking about how his government has improved health care, education, and how he has plans to consult other provinces to expand Canada’s Pension Plan.
He also took swings at Tory leader Brian Pallister and called him a threat.
“There’s no question his plan to cut services, create two tier health care, his plan to vote against work place safety and cancel projects to improve the infrastructure in the province are not good for the future so we have to be fighters and work hard everyday,” said Selinger.
Later Selinger spoke to media and addressed his government’s sagging poll numbers.
“You know we’ve been behind before, we’ve been done it before but we’ve fought our way back and we can do it again and we will do it again,”
“So you’re underdogs?” asked a reporter. “Yeah, that’s what you’re telling me.”
Manitoba’s next provincial election is still at least a year and a half away and poll numbers can change very quickly. Just remember what happened in Alberta in 2012 after the Wildrose party was defeated despite being favourites — and most recently in in British Columbia, where the BC Liberals were 20 points down before shocking everyone and winning a 4th straight election last May.
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