PCs win provincial election

Details

Published on Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Eileen Clarke at her campaign headquaters in Gladstone on Tuesday, Apr. 19. Photo property of Alan Gillies GEM Media

By Banner Staff

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

A wave of blue swept across Manitoba on April 19, with Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservative Party taking 40 of the province’s 57 seats in the Legislature, to form government. The NDP, which held 37 seats going into the provincial election came out with just 14 seats. Following the NDP’s defeat, Greg Selinger announced his resignation as party leader.  Within the Banner’s coverage area, two first-time MLAs were elected to their seats.

In the Agassiz Constituency, PC Party candidate Eileen Clarke won the seat with 5,199 votes, representing about 75 per cent of the ballots cast in the riding.  Independent candidate Damian Dempsey finished second with 901 votes, NDP candidate Courtney Lucas received 441 votes and Robert F. Smith received 404 votes.

Clarke said that she was “thrilled, honoured and humbled” by the number of people who supported her at the polls.  Despite the constituency generally electing a PC candidate, Clarke said that she wanted to get out and meet people across the riding. “I lot of people know me, but a lot don’t” she said, adding, “I wanted them to know who they are voting for, to know my commitment to them, the people of Agassiz.”

Each day after campaigning, Clarke said she was excited about the people she met and ideas she learned about from those in the constituency. This also included 14 community coffee meetings, where she sat and talked to constituents.

The NDP had been in power since 1999 and and talking about the change in government, Clarke said, “People wanted something to renew their hope,” adding, “They’ve given the Conservatives a strong mandate, now it’s up to us.”

In the Riding Mountain constituency, PC candidate Greg Nesbitt won his seat with 5,299 votes or approximately 69 per cent of the ballots cast. “I’m humbled by the support…I’m very appreciative,” he said, adding, “When you run a campaign, you hope your message resonates with people”. Nesbitt said he looks forward to working for the people of Riding Mountain. 

After 17 years of the area being represented by an opposition MLA, Nesbitt is especially looking forward to being able to work as a member of government.  He said that they can now fix problems which should have been fixed years ago.

Nesbitt described what it was like to watch the results come in. “I’ve been watching election coverage for 40 years, it was surreal to see myself on TV,” he said.

Nesbitt said that in the next few days following the election, all of the newly elected MLAs would be receiving a call from the party leader and Premier-designate Brian Pallister about the next steps.

For Nesbitt, health care is his number one priority, which is also one shared by the party. The loss of doctors, nurses and medical services effects everyone in a community he noted.

As for the party, Nesbitt said, “I’m so proud of the campaign the PC [Party] ran,” added that he’s also proud of how the leader conducted himself both during the campaign and in his victory speech. 

Across the province, 58.79 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballot.