Manitoba policy group springs forward onto political landscape
'Regular Manitobans don't feel like they have a voice,' says executive director of Manitoba Forward
A new right-of-centre policy group is popping up in Manitoba and its main agenda is to give "regular Manitobans" a voice and combat the work of big unions in the province.
David Shorr, executive director of Manitoba Forward, said group membership is currently sitting at around 100 people and is made up of disenfranchised civil servants and business owners.
“Regular Manitobans don't feel like they have a voice and that's where we've come to be," said Shorr.
And though the group is still in its infancy, it’s already experienced differences in opinion between members over the role it should serve.
Todd Dube with the drivers advocate group WiseUp Winnipeg quit. At one point he wanted it to be a political party.
"Manitoba needed another political party, a fresh political party rather than just be a group of well-intentioned advocates," said Dube.
Chris Adams, a political scientist and professor at the University of Manitoba, said policy ideas like liberalized liquor control give Manitoba Forward the mark of the province’s first umbrella group pushing a conservative agenda.
"You can bet the Progressive Conservatives are going to try and take advantage of this situation, that they'll be able to see there are people out there supporting their perspectives," said Adams. "This is really the only umbrella group that represents and articulates—outside of a political party—the right wing."
Shorr, a former Manitoba Liberal party member and a current card-carrying Liberal, maintained the group isn't only attracting conservative supporters.
"NDP has been in power for too long and it’s time for a change in government," said Shorr.
The group’s lobbying efforts will ramp up toward the 2016 election. Television ads against Premier Greg Selinger launch next week.