Manitoba NDP make flurry of Westman funding announcements prior to area byelection
At least $334M announced or reannounced by premier, cabinet as clock ticks down to Spruce Woods byelection
Premier Wab Kinew and members of his cabinet have made a flurry of cabinet appearances and funding announcements in southwestern Manitoba in advance of a byelection in Spruce Woods, a vacant electoral district in the region, that must be held by mid-September.
Since May, Kinew or members of his cabinet have made five southwestern Manitoba appearances where they have announced or reannounced at least $334 million worth of operating or capital funds for the province.
Another announcement is planned for Thursday in Brandon, where Justice Minister Matt Wiebe is slated to speak about public safety.
Kinew on Wednesday nonetheless dismissed the idea the funding announcements and appearances are connected to the pending byelection in Spruce Woods, which has been without a representative in the Manitoba Legislature since March 29, when Progressive Conservative MLA Grant Jackson resigned to run for federal office.
"I think there's much, much bigger questions that we should be entertaining these days" than those about the byelection, Kinew said during a Wednesday funding announcement at Brandon University.
Kelly Saunders, a political scientist at the university, questioned the timing of the NDP funding announcements in southwestern Manitoba given a looming deadline to call a byelection in Spruce Woods, a conservative constituency that includes towns and rural areas around the city of Brandon.
"We are heading into a byelection at some point. It has to be held by September, and to see this flurry of activity and announcements, I think, will raise some questions in some voters' minds," said Saunders, who nonetheless said the projects and programs slated to receive more provincial funds are needed in the region.
The Spruce Woods byelection must be called by the middle of August and held by Sept. 16.
As of Wednesday, 109 days have elapsed since Jackson resigned the seat, which has only elected PC representatives since its formation.
For months, PC Leader Obby Khan has implored Kinew to call the Spruce Woods byelection, noting the premier waited only 43 days to call a byelection in Tuxedo and 63 in vacant Transcona — two Winnipeg ridings the NDP went on to win.
In a statement Wednesday, Khan accused Kinew of "playing political games and trying to buy votes," referring to the flurry of NDP funding announcements in Brandon and Spruce Woods.
"Manitobans can't be bought with empty promises. Elections are about democracy, not about the premier trying to circumvent democracy and give himself an edge," said Khan.
Earlier this month, Kinew suggested he was waiting to call the Spruce Woods byelection until his party is more competitive in what has been a safe PC seat.
"I don't know if everyone in the province knows what I'm like, but there's no freebies with me," Kinew said in Winnipeg on July 4.
"I want to put a serious effort forward in the Spruce Woods byelection. I'm speaking now as a leader of the Manitoba NDP. I want our team out there canvassing. I want our team out there contesting. I want us in the communities that have never put up an NDP sign before in southwestern Manitoba to talk to our canvassers and to hear our plan."
On Wednesday, the premier said the PCs used to dither on byelection calls, and questioned the need to call a byelection promptly.
"What's the rush?" he asked a Brandon Sun reporter, who responded that voters in the constituency don't currently have a voice in the legislature.
"Well, I'm your premier," Kinew said. "What would you like me to do?"
The NDP has not identified its nominee for the forthcoming byelection, though Kinew stated he knows the identity of that candidate.
The PCs have nominated longtime party volunteer Colleen Robbins, a Souris resident, while the Liberals have nominated educator Stephen Reid.
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