Bruinooge takes a pass on provincial Tory race
MP decides to stay in Ottawa
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2012 (5263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeg South MP Rod Bruinooge has decided his future belongs on Parliament Hill.
After weeks of discussions with his family and key supporters, Bruinooge has decided against taking a run at the Manitoba Progressive Conservative leadership.
“I’m very happy in the position I’m in,” he said Thursday, adding he’s pleased with the accomplishments and direction of the Harper government.
Hugh McFadyen’s decision to resign as leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives after the party’s poor showing in last fall’s provincial election has created a tantalizing opportunity for ambitious Tories. The party will choose a new leader Oct. 27.
Several prominent Manitobans have already let it be known that they are weighing a bid for the leadership and the chance to become premier one day. That group includes Tuxedo MLA Heather Stefanson, former MP and provincial cabinet minister Brian Pallister and Jerry Cianflone, founder of the Pizza Hotline and Cafe 22 chains.
Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, the Tory justice critic, also confirmed Thursday that he is giving the leadership some thought.
“I’m taking a look at it,” the 42-year-old MLA said, adding he will likely announce his decision around mid-February. He’s served in the legislature since 2003.
With the leadership convention more than nine months away, it’s unlikely many potential candidates will confirm they’re running before the end of next month.
Most of the potential candidates for the party leadership, including Goertzen, have young children. The time commitment expected of a major party leader is considerable.
“I think anybody who runs needs to look at this as a 12-year commitment. So that’s something I need to consider, too,” said Goertzen, who has a son in kindergarten. In a dozen years, his child will be graduating from high school.
“It’s a big chunk of a person’s life,” Goertzen said Thursday. “That’s part of the reason why I think it’s taking longer for people to maybe announce (their candidacy) than some might like.”
Bruinooge, who has two young children, said family concerns also were a factor in his decision to stay with his current job. He said being the provincial party leader would take him away from his family even more than serving as an MP in Ottawa.
But when the opportunity to lead the provincial party arose, Bruinooge said: “I thought perhaps I should give it an honest look, and that’s what I did.”
McFadyen has said he will carry on as leader until his successor is chosen this fall.
larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca