Brandon Tories applaud Ewasko appointment

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This article was published 19/01/2024 (1003 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s two rookie Progressive Conservative MLAs signalled their approval over Wayne Ewasko’s appointment as the party’s new interim leader.

Both Spruce Woods MLA Grant Jackson and Brandon West MLA Wayne Balcaen said Ewasko has been helpful to them as they adjust to their first terms in the Manitoba legislature.

Ewasko was named party leader by caucus members on Thursday and takes on the role of official Opposition leader until the PCs hold a leadership convention, expected this fall.

Former premier Heather Stefanson, who announced she would be stepping down as leader after her party’s defeat in the Oct. 3 election, officially resigned from the role on Monday. She remains the MLA for Tuxedo.

“I’m extremely honoured to have been chosen by our PC caucus team to lead them going into the leadership race for our Progressive Conservative Party,” Ewasko told reporters in his new office at the Manitoba legislature.

The Lac du Bonnet MLA was first elected in 2011 and held cabinet posts under both Stefanson and former premier Brian Pallister, most recently serving as education and early childhood learning minister.

Ewasko said he let his name stand for interim leader following discussions with his family about taking on the high-profile job. He has not ruled out joining the PC leadership race later this year.

A date for a leadership convention will be announced in the coming weeks, Ewasko said, but it is expected to be held in October or early November.

In the meantime, the priority is to reset the relationship and rebuild trust with Manitobans after being reduced to 22 seats in the Oct. 3 general election while also holding the NDP government accountable when the legislative session resumes in March, Ewasko said.

The interim leader characterized the party’s dismal election result and the NDP’s 34-seat majority as self-inflicted. The party will be taking a “deep dive” into the campaign and its decision-making process to hopefully avoid a repeat of its mistakes in the future, he said.

“I strongly feel that the NDP didn’t actually win it — I think we lost it,” Ewasko said.

The PC campaign was roundly criticized for its far-right undertones, fixation on NDP Leader Wab Kinew’s criminal past and its opposition to searching the Prairie Green Landfill for the bodies of two slain Indigenous women.

“There are a few things that we need to rebuild at the party, reset and again with Manitobans in general, we need to rebuild that trust with them,” Ewasko said. “That’s really important moving forward — making sure that we start to make sure that that groundwork is done so that when the new leader comes in, they’re not having to start right from scratch.”

By phone, Jackson said he was “very excited” by the choice.

“I think as an individual, he is a thoughtful, decent, good person, a great listener and a unifier,” Jackson said. “In my short time in our caucus, I have seen that Wayne is the type of person that brings people together.”

Jackson said he hoped Ewasko would hold the new NDP government to account as Opposition leader and would lay a good foundation for whenever the next permanent leader assumes the role.

By contrast, Balcaen said he hoped Ewasko could help rebuild some relationships after the party’s recent electoral losses. Though he didn’t want to be specific, the former Brandon police chief said there was room for improvement and referenced “strategies” that need to be revisited.

The Tories’ use of ads referencing their government’s decision not to search the Prairie Green Landfill was controversial and has generated a human rights complaint from one of the victims’ daughters.

“I see (Ewasko) as the ‘progressive’ part of ‘Progressive Conservative,’” Balcaen said in a separate interview.

“I really think Wayne is good for that. He’s got lots of government experience, including ministerial experience, and he knows how governments operate. So I believe all around he’s a fantastic choice for our party.”

Both Brandon MLAs put cold water on the idea of their own leadership bids. Balcaen said he didn’t want to close any doors, but he’s not actively considering a run right now, while Jackson said his current focus is on serving the residents of his constituency.

Jackson did, however, voice his approval for changes to the leadership election process that party members approved last weekend

Last month, former PC cabinet ministers Rochelle Squires and Kevin Klein alleged that Red River North MLA Jeff Wharton had pressured them to approve the Sio Silica mining project near Vivian at Stefanson’s behest during the caretaker period between the election and the swearing-in of the new government.

Asked if the issue, which the NDP has referred to Manitoba’s ethics commissioner, would distract from the party accomplishing its goals during the upcoming legislative session, Balcaen said he knows the Tories will abide by the commissioner’s findings while Jackson declined to comment while the matter is under consideration by the commissioner.

— with files from Danielle Da Silva

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