Berthelette promises to deliver ‘new effort’

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This article was published 15/08/2025 (224 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spruce Woods New Democrat candidate Ray Berthelette stood by an off-colour comment made during a debate this week, saying he has no problem telling people what needs to be said.

Berthelette spoke to the Sun Friday morning, the second Q and A with each candidate ahead of the Aug. 26 byelection.

At Wednesday evening’s debate in Souris, Berthelette used his one rebuttal to argue on Liberal candidate Stephen Reid’s opening remarks.

“When he’s telling you that he’s going to make changes, it’s blowing it right out of his ass,” he said at the time.

“I’m a parent, former correctional officer, former union advocate, and my reputation has always been if something needs to be said, I have no problem saying it,” he said Friday morning.

Berthelette said he thought he did “average” for a first-time debater.

He said he thinks his chances of winning the seat are “getting better every day.”

“We started from about 3,000 votes behind. We relentlessly knocked on doors, talked to people, attended functions and brought energy to the constituency that has lacked representation for years.”

Berthelette said he brings experience from a variety of different areas, including with a union, as a correctional officer, and having worked for Glen Simard, the minister of municipal and northern relations and Brandon East MLA.

“People should vote for me because I am new. I’ve been around for many years in the background, but I’m going to bring a new effort to the constituency,” the candidate said.

“I’m going to continue to knock on doors, talk to people, meet with councils, do the case management pieces that need to be done. That’s what I’ve done all my life, and people can see that I’m a frank, understanding, compassionate person that is easy to talk to.”

Berthelette, who lives on Brandon’s North Hill, said he has a great relationship with the City of Brandon, which will translate well into office. He said he’s not worried about representing the city because of that, and will continue door-knocking so he can properly represent the rural parts of the riding.

“I’m not worried at all on how to represent Brandon,” Berthelette said. “I’ll be still knocking on doors in the rural areas. So, I don’t really believe you would address (certain areas) any different. You represent everybody as an MLA.”

He said along with representation for the riding, the most important things he can do is talk to the health and infrastructure ministers after he’s elected to campaign for better roads and health care.

“I would go there with the idea that … these are what we need,” he said. “And I can be persistent. I have a reputation of being persistent with the government in my present role, and I’m not going to stop being persistent.”

He said the NDP has a good team of MLAs, which will make it easier to talk to about the riding’s issues.

Berthelette faces Progressive Conservative candidate Colleen Robbins and Liberal Stephen Reid in the byelection. All three are rookies on the ballot.

Advanced polls open today.

» alambert@brandonsun.com