Blaikie to become adviser to Kinew
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/02/2024 (612 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WINNIPEG — Premier Wab Kinew has hired Daniel Blaikie as a senior adviser to his government, calling it a “win for Manitoba.”
The NDP MP for Elmwood-Transcona will step down at the end of March and take on the role of adviser on intergovernmental issues.
“Daniel Blaikie is an honest broker who has a reputation of being respected on all sides of the House. He brings a Transcona work ethic to his job, meaning he works hard, is focused on the people and gets things done,” Kinew said in a statement Wednesday.
“He’ll help us build relationships with other governments, with a special focus on deepening the relationship with the federal government to get what the best for Manitobans.”
Blaikie, the finance critic for the NDP in Ottawa said he is resigning from federal politics to spend more time in Winnipeg with his family.
He was first elected in 2015, recapturing the seat from the Conservatives, and won again in 2019 and 2021.
“It’s been an honour to be a part of the federal NDP caucus, and now I have the privilege of joining Premier Kinew’s team in Manitoba,” the MP said in a news release Wednesday.
Listing the highlights of his time in Parliament, the release said Blaikie “stood up for workers, strong collective bargaining rights and fair, secure pensions.” It also said he “fought for a major expansion of affordable, non-market housing in Canada” and “contributed to establishing Canada’s new dental care plan” while pushing for progress toward a pharmacare plan.
The news release implies family reasons were a factor in Blaikie’s decision.
“As someone who became a father and an MP around the same time, one of the things I learned during the pandemic was how much it means to me to spend more time at home with my family while our kids are young,” he said.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he wishes his fellow caucus member well.
“I know his family will be very happy to have him closer to home as he continues to take on this important work in his new role,” Singh said in the same release.
Elmwood-Transcona, formerly called Winnipeg-Transcona, was won by either Blaikie or his father, the late Bill Blaikie, in nine of 11 elections. Bill Blaikie served in Parliament, initially in another riding, from 1979 to 2008.
In total, either Daniel Blaikie or his father were in Parliament for about 38 of the past 45 years. Like his son, Bill Blaikie also entered Manitoba politics after being as an MP. He became an NDP MLA in Manitoba a few months after leaving the House of Commons.
» Winnipeg Free Press