Election Preview at Manitoba NDP Convention
-by John Doyle
It was a vintage, barn burner of an election-style speech from Gary Doer, at his fiery best, that set the tone for the 2007 NDP Convention in Winnipeg from February 2 to 4. No Tory sin was too small to escape the Premier's notice during his Saturday morning speech that had delegates leaping to their feet to applaud time after time, applauding Gary Doer's nearly every utterance.
He reminded delegates of the duplicity of the Tories when they vowed not to sell MTS, one of the few publicly owned telephone companies left in Canada at the time, and within months of being elected did just that at a fire-sale price. He pointed out that's what Conservative leader Hugh McFadyen, the architect of the MTS sale, is saying right now about Manitoba Hydro and predicted the publicly owned utility will be sold off to private business if the Tories are ever elected to form another government in Manitoba.
It was the kind of speech that has made Premier Doer probably the best known and best respected provincial leader on the national scene today.
"Are you ready?" was the cue for delegates to prepare to hear what will undoubtedly be one of the NDP planks in the next provincial election campaign expected in the next few months. "Are You Ready To Fight For..."
- a strong Health Care system
- a Clean Environment
- Aboriginal rights and the Kelowna Accord
- a National non-profit Child Care program
- to protect Manitoba Hydro utility
- the Canadian Wheat Board
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One of the most vivid mental pictures painted by Gary came when he characterized federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl as the "Alberta centric organ grinder" and Hugh McFadyen and the Manitoba Tories as "Alberta centric monkeys." Strahl's ongoing attacks on the Canadian Wheat Board, Canada's farmer-controlled single grain marketing desk, and McFadyen's complicity is sure to be front and centre when Manitobans go to the election polls again, whether it's a provincial or a federal election. The Tory slogan could be "no lawyer left behind" and the NDP motto could well be "No Manitoban left behind."
Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton under-scored that message later in the day when he told delegates that this year’s elections come at a unique moment in Canada's history. Canadians are demanding effective action on the environment and New Democrats have the only effective strategy to deliver it. Layton applauded new Democrats in Manitoba for leading the way in Canada on the environment. He said many groups have identified the Doer government as the best regional government in the world for doing this.
Layton said, "It's not just Manitoba that needs Gary Doer, Canada needs him."
MFL President Darlene Dziewit (right) led a strong contingent of labour delegates at the convention, putting forward compelling arguments to pave the way for the adoption of resolutions dealing with:
- Better training programs for aboriginal workers
- Better union certification laws
- Public private partnerships and how they are bad public policy
- A February statutory holiday
- Part-time worker benefits
- Anti-scab legislation
- Better asbestos regulations
Labour supplied strong support for a wide variety of other resolutions, including a return to delegate-based leadership conventions. The measure was adopted by more than the required two-thirds majority of convention delegates after they heard compelling arguments about the abuses under one member-one vote systems that have surfaced elsewhere in North America.
Long time MFL Executive Council member Gordie Landriault (left) was awarded the Stanley Knowles Labour Solidarity Award by MFL President Darlene Dziewit. Gord has served as a representative of the International Wood Workers and the United Steelworkers for more than 25 years. With the award, the Party recognizes the many contributions made by Brother Landriault to both the Party and his community. Congratulations Brother, you earned this recognition ten times over.