Tory ranks dwindle ahead of election

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/01/2023 (622 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In hockey, there are few instances that capture an audience’s imagination as much as the emergency backup goaltender.

In case a team runs out of healthy, professional goalies at their disposal, each home team carries a list of potential emergency goalies in the nearby area — former junior players and college athletes, for example — who can be brought out when needed to fill a vacancy between the pipes.

The thrill for the observer is that with a complete unknown playing at the sport’s highest level, there is opportunity for the emergency goalie to obtain the ultimate underdog accomplishment of winning a game at the professional level.

That happened when Toronto Maple Leafs’ employee David Ayres beat his own team when put into action for the Carolina Hurricanes during a game last year.

The other potential scenario is the newcomer is completely outclassed.

Over the last several weeks, so many sitting Progressive Conservative MLAs have revealed their impending departures from politics that the Tories will have a tough time replacing the lost experience.

The most recent retirement announcement came Thursday, when former cabinet minister Cathy Cox declared she would not be running for re-election.

Others such as deputy premier Cliff Cullen, Speaker Myrna Driedger as well as first-time minister Alan Lagimodiere also recently said they’ll be hanging up their skates for the next election. They join Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke and MLAs Ralph Eichler, Ian Wishart, Blaine Pedersen and Dennis Smook in their exit from provincial politics.

Some, like Driedger, have more than two decades of experience. Cullen has served as Premier Heather Stefanson’s right-hand man since her leadership campaign, being one of the first Tory MLAs to declare his support for her.

Earlier last year, former finance minister Scott Fielding retired to take a job in the private sector. That makes 10 departures for the Tories in the last year, more than a quarter of their 36-member complement in the legislature.

One more could be added to that tally, as sources have told the Sun that Brandon West MLA Reg Helwer is considering retirement from his position as well.

The Sun has tried to reach Helwer since last Friday for an interview about his political future, but we have yet to hear back. However, as of press time, we didn’t have any official indication of whether he’s staying or going.

None of these politicians have said out loud they’re leaving because they don’t believe in Stefanson’s administration, but as an observer it’s hard to believe in a team that doesn’t seem to believe in itself.

As writer Dan Lett pointed out in Thursday’s Winnipeg Free Press, a dozen NDP MLAs pulled the plug on their political careers in the year before the 2016 election when their party lost power in dramatic fashion.

Lett stated his sources within the party told him Stefanson set an early January deadline for MLAs to decide on their future with the party, which was corroborated by the Sun’s political columnist, Deveryn Ross.

The premier and those sticking around to run in 2023 can continue to say they’ll form the next government. However, actions speak louder than words — and the handful of MLAs who’ve announced their exit are certainly making a lot of noise.

The Tories have made spending announcements left and right to buoy their popularity, but Manitobans want firm results, especially in relation to health care.

This isn’t to say the party’s defeat is assured. There could be a scandal that benefits them between now and the election, polling could be inaccurate or the Liberals and NDP could split the vote sufficiently to give the Tories a path to victory.

Despite winning the last two elections handily, it very much appears the Tories are not the favourites to win. They will have to scour the minor leagues and their emergency lists to find qualified candidates with a chance of winning.

What’s left now is to see whether they can pull out that underdog victory or if the opposition routs them.

With every resignation or retirement, the chances at the latter only increase. There’s little doubt in our minds that we’ll be hearing about more in the very near future.