The drama is all but unprecedented in Canadian provincial politics: A sitting premier, deserted by most of his own staff, competing in a leadership contest against two erstwhile members of his own cabinet.
“If you wrote a script like this for House of Cards,” one of those challengers said, “nobody would believe it.”
Steve Ashton may have been exaggerating slightly, given the lack of sex and violence in the mess that has overtaken Manitoba’s ruling New Democrats. Then again, with this weekend’s leadership convention yet to kick off, there is still time.
Having suffered through a grim few years nationally, in which they lost power in Nova Scotia and missed chances to win it in British Columbia and Ontario, New Democrats are unlikely to be entertained by the way their only government in the country is tearing itself apart. For everyone else, it offers a case study in what happens when an attempt to follow a recent trend in provincial politics goes horribly wrong.
Manitoba New Democrats saw how governing parties in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta benefited in recent years from replacing their leaders. So they thought the sensible response to dismal poll numbers was to have someone new take over from Greg Selinger.
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The careful shuffling of Manitoba NDP’s house of cards - The Globe and Mail
“If you wrote a script like this for House of Cards,” one of those challengers said, “nobody would believe it.”
Steve Ashton may have been exaggerating slightly, given the lack of sex and violence in the mess that has overtaken Manitoba’s ruling New Democrats. Then again, with this weekend’s leadership convention yet to kick off, there is still time.
Having suffered through a grim few years nationally, in which they lost power in Nova Scotia and missed chances to win it in British Columbia and Ontario, New Democrats are unlikely to be entertained by the way their only government in the country is tearing itself apart. For everyone else, it offers a case study in what happens when an attempt to follow a recent trend in provincial politics goes horribly wrong.
Manitoba New Democrats saw how governing parties in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta benefited in recent years from replacing their leaders. So they thought the sensible response to dismal poll numbers was to have someone new take over from Greg Selinger.
more
The careful shuffling of Manitoba NDP’s house of cards - The Globe and Mail