Bill Blaikie was elected to the Manitoba legislature from the Elmwood constituency, effectively swapping places with federal MP Jim Maloway. NDP candidate Frank Whitehead won in The Pas, replacing the late Oscar Lathlin. Story here.
The NDP won both seats easily, collecting almost 54% in Elmwood and a whopping 75% in The Pas. The Tories edged the Liberals for second in Elmwood, while the Grits got an embarrassing single-digit finish in The Pas.
Here's a hilarious excerpt from the Free Press story:
Meanwhile, Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen took solace in the fact that the NDP’s margin of victory in Elmwood was lower than in past elections.
The NDP have won more than 60 per cent of the vote in the constituency for at least the past three elections until its "dramatic slide" to just above 50 per cent Tuesday night, he said.
"Clearly there’s a pretty dramatic shift against the NDP, certainly in Elmwood, and it’s consistent with what we’re seeing across the city of Winnipeg," McFadyen said.
Yeah, that's it, Hughie. There was a "dramatic slide" from 61 to 54 percent, in a by-election where turnout was bad and where the government party always does worse. Yep, a few more "dramatic slides" like that, and you just might be Premier by 2025! What a tool.
This is a prime example of why the Tories are not going to win power anytime soon - they've got a bunch of middle schoolers running the show. Hugh tries to talk tough and "claim victory", and comes across sounding like an idiot. Here's what a professional would have said:
"I congratulate Bill Blaikie and Frank Whitehead on their wins tonight. Frankly, we knew we were in for an uphill battle in these seats, and so while we are disappointed, we are not particularly surprised by the outcome. I do want to say that I am very, very proud of Adrian Shultz and Edna Nabess, who worked very hard and put a lot of energy and effort into their campaigns. They are committed to their communities, they are great candidates and would be great MLAs. I hope they will continue to contribute to public life and to our party. The PC members in Elmwood and The Pas should be proud of the campaigns they ran, and I look forward to taking the fight to Gary Doer and the NDP in the next general election. If we keep working hard together, we will elect a Conservative government. Thank you."