Manitoba NDP says Shelly Glover campaign reached out to try and 'takedown' PC leadership race rival

NDP Leader Wab Kinew speaks during question period in the Manitoba Legislature on Wed., April 7, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin King - POOL

WINNIPEG -

Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew says the campaign for Shelly Glover reached out to his party to try to "takedown" Heather Stefanson in the Progressive Conservative Party’s leadership race.

"The Glover campaign reached out to the NDP a week ago to try and use us for a takedown of the campaign being run by the member for Tuxedo," Kinew said during Question Period on Thursday.

Glover and Stefanson are currently running to become the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party in Manitoba and the next premier of the province.

Kinew added the Glover campaign gave the NDP "compromising" information against Stefanson's campaign and they have the evidence to prove it.

"We call on the Glover campaign to explain to PC party members why they are trying to use the NDP to win that leadership race. We call on the campaign being run by the member for Tuxedo to respond to the allegations of irregular memberships," Kinew said.

A spokesperson for Stefanson’s campaign called the report “truly unfortunate,” saying it “does not sit well with the values of our PC Party.”

“While the Shelly Glover campaign would rather work with the NDP than our PC Party members, Heather will work hard for ALL (sic) PC members, regardless of who they support, and all Manitobans."

In an email to CTV News, Shelly Glover's campaign said, "we emphatically deny the allegations made by Mr. Kinew. No such activity was authorized by the campaign."

"We have determined that a campaign volunteer, in a personal exchange with an NDP MLA, has shared information related to campaign rules but by no means asked the NDP to take action on the campaign's behalf."

The campaign added Kinew is trying to divide the PC Party but said his actions won't work.