Manitoba to have first female premier: Two Tory leadership candidates are women
Manitobans will have a female premier for the first time.
Shelly Glover, a former Winnipeg police officer and one-time Conservative member of Parliament, and Heather Stefanson, a former Manitoba health minister, are the official candidates for the next leader of the province's Progressive Conservative party.
Former premier Brian Pallister stepped down earlier this month and a leadership vote is to take place Oct. 30.
The party said Thursday that Glover and Stefanson are the only candidates who met all requirements for the race by the deadline.
Stefanson said she is excited to be on the ballot and, if selected, looks forward to moving the party forward.
"Regardless of what happens in this race, Manitoba will be led by a woman for the first time in its history. This is an exciting and historic time for Manitoba," she said in a statement.
Candidates had to provide nomination signatures from 50 party members in good standing, an entry fee of $25,000 and evidence of having sold at least 1,000 new party memberships.
They also had to participate in an interview to ensure a commitment to the party's principles and values.
"This is a rigorous application process that embodies a broad range of factors, all of which have been carefully considered," George Orle, chairman of the leadership election committee, said in a release.
"It's an exciting time for us to engage Manitobans to elect the next premier of Manitoba, and we look forward to an enthusiastic campaign."
Glover officially announced her intention to run last week and said she opposes COVID-19 vaccine mandates for front-line workers. She also said that if chosen leader, she would review how the government decided to require people to be vaccinated to enter restaurants, theatres, sports arenas and other venues.
The Tory government also brought in a requirement for health-care staff, teachers and others who work with children and vulnerable people to be fully vaccinated or tested up to three times a week.
Glover's team said Thursday they will continue to campaign and approach every eligible voter to earn their support.
Stefanson started her campaign last month after Pallister announced he was stepping down. She submitted her resignation from her cabinet position so she could run for the leadership.
Stefanson has been the legislature member for the south Winnipeg constituency of Tuxedo since 2000. She has also served as minister of the justice and families portfolios.
She was deputy premier before she took over the health file earlier this year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Progressive Conservative backbencher Shannon Martin, who began his campaign Monday, withdrew from the race Wednesday night.
In a statement posted online in all capitals, Martin thanked his campaign workers but said the team ultimately came up short.
"We tried. We stepped up. And we put forward a realistic vision that didn't reinvent the wheel but instead reflected (Manitobans)," said the statement.
Ken Lee, a former chief financial officer for the PC party, was also vying for the leadership, but it appears he did not qualify as a candidate.
The party would not comment on the specifics of the application process.
Pallister, who took over the Tory leadership in 2012, led the party to its largest majority government in a century in 2016 and to re-election in 2019.
Pressure for his exit began to mount in the summer after he came under fire for comments he made about Canadian history. He said that people who came to Canada before and after it became a country did not come to destroy but to build. He eventually apologized.
Glover or Stefanson will become the only woman to head a provincial government in Canada. Caroline Cochrane is the premier of the Northwest Territories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.