Manitoba’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition agriculture critic are headed back to the legislature — but under a new seating plan.
Opposition leader Wab Kinew’s New Democrats are expected to form a majority government coming out of Tuesday’s provincial election, unseating incumbent premier Heather Stefanson’s Progressive Conservatives.
Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, NDP candidates were elected or leading in 34 of the province’s 57 ridings, with the Tories reduced to 22 and the Liberals down to one, and several races still too close to call.
The Tories’ incumbent agriculture minister, Derek Johnson, appeared set to hold his riding of Interlake-Gimli, leading by a margin of 684 votes over NDP challenger Sarah Pinsent-Bardarson with 43 of 44 polling places reporting.
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The NDP’s incumbent ag critic, Diljeet Brar, held his northwestern Winnipeg riding of Burrows by a margin of 925 votes over Liberal challenger Garry Alejo with 13 of 13 polling places reporting.
Kinew easily held his south-central Winnipeg riding of Fort Rouge while Stefanson kept her southwest Winnipeg riding of Tuxedo by a spread of just 260 votes over NDP challenger Larissa Ashdown with all polling places reporting.
Both Stefanson and Liberal leader Dougald Lamont — who lost his east-central Winnipeg riding of St. Boniface by a spread of 2,101 votes behind NDP challenger Robert Loiselle — announced Tuesday night they would step down as their respective parties’ leaders.
Brar was first elected to the legislature and named as NDP ag critic in 2019. He came to the critic post with a resume including stints as an assistant professor at India’s Punjab Agricultural University; in ag extension with Manitoba’s provincial agriculture department in Arborg and Beausejour; and as a field crop research assistant for Ag Quest at Minto.
Among its other options for the agriculture portfolio, Kinew’s NDP caucus may also see the return of a former ag minister.
Ron Kostyshyn, who served as Greg Selinger’s minister of agriculture, food and rural development from 2012 to 2016 while representing Swan River, appeared set to retake the riding of Dauphin from the Tories on Tuesday night.
After 1 a.m. Wednesday, Kostyshyn had a lead of 340 votes over PC candidate Gord Wood with 45 of 46 polling places reporting. — Glacier FarmMedia Network
