Manitoba NDP's Wab Kinew gets 93% support in leadership review

Wab Kinewsaid the Manitoba NDPhas the people and the financial backing to fight the next election competitively, as party members gave a strong endorsement Saturday to his leadership.

The Official Opposition leaderbreezed through a leadership review at the party's annual convention, with 93 per cent support.

"I feel like this is a good vote of confidence for the momentum that our team has built over the past few years," Kinewsaid in an interview Saturday after the convention,which was held virtually owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members were asked if the party should hold a leadership race, with93 per cent of the 288 votes cast rejecting the idea.

Leadership review votesarenow a party requirement after each election.

In 2019's provincial election, the NDP won six more seatsthan they had when the legislature was dissolved. But the party's 18 seats weren't enough to keep theProgressive Conservatives from a second consecutive majority government.The PCs won 36 seats in 2019.

Change in fortunes for the NDP

Since the election, however, the provincial response to the pandemic has cratered thepopularity of Brian Pallister's government inrecent opinion polls,with one suggestingthe NDP enjoymore popular support for the Tories for the first time since 2016.

"I'm happy to continue this work and I'mhappy that you'll have me back, essentially, to continue this work," Kinewtold party faithful after the vote.

Earlier in the morning, hesaid the party's momentum is demonstrated by its strong year-end fundraising totals.

The NDP has stashed away$250,000 in the bank for the next election, slated for fall 2023, and $100,000in case of future byelections, Kinew said.

He boasted that the NDP has never had more first-time donors.

"We are bringing new peopleinto this movement and we're extending our reach."

He told party members the Progressive Conservatives have shown how"out of touch" they are following recent reports ofhigh-level Tories flouting the travel guidelines,including MLA James Teitsma and top civil servant David McLaughlin, a Pallister appointee.

The PCs have tried to distract from their sagging fortunes by shuffling their cabinet, Kinew charged, which included shifting Cameron Friesen,who he called the "worst health minister Manitoba has ever had,"to the justice portfolio.

The NDP saw no needto rearrange their opposition critic roles in response, he said.

"When Ilook around that caucus table, I can see the next cabinet of Manitoba starting to take shape."

The NDP said it had 315 people registered at its convention.

The party adoptedpost-election leadership reviews back in 2017, followinga bitter internal battle three years earlier over the leadership of then-premier Greg Selinger.

Kinew, who took party leadership in 2017,needed at least 50 per cent support to avoid having his jobopened up to a leadership review.