Selinger defends PST increase first weekend on NDP leadership campaign trail

Premier Greg Selingerreaffirmed that he will standby the government's controversial PST increase if re-elected as the leader of the provincial NDP.

Greg Selinger hit the campaign trail Sunday hoping to garner more support ahead of the provincial NDP leadership electionin March andto talk with membersabout his record as premier thus far.

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Selinger'sfirst stop was at a nomination meeting in Selkirk, where he toldmembers why he believes heis still the candidate best suited to lead the party.

"We will have a political party called the New Democratic Party that's even stronger after going through this leadership contest, with more members and more vitality and more dynamism and more desire to go out there and serve the people of Manitoba," saidSelinger. "That's exactly what we want to do."

Selinger'srivalcandidatesarepromisingtorevisittheparty'scontroversial sales tax increase.

Former minister of health Theresa Oswald wants a PST rebate for low income Manitobans; former minister of infrastructure Steve Ashton has promised to hold a referendum if elected that could see the tax increase scrapped altogether.

The premier refused to comment on themerits of Oswald's andAshton'sPST plans at the nomination meeting, instead defending the government's decision to raise the PST.

Given the opportunity,Selingersaid he is committed to keeping the PST increase in place for the next eightyears.

"We're twoyears into that program. We committed that money to major infrastructure and after the next eightyears that program will be phased out," saidSelinger.

Selingerremained coy when asked whether he would berampingup campaign efforts in the lead up to the March 8 leadership election.

"We'll see as it unfolds, I've always said my first priority is to fulfill the mandate the people of Manitoba gave us, and that mandate was to provide them with good government."

Finance minister standing by Selinger

At the Sunday nomination meeting, Minister of Finance Greg Dewar was named theNDP candidate who will be representing Selkirk in the next election.

Dewar was promoted to cabinet in November during the rebellion,when fiveministers called onSelingerto quit and then resigned.

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He thanked thepremier for the opportunity to serve in cabinet andapplauded Selinger, saying he "dealt with adversity with honour and dignity."

Dewar said he believes the leadership race will help resolve the party's crisis.

"I think its possible," he said. "I've known these people for many years, they are my friends, and we'll come together as a solid party afterwards and we'll move forward."

When asked whether Oswald or Ashton would get his support were Selinger to lose the election, Dewar said "we'd have to wait and see."

"I'm confident that Premier Selinger will get elected."