View From the Legislature

On September 1st I was asked by the Progressive Conservative Caucus to take on a short-term assignment as the 23rd Premier of Manitoba. Over the past two months it has been a great honour to serve in that role and to meet with Manitobans as far south as the International Peace Gardens to as far north as Churchill. In every meeting and interaction, Manitobans reminded me how blessed we are to live in this wonderful province.

During these past two months, together with my wife and son, we were welcomed into homes, communities, celebrations, onto dogsleds, trains, and even a Tundra Buggy. While only a short time, it was a remarkable experience to work from the historic Premier’s office at the Manitoba Legislature and it is a time we will always remember and cherish. We are grateful to all those who offered their words of support and encouragement.

This past Saturday, the leadership race for the P.C. Party of Manitoba concluded. It was guaranteed to be a historic occasion as two women contestants, Shelly Glover and Heather Stefanson, bid for the job as party leader and Premier of Manitoba. This ensured that Manitoba would have, for the first time in our province’s history, a female Premier.

I want to congratulate both Shelly Glover and Heather Stefanson for putting their names forward and running in what would prove to be a close contest. On Saturday, members of the P.C. Party elected Heather Stefanson as the new leader and on Tuesday of this week she took the oath of office as the 24th Premier of Manitoba and the first woman to do so. Premier Stefanson has been elected to the Manitoba Legislature for more than 20 years and has served in several senior roles in government, including as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of Families and Minister of Health.

I look forward to working with the new Premier and continuing to serve the residents of the Steinbach Constituency.