Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson resigning as MLA
Former Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson is resigning as the MLA for Tuxedo.
Stefanson told the legislature Thursday she was addressing the chamber for the last time before announcing her resignation, which takes effect May 6.
"Thank you Manitoba for the opportunity, the responsibility and the honour," Stefanson said, reading a speech during question period.
"I want to thank the constituents of Tuxedo," she said. "Tuxedo is where my grandparents raised my father and where Jason and I have raised our children. For us, it's home."
Speaking with reporters, Stefanson said announcing her resignation after 23 years was tough.
"It's emotional, especially having my family in the gallery," she said. "It was … an amazing experience, and I'm so thankful to have them all here today."
Stefanson was the first woman to serve as Manitoba's premier. Her Progressive Conservative government was defeated last October following a divisive election campaign.
Stefanson stepped down as party leader earlier this year, but had continued to serve as a member of Manitoba's legislative assembly.
She was a key player throughout the PCs' most recent tenure in office.
Stefanson, who has held the Tuxedo riding in Winnipeg for the Tories since 2000, took on several roles in cabinet, including the justice and health portfolios, when the Tories came to power in 2016.
She was chosen as the party's leader and became premier in 2021, after then-premier Brian Pallister stepped down as his party's popularity began to sag.
The PCs moved away from an austerity-minded approach under Stefanson, but were unable to earn a third consecutive election victory last Oct. 3, when the NDP won a majority.
The Tories' election campaign was denounced by several high-ranking party members for campaign ads touting the government's opposition to a landfill search for the remains of First Nations women believed to have been victims of a serial killer.
Stefanson later apologized for those ads, saying they "hurt Manitobans."
Stefanson announced after losing the Oct. 3 election that she would step down as party leader, but stayed on in that role until January. At the time, she wouldn't commit to serving her entire term as MLA.
Stefanson said while this is the end of her career in elective politics, she will always support the party.
"It goes back to wanting to end one chapter in my life before starting another chapter," she said. "I do have some irons in the fire and some exciting things coming in the near future.
However, she would not elaborate on what she plans to do next.
"Stay tuned," she said. "Isn't that what I've always said before?"
