Rebel Manitoba NDP MLA joins Premier Selinger's re-election team
The first former provincial cabinet minister, who called on Premier Greg Selinger to quit last fall then resigned from cabinet, will officially join the premier's re-election team Tuesday evening.
MLA Andrew Swan is running unopposed to represent the NDP in Minto in the 2016 provincial election.
Swan was the attorney general and justice minister when he teamed up with four other cabinet ministers to attack the premier's leadership style last fall.
- Swan said Selinger was more interested in remaining leader than in the priorities of Manitobans
The revolt forced the premier to put his leadership on the line.
Selinger, beat his main competitor, former rebel cabinet minister Theresa Oswald, in the March NDP Leadership election by a razor-thin 33 votes.
In an interview with CBC, Swan said he can bury the past and work with Selinger once again.
"There's no question that I supported Theresa Oswald in the leadership that came up a little bit short," he said. "What's most important for me, and for people in Minto, is that they have a strong New Democrat representing them."
April 29, the premier said Oswald was the only rebel former minister he had asked to rejoin his cabinet, but she turned him down.
Oswald said she declined because she isn't sure if she would run again in 2016.
In an e-mail Tuesday morning, Oswald wrote, "I am still deliberating."
Since November 3, the so-called gang of 5, Oswald, Swan, Erin Selby, Stan Struthers and Jennifer Howard have sat as NDP backbenchers.
Swan said Tuesday he hasn't ruled out rejoining Selinger's cabinet.
"If the premier were to ask, we would have a conversation," Swan said, when asked if cabinet was his goal.
"Theresa was the leadership candidate who ran against him, that may have made it a different situation," he said about Oswald being approached to rejoin cabinet but not him. "I can't really comment on that."
Premier only makes offers to 2 rebels
Oswald isn't the only rebel who's been offered an olive branch by the premier.
Selinger wants to make rebel and former finance minister Jennifer Howard the Chairperson of the Committees of the Whole House and Deputy Speaker.
So far, Swan and Howard are the only two who have publicly committed to running for the NDP in the 2016 election.
Howard is running unopposed for the NDP nomination in her Fort Rouge constituency next Thursday.
"I am still making that decision, as to whether I will seek the nomination or not," Southdale MLA Erin Selby wrote in an e-mail.
Dauphin MLA Stan Struthers also said he hasn't decided.
"Everybody has to make their own decision," Swan said. "My decision was made very quickly, as you know, i think I made comments within a day or two of the leadership convention being concluded that I had every intention of running again."
