Following his role in one of the most tumultuous political controversies in Manitoba history, Flin Flon MLA Clarence Pettersen says he’s ready to let bygones be bygones.
After months of being locked out of government caucus meetings, Pettersen and other former dissidents within the NDP regained full MLA privileges earlier this month.
“At the end of the day, coming together as a caucus to put the best interests of Manitobans first is
the top priority for our entire caucus, and that helps create a sense of unity,” he said.
Pettersen said he spoke at the April 9 NDP caucus retreat near Winnipeg at which the party agreed to welcome him back into the fold.
“While caucus meetings are private, I can tell you that we were all focused on the same goal – ensuring that Manitoba families have a government working on their side, protecting front-line services and investing in their priorities,” he said.
The retreat capped a turbulent five months for Pettersen, who was ousted from caucus meetings along with five cabinet ministers last fall as punishment for calling on Premier Greg Selinger to resign.
Selinger held onto his job in a leadership campaign, but a new poll does little to allay NDP fears he will lead the party to defeat next spring.
A Probe Research poll released April 7 put Manitoba-wide support for the NDP at 29 per cent, 15 points behind the Progressive Conservatives at 44 per cent.
Nonetheless, Pettersen is optimistic about his and his party’s chances.
“I trust that Manitobans will make a choice in the next election to [stay] with a government and an MLA that is on their side,” he said.
