A Manitoba Liberal MLA may soon be leaving provincial politics for the federal arena. Judy Klassen, currently the MLA for Kewatinook, has announced she will consider running as the Liberal Party of Canada’s candidate for the federal Churchill-Keewatinook Aski riding in this fall’s federal election.
NDP MP Niki Ashton has held the seat for the past 11 years.
Klassen’s decision could have ramifications for her current party. If Klassen switches to federal politics, she will have to resigns as MLA, likely leading to a by-election and leaving the Manitoba Liberal Party with only three sitting sitting representatives in the Legislature, one fewer than the minimum threshold for official party status according to current provincial regulations.
The Manitoba Liberals only received official party status in July 2018, when current party leader Dougald Lamont won a by-election in St. Boniface, the same seat previously held by former NDP leader and premier Greg Selinger. The Manitoba Liberals last lost official party status in 1995 following a dismal election performance.
Klassen was elected to office in 2016 and served as the party’s interim leader from October 2016 to June 2017, when current party leader Dougald Lamont earned the title. Klassen defeated former NDP deputy premier and four-term MLA Eric Robinson by 358 votes in the 2016 provincial election.
Three candidates have officially announced their intentions to run federally in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan this year. NDP incumbents Ashton and Georgina Jolibois will seek re-election in Churchill-Keewatinook Aski and Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River respectively. The Conservatives have current Meadow Lake mayor Gary Vidal as their candidate in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River late last year and do not currently have a candidate announced for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski.
Long-time Lac La Ronge Indian Band chief Tammy Cook-Searson was announced as a possible candidate for the federal Liberals in Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River. No candidates for the Green Party or any other political group have been officially announced for either riding.
The next federal election is scheduled to take place before Oct. 21, 2019. An official election date or deadline for nominations has not yet been set.
