Rumours of a union-backed challenger taking on Clarence Pettersen for the NDP nomination had percolated for months before it became official.
Now we are less than a month away (Dec. 11) from knowing whether Pettersen, the incumbent Flin Flon MLA, or Tom Lindsey, a retired union official, will carry the party banner – and, barring a major upset, serve as this riding’s next provincial representative.
Pettersen often points out that during his four-year tenure, the province has spent or pledged to spend more than $150 million on new infrastructure projects in the riding, including the Highway 10 revamp and the new Flin Flon ER.
But this generous amount – absolutely mind-boggling considering the level of investment bestowed on the riding prior to Pettersen – has not been enough for him to ward off detractors, including some within his own party.
Pettersen faced his first real criticism for declining to attend a pro-IAM Local 1848 barbecue in Flin Flon in 2012. In a full-page Reminder ad, all seven Hudbay unions subsequently announced they were no longer on board with the MLA or his party.
(That said, the national branch of IAM did publish a photo of Pettersen holding an “IAM On Strike” sign during the union’s Flin Flon-Snow Lake work stoppage earlier this year.)
Pettersen took further heat for wading into the debate over whether outlying cottagers should make annual payments to the City of Flin Flon.
His position that a “fair agreement” was needed – even though many cottagers seemed to favour “no agreement” – frustrated a number of cabin owners with whom I spoke. They wanted their MLA to be, in their words, neutral in this two-sided debate.
Then, just last year, Pettersen went public with his call for Greg Selinger to step down for fear the premier’s unpopularity would cost the NDP the next election.
When Selinger defied the odds and stayed on as premier in a leadership race – a Cinderella story for the ages – it became difficult for many voters to see how the riding had benefitted from the episode.
Still, when it comes to getting the provincial government to pay attention to the Flin Flon constituency, Pettersen, at least in dollar terms, has been extremely successful. Even his fiercest opponents cannot deny all of those dollar signs.
Pettersen has been a different breed of MLA in that he is not necessarily beholden to his base or party. He becomes visibly disappointed, for instance, when asked about the NDP’s decision to yank a subsidy that provided a much broader level of highway bus service in northern Manitoba than we currently have.
For some, Pettersen is a conviction politician. That can be an admirable trait in our leaders, but it can also get them in trouble.
Enter Lindsey, who enjoys the endorsement of USW Local 7106, the largest union at Hudbay.
He has been knocking on doors and reaching out to party members in a bid to convince them that it’s time to change course. He says he wants to share his ideas with voters and hear their ideas.
A strength for Lindsey is his long and well-known history with the labour movement and potential capacity to bring disenchanted union members back into the NDP fold.
He also has political experience, having sought the NDP nomination in 2011 before losing to Pettersen, so he knows the game and is undoubtedly a better campaigner this time around.
As I write this, an online Reminder poll suggests just how closely divided people may be on the “Pettersen or Lindsey?” question. Of 114 votes cast, 49 prefer Pettersen and 50 prefer Lindsey, with 15 people undecided.
It should be an interesting race.
Local Angle is published Fridays.
