Former Brandon police chief Wayne Balcaen has officially won Brandon West for Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives (PC).
With all the ballots now counted from both election night and the advance polls, Balcaen edged out the New Democratic Party’s Quentin Robinson by just 95 votes.
In Winnipeg, PC leader Heather Stefanson hung-on to her seat in the city’s Tuxedo riding. Stefanson had said this week she plans to step down as Progressive Conservative party leader, but a report today says she’ll stay on as interim leader until they hold a leadership race, which party sources say is expected some time in 2024
The new Manitoba NDP government will likely take-over from the Progressive Conservatives sometime in November, though a date has not been chosen yet.
Premier elect Wab Kinew met with outgoing premier Heather Stefanson on Thursday to discuss the transition.
And Brandon’s mayor, Jeff Fawcett, is looking forward to working with the new NDP government, especially on the key issue of health-care.
He told Global News, the entire Westman region needs help when it comes to health-care staffing, and that walk-in clinics closing have had a big impact.
Fawcett said expanding Brandon hospital’s cancer care unit is a positive move, but meaningless without employees.
(With files from Global News and The Canadian Press)
