Wrong amount of right for the left?

While it’s shaping up to be a love-in with a rookie premier who’s basking in sky-high popularity and is the subject of flattering online memes, the Manitoba NDP convention this weekend could have its detractors: stalwart party members who are miffed Wab Kinew is governing with a pragmatic, decidedly non-left approach.

The party is meeting at the Fairmont Hotel from Friday until Sunday for its first gathering since its stunning election win in October. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the gala dinner Saturday.

Without the common cause of a major battle to win or opponents to defeat, the convention will be a test of Kinew’s ability to rally the troops and how much control he has over his party, said one expert.

“It won’t come as a surprise if factions in the party decide to attack Kinew and his government for being too centrist in their mode of governance,” said University of Winnipeg political studies professor Felix Mathieu.

In Manitoba, similar to most other jurisdictions, party members aligned with the left tend to be more critical of their leadership than partisans who line up on the right, Mathieu said.

The NDP premier has been described as a pragmatist whose policies track closer to the middle of the road than some left-leaning advocates in the party would like, he said. In government, Kinew has faced criticism from anti-poverty groups and environmentalists for not doing enough to address income inequality and for extending the provincial gas-tax holiday.

With the next election more than three years out and the opposition Progressive Conservatives in flux with an interim leader, now’s a good time for Kinew to take some heat from within his own party, Mathieu said.

“Since there is no immediate threat from the opposition, some might think it’s better to be vocal right now than when the PCs will have selected their new permanent leader,” he said.

Throughout the weekend, 500 delegates are expected to debate 74 resolutions that have been selected by panels ahead of the convention. They decide which resolutions make it onto the floor for debate and determine their priority

The party has ranked non-controversial issues a top priority, such as calling on the government to hire more mental-health workers, fix northern and rural health care, protect waterways and wetlands, invest in more social housing and to develop a comprehensive child-care strategy.

More controversial resolutions lower down the priority list include legislating a minimum of 10 permanent paid sick days for all Manitoba workers, modernizing legislation to ensure pay equity in the private sector and pay transparency rules that force employers to post wage and salary ranges in job postings, and committing to ensuring gender parity in candidates nominated for the 2027 provincial election.

“One way to allow both discontents to be voiced and to showcase strong leadership would be for Kinew’s team to make sure one or two key substantial critical viewpoints are expressed by members of the Young New Democrats,” said Mathieu, describing that as a “win-win” scenario.

“Being criticized by the younger members shows that the party is dynamic and that the new generation is not afraid to speak its mind on issues such as environmental policies and social justice, more broadly,” he said.

“Then, the premier could always speak to the media and say he is proud of having a combative youth wing in his party, and that his team and (he) will do their best to live up to their expectations.”

The number of tickets sold to the Saturday evening gala and the turnout for the convention bode well for the party that posted a record $2.3 million in funds raised last year, its interim president said.

“We’re excited and grateful to see so much interest in our convention this year,” Kelly Speak said in a text message Thursday.

“This year is an opportunity for members to celebrate our new NDP government and come together to discuss our shared priorities like fixing health care, lowering costs and growing the economy with good jobs for all Manitobans.”

The provincial convention — that the Manitoba NDP constitution says is “the supreme governing body of the provincial party” — decides its principles, policies and programs. It kicks off Friday evening with the leader’s report.

There will be at least two high-profile attendees from outside Manitoba on Saturday. National NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh delivers a federal party report in the morning. British Columbia NDP Premier David Eby joins Kinew for a fireside chat in the afternoon.

At the party’s October 2022 convention, Kinew said Manitoba’s New Democrats would improve health care, keep electricity rates low and simultaneously reduce the deficit if they won the next election.

The gathering with 190 credentialed attendees at the RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre was the first in-person convention since 2018, and leaned heavily on the contrast at that time between the party — the official Opposition at the time — and the governing Progressive Conservatives.

Since becoming premier, Kinew has promised to introduce “the biggest changes to labour law in Manitoba in a generation,” including a ban on replacement workers in strikes and lockouts and single-step unionization (if 50 per cent plus one sign union cards).

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca