Manitoba NDP pick rookie MLA, author Wab Kinew as party and Opposition leader
WINNIPEG — Rookie politician, Indigenous rights activist and author Wab Kinew was elected leader of the Manitoba NDP Saturday, and vowed to rebuild the opposition party as he continues to face questions about his troubled past.
Party members elected Kinew, 35, over veteran cabinet minister Steve Ashton by almost a 3-1 margin — 728 to 253.
“It’s a new day for the NDP and it’s a new day for Manitoba,” Kinew declared to cheers following the vote. “This is a tremendous honour.”
“I will take this role tremendously seriously and conduct myself with the greatest honour, integrity and honesty.”