Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 15, 2000, Winnipeg, Manitoba A8 local Winnipeg free May 2000 tories feel strains of race to replace Filmon party dirty laundry expected to come out by Dan Lett As Darren Praznik greets the faithful spilling into a Northend hotel you can Tell from the look on his face that this want what he had in mind when he dreamed of leading his the la for Lac Dubonnet and one of two men vying to replace Gary Filmon As Leader of the Manitoba progressive is hosting a a decidedly modest fund Ais the 160 or supporters gathered on this Many of whom travelled from Praznik Rural Are treated to a spread of ice water and two kinds of his Campaign signs keep falling from the on a table near the door a stack of pc party of Manitoba donation receipt books sits mostly whose lust for the tory leadership was among the worst kept secrets in Manitoba is Short of endorse ments and even Shorter on in Praznik has Good reason to worry he is the fall Guy in a planned Coro nation of the Only other candidate Gas president Stu Art who Praznik came out of the starting Gate on the shoulders of the party top fundraisers and i think it would have been better for the party to appoint an interim said then we could have held the leadership convention in a year or the party would have been Able to get Over the election defeat and Start rebuilding the it is not unusual for a party that has just lost an election to suffer a crisis of but As they prepare for a november leadership convention the first in 18 years Manitoba tories Are embroiled in a Campaign that appears destined to Lay out much of the party dirty the race has been abandoned by most of the Likely candidates former finance minister Eric Stefanson is leaving poli tics Rookie la John Loewen has opted to remain on the backbench for now for Mer Cabinet minister Brian who left the Filmon government three a Elf s ago to Pur sue a Federal has decided not to return to Provin Cial that has left Praznik and Mur a longtime supporter with no frontline political As he learns the Murray Murray has Cho sen to run an ext eff Ely cautious Cam he refuses to dabble in specific policy or Cost Lent on Praznik Cam has chosen instead to travel the High Road of populist promising to empower the party grass roots and cultivate Broad Public and he strenuously denies any Sugges Tion he is the Han selected candidate of the party no labels i dont accept any of the Mur Ray people can Call me whatever they i dont from Day made a commitment i was going to work As hard As i can until despite those Murray knows he has the support of nearly All of the top behind Hestenes tory strategists and bag at his Campaign launch in Murray was flanked by the deep pockets of investors group head san Ford his chief Hartley Richardson of the powerful Richardson Grain and car dealer Bob another prominent fund Ais Murray also Drew the support of most of the front Bench of the tory including former Cabinet ministers Ste Fanson and Bonnie and retired Las such As former Deputy Premier Jim Downey and Justice minis Ter Rosemary Murray even won the support of old guard tories like Don a former health in the absence of these Praznik main line of attack has been to question whether those who engineered last Falls electoral collapse and the 1995 vote splitting scandal Are the same peo ple now trying to install Murray As Praznik argued that in its final the Filmon administration turned its Back on the party rank and file while falling to scandals that eroded the party in Praznik the tories did themselves in with broken promises on health care spending and involve ment in the 1995 election vote splitting scandal that consumed most of Hilmons top on the heels of these the party establishment unleashed an ambitious Campaign in last years election which promised billion in new spend 01100 or Elm the lift of Mil Jet part Manitoba schizophrenia society 31000 notre Dame Winnipeg 7861616 ing and tax cuts that was totally out of character for a government known for its cautious Are we really surprised we lost the last election said we did some things Over the last five years that we hate to come to grips Praznik claimed Murray Campaign has been i am hearing the same responses when 1 Call around for Praznik people Tell weve been told not to support even if they Arent going to support the other they claim they cant support it concerns me to think that they Are being serious mistake sitting Las supporting Praznik include Harry Enns the so called Dean of the former speaker Denis Rocan and Marcel Lau former Las supporting most of whom lost their seats in the last elec include former Cabinet minister Linda Mclntosh and Bac Bencher Gerry in believes the tories Are making a serious mistake in strategy by holding a leadership race while the ruling nip is still enjoying a honeymoon with voters and the tories have not had enough time to recover from past we did a number of things badly Enns billion Dollar promises that we rent characteristic with the Filmon we were arrogant and we paid for we have to get out of that inne Circle crowd that has been running the conservative party of we have already paid a Price for we lost an election we ought to have if Murray Sticks to his carefully Man aged he is unlikely to respond to Praznik bitter Murray flatly refuses to discuss the election strategy or allegations the party was dominated by a inner Mur Ray he will focus on the were going to spend the next seven months of this Campaign talking about Why i should be not Why some body else he my focus is on strengthening the i think this party is in Good sciences Centre Eoin Dation halt talks presents alzheimer dementia caring for the caregiver May 2000 theatre a Basic medical sciences bulding 730 William Avenue free admission to Register Call 7872022 to guest speakers Barry Campbell geriatric psychiatry Boniface general Hospital Wendy Schettler program director alzheimer society of Manitoba Judie Velones clinical social 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