LIFESITE, June 4, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Gary Doer’s NDP Party handily won a stronger second term majority in yesterday’s provincial election. For pro-life, pro-family advocates in the home province of national pro-life hero, the late Joe Borowski, there appears to be little to cheer about in the results. The NDP won 35 seats, for a gain of 3 over its pre-election standings. Its popular vote increased from 45% last election to 49% this time. Three of the NDP riding gains were at the expense of the opposition Tories who lost 4 of their seats and are left with 20 MLA’s in the legislature. The city of Winnipeg proved to be an NDP stronghold, giving up 23 of its 31 ridings to the ruling NDP. Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba was not able to obtain a response to its questionnaire from many of the candidates but, in general, it appears that only a handful of the elected MLA’s are pro-life.
A significant loss was strongly pro-life PC incumbent Marcel Laurendeau who was defeated, 3341 to 2604, by pro-abortion NDP candidate Marilyne Brick. Laurendeau told the Winnipeg Free Press “I did this for 13 years, …I fought hard for the community, but I guess you’re not there forever.”
Successful candidates who were able to be rated as pro-life by Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba, based on available information, are: Jim Malloway, NDP Elmwood Jack Penner, PC Emerson Dave Chomiak, NDP Kildonan Gerald Hawranik, PC Lac du Bonnet Kelvin Goertzen, PC Steinbach Oscar Lathlin, NDP, The Pas