Steve Ashton

Gary Doer’s announcement that he is leaving provincial politics to become the Canadian Ambassador to Washington is the end of an era.

Gary served as Premier for ten years and as an Opposition leader for eleven years before that. I had the opportunity to work closely with him in Opposition and as a Cabinet minister over the past ten years. I always appreciated his attention to the North and Northern issues. I wish him well in the future.

Over the next few weeks we will be selecting a new leader and Premier for the province.

It will be an opportunity for us to put forward our vision for the future of the province.

I believe it is important to have a Premier that has a proven track record. I believe that a Premier has to work hard to bring people together. It is particularly important to represent all Manitobans.

It is also important that a Premier has a clear vision for the future of the province and that he or she be prepared to take a stand on critical issues.

Over the past few days I have had numerous people encourage me to run for leader and Premier. It is something I am clearly looking at.

In the 97 years that Northern Manitoba has been part of this province there has never been a Northern Premier. The fact is that as Northerners we bring a unique perspective to this province.

Over the next few days I will be announcing my intentions. In the meantime I would once again wish Gary Doer all the best in his new position.

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