Several resignations hit Manitoba Liberal Party ahead of key byelection

The Manitoba Liberal Party has suddenly lost some of its key members ahead of a byelection in which leader Dougald Lamont is seeking a seat in the legislature.

Party president Paul Brault, communications director Ian McCausland and a co-ordinator for byelection volunteers, Michelle Finley, all resigned this week.

Also leaving is Karen Taraska-Alcock, who chaired the party's election readiness committee, and the party's fundraising director Scott Newman.

In a written statement, Brault said he is quitting with considerable thought to his health, family and the future of the
party.

"The Manitoba Liberal Party has experienced tremendous and positive change since the election of our new leader Dougald Lamont last fall. It is important that everyone supporting the party is empowered to contribute to the best of their abilities and in ways that fit with their own personal values."

McCausland said he is leaving to focus on personal and professional commitments.

"I'm just not able to dedicate the time and the energy that something like [communications] during a byelection requires, and I just decided that somebody else would be better suited for that role."

Newman also cited unspecified personal and professional commitments.

Finley and Taraska-Alcock declined to comment.

No problem: Lamont

Lamont said the turnover is a normal part of political life.

"We don't have a problem. We have a great group of people up and running and getting ready for [the byelection]," Lamont said.

"It can be a hard commitment, especially when people are volunteers. These are people with other stuff to do. I embrace change and I'm not concerned about it because we've got lots of people ready to ... step in."

Royce Koop, who teaches political studies at the University of Manitoba, said the sudden departures point to ongoing strife in the Liberal party, which has three of 57 legislature seats.

When you haven't had power for a long time, you tend to have more of these internal disagreements.- Royce Koop

"The fact that the Liberal party has been this third party in Manitoba politics helps to explain why we've seen these sorts of ongoing internal issues," Koop said.

"Power is good for disciplining people. It's good for giving them something to keep them in line. When you haven't had power for a long time, you tend to have more of these internal disagreements, internal battles, and you can have what looks to be a mini mass resignation amongst the people that actually work for the party."

The Manitoba Liberals have failed to win the four legislature seats needed for official party status for more than two decades.

Former leader Jon Gerrard survived a revolt in 2009 but stepped down under pressure two years later. His replacement, Rana Bokhari, resigned after the party won three seats in the 2016 election.

Lamont, who lost to Bokhari in the party's 2013 leadership race, was chosen party leader last October. He was nominated last week to carry the party's banner in a byelection for the St. Boniface seat in Winnipeg that was vacated by former NDP premier Greg Selinger in March.

The Progressive Conservative government has not yet set a date for the byelection but it must be held by Sept. 3 at the latest under provincial law.