Manitoba
Four Filipinos seek seats in Manitoba’s April 19 election
By Ted Alcuitas
Four Filipino candidates are running in the Manitoba provincial election on April 19, two less than the last 2011 elections where a record six candidates run for office.
Two incumbents – NDP Flor Marcelino in Logan and NDP Ted Marcelino in Tyndall, Liberal Aida Champagne in Tyndall and PC Jon Reyes in St. Norbert make up the current hopefuls.
NDP Premier Greg Selinger is seeking a fifth term for his party amidst rifts in his own party and declining poll numbers. Just two days ago on March 19, an exclusive Mainstreet Research/Postmedia poll reveals Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives have a 23-point lead over Greg Selinger’s NDP, up one from last weekend. The poll, conducted Saturday, puts the PCs at 47%, the NDP at 24%, and Rana Bokhari’s Liberals at 23%. (http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/03/20/poll-predicts-runaway-win-for-pallister-pcs )
If the polls are correct it could be the end for the governing NDP which has ruled the province for nearly 17 years.
According to the polls reported by the Winnipeg Sun, the contest is closer inside seat-rich Winnipeg, where the PCs have the support of 37% of decided voters. The NDP are not far back at 30%, followed by the Liberals at 25%.
“The numbers are right now pointing to a runaway victory for Brian Pallister and the Progressive Conservatives,” Quito Maggi, president and CEO of Mainstreet Research told the Winnipeg Sun.
If there’s one silver lining for the NDP and the Liberals, it’s in the large number of undecided voters, pegged right now to be at 24% of the electorate — a number that rises to 28% in Winnipeg. Maggi noted that’s unusually high, given the election is less than a month away.
Additionally for the Liberals, Maggi said Bokhari and her team are likely happy their numbers remained steady, despite less than flattering reviews of her performance in a radio debate last Monday and in subsequent press conferences.
“There is some public support for the Liberals, but I don’t know if they have the resources and infrastructure to capitalize on it,” he said.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.33%, 19 times out of 20.