Theresa Oswald launches Manitoba NDP leadership campaign

Theresa Oswald's NDP leadership campaign launched Sunday afternoon with around 100 supporters present backing the rebel ex-minister's bid for Premier Greg Selinger's job.

• Theresa Oswald to challenge Selinger for Manitoba NDP leadership
• Theresa Oswald enters Manitoba NDP leadership race

"She's a solid solid ministerand I would love to see a woman premier in this province," saidMLANancy Allen Sunday. "Those are my roots and my support is fully behind her."

After abrief but glowing introduction from Minister Ron Lemieux andAllen at the Jonathan Toews Community Centre, Oswald targeted the provincial PCs and entertained the consequences of a Brian Pallister-led Manitoba government.

The stakes for the next election couldn't be higher, and we can't risk Brian Pallister and the PCs undoing all that we have accomplished, Oswald said in a release.

From free cancer drugs for all, revolutionizing housing benefits for families on social assistance and ensuring there are more teachers in classrooms, these are the differences we've made for Manitoba families and exactly what the PC's will tear apart.

Oswald, one of the infamous five former ministries to walk off the job in defiance of the current leadership, filed her papers Friday.

Turmoil a distraction in race?

In a year-end interview with CBC News Thursday,Selingersaid he is worriedthat the recent rebellion within the provincialNDPis a distraction that will factor in to the race.

Lemieux said despite those concerns, the premier isn't getting in the way of rival campaigns within the party.

"He made it clear everyone can support who they feel would best represent Manitobans and best represent the new democratic party,that every MLAand party member was free to support who they wanted," he said.

On Sunday, Oswald spent most of her energy talking about Pallister and the PCs, and said she is committed to running a cleancampaign.

"It's an interesting campaign in that it takes place inside the family and so the more respect and dignity that there is in that, the more we are going to bale to come together," she said. "Respectful citizens don't want to have politics-as-blood sport.They want it to be respectful;they want to look at the issues and ideasand really see what's at stake."

Oswald said she has heard from hundreds of people who want to see change at the provincial level.

"I listened really carefully to what folks had to say about whether or not me entering this race was going to be a positive thing and they gave me the kind of feedback that has me standing here today," she said.

"There is so much at stake here and we cannot have someone with their hands at the wheel that only wants to govern for the privileged few and not for all Manitobans."

After Premier GregSelinger, Oswald becomesthe second card-carryingNDPmember to join the leadership race. Some expect SteveAshtonand Kevin Chief maylaunch their own campaigns.

Political analyst Raymond Hbert said Oswald still has to prove to Manitobans she is running for the right reasons.

"First of all, trying to demonstrate that she did all this in good faith, that she's not power hungry, that she and the four other dissident cabinet ministers tried everything they could to get Mr.Selinger to step aside ... that didn't work, so they felt they had to go public," said Hbert.

The deadline to join the race is Jan. 6. Voting will take place during theNDP convention in March.