The big green R won’t be on his signs or pamphlets.
But when Warren Goodwin explains what he’ll be doing in an upcoming provincial byelection in Portage la Prairie, Man., he says he is running for the Reform party.
It’s a move other Reformers across the country are watching as they prepare to consider at a spring meeting whether the party should move into provincial politics.
The federal Reform riding association is fielding the aircraft maintenance engineer as a candidate in the race to replace provincial cabinet minister Brian Pallister. Pallister left the government to run against incumbent Reform MP Jake Hoeppner in the recent federal election.
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Officially, Goodwin will be running as an independent. Reform policy does not allow for provincial candidates.
“But it will certainly be known who we are, whether it’s on the sign or not,” said Goodwin.
Because Goodwin will run as an independent, Reform’s head office is neutral on the issue, says national policy development manager Troy Tait.
“There’s nothing that we can do against it. We can’t give our blessing, nor can we say, ‘You can’t do this,’ ” he said.
Reformers have voted against getting into provincial politics at three national assemblies.
“Primarily, people wanted to stay focused on the federal election,” said Tait. “They felt that the party was just too young to branch off and get involved in different areas.”
Tait said party members were also worried about losing the support of voters who are firm supporters of another provincial party. He expects members to vote on the issue again at the next national assembly in London, Ont. in May 1998.
The party now forms the official opposition in Parliament. And some Reformers want to tackle provincial halls of power.
“The way people are talking, I could almost see something happening this time, but who knows?” said Tait.
Jake Hoeppner, MP for Portage-Lisgar, said Reformers started talking about running provincially when Tory premier Gary Filmon supported national leader Jean Charest in the last election.
The distinct society clause Charest would like to use to get Quebec into Canada’s constitution was a sticking point for some on Manitoba’s right.
Goodwin said he has to talk to his supporters about a platform, but expects it to include “Reform principles with a provincial twist.”
If he wins, he thinks the Tory majority in the Manitoba legislature will listen to him for fear of a full slate of Reformers running in the next provincial election.
Hoeppner said based on federal results and polls in the riding, Goodwin will be the main contender against whoever runs for the Tories.
“The other parties were that weak that even if there was a split, they still wouldn’t be a threat,” Hoeppner said.
