Alan Lagimodiere joins list of Manitoba Tories who are not seeking re-election

WINNIPEG – Another Manitoba Progressive Conservative has announced he will not seek re-election.

Alan Lagimodiere says he will not run again in his Selkirk seat due to personal family reasons.

In a social media message, Lagimodiere says it was not an easy decision but he is putting his family first and will continue to support the Tories under the next candidate.

He was first elected in 2016 and has served in recent years as the minister for Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations.

He joins several other Tories who are not running again, including fellow cabinet ministers Eileen Clarke and Cliff Cullen, and non-cabinet members such as Dennis Smook and Ian Wishart.

The governing Tories have been trailing the Opposition New Democrats in opinion polls for the election scheduled for Oct. 3.

Lagimodiere stirred up controversy on the day he was put in cabinet in 2021, when he defended some of the intentions behind residential schools and said they were originally aimed at teaching skills to Indigenous children.

He apologized soon after he was confronted by Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew in a scrum with reporters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2023