Manitoba election results: NDP win fourth majority another, leading, winning, power, after

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Manitoba election results: NDP win fourth majority

WINNIPEG — Manitoba's New Democrats will remain in power for another four years after winning their fourth consecutive majority.


Premier Greg Selinger will lead a large contingent in the Manitoba legislature, as his NDP are elected or leading in 36 out of Manitoba's 57 seats.


The Progressive Conservatives have 20 seats while the Liberals have held one seat.


Selinger's victory was his first as Manitoba's premier, a job he won in 2009 after former premier Gary Doer resigned to become Canada's ambassador to the United States.


PC leader Hugh McFadyen succeeded in increasing his party's number in the legislature but could face a leadership review after failing to unseat an NDP government that's been in power since 1999. But the Tories are ahead in the popular vote.


The future of Liberal leader Jon Gerrard, who defeated Tory Marty Morantz in the Winnipeg riding of River Heights, remains uncertain as well.


In the 2007 election, the NDP won 36 seats, while the Progressive Conservatives won 19 and the Liberals won two.

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Polls going into this election showed Selinger's New Democrats enjoying a slim lead over the Conservatives, led by McFadyen.


Factors such as the return of the Winnipeg Jets hockey team, the relative strength of the province's economy and rising home prices were seen as working in favour of the status-quo NDP government.


As well, the NDP accused the Tories of having a secret agenda that included selling provincial assets such as Manitoba Hydro and portions of the health-care system.


"There's is a big risk of going with the other guys on health care, on Hydro and the economy," Selinger said as the campaign was winding down. "So we're just telling people, if you're concerned about that, please vote."


McFadyen, no doubt aware of what the polls were saying, had been holding out hope for a comeback right up until the end.


"I'm a football fan," he said Monday. "I've always admired quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Joe Montana who saved their best plays for late in the game. And I think that's where we're at. That's what we're doing today."


The Liberals are led by Gerrard and won just two seats in the 2007 vote. The party had less than 10 per cent support in the polls and was not a major player in this campaign.


With files from Postmedia News

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Manitoba NDP leader Greg Selinger prepares to deposit his ballot to polling station officials after voting in the provincial election in Winnipeg on Tuesday.