Northern Manitoba Minister of Natural Resources and Development Scott Fielding resigns and leaves government.
Fielding, who also serves as head of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and is the MLA for Kirkfield Park, is marching to seek opportunities in the private sector, Prime Minister Heather Stefanson said in a press release on Monday.
“My time in politics has been incredibly rewarding, but after 15 years as provincial cabinet minister and city councilor, it’s time to take on a new challenge and opportunity,” Fielding said.
Monday is his last day in office as cabinet minister. He will retire as an MLA in the next two weeks.
The Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations, Alan Lagimodiere, will take over Fielding’s portfolios on an interim basis until a replacement is appointed.
“I want to express my sincere thanks to Scott Fielding for his dedication and more than seven years of service as a cabinet member working to improve the lives of all Manitobans,” Stefanson said in a press release.
Main functions in the PC cabinet
Fielding was first elected in 2016 and previously served as Minister of Families and later as Minister of Finance.
He was responsible for Manitoba’s books when the government successfully overcame a deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars. The province balanced the budget shortly before the pandemic required new spending, including various pandemic relief programs, such as regular grants to employers.
During his tenure as finance minister, Fielding also fulfilled the Conservative-signed election promise to reduce the PST to seven percent.
Scott Fielding, the former finance minister, puts forward a copy of the budget speech after revealing the government’s spending plan in 2021. (Kevin King / The Canadian Press)
He played briefly with the idea of running for PC leadership when former Prime Minister Brian Pallister resigned in 2021.
Prior to running for the province, Fielding was the Winnipeg City Councilor for the St. James-Brooklands from 2006 to 2014. He spent five of those years as a member of the executive policy committee of former mayor Sam Katz.
His tenure as finance chairman of the council served as a prelude to his work as provincial finance minister.
Fielding left the EPC a year before leaving the town hall, citing “unprecedented mismanagement” of the city by Katz.
On Monday he turned down media interviews.
In-depth popularity
Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said many political observers expected government lawmakers to step down, given the declining popularity of the Progressive Conservative Party.
“[Fielding] He probably looked to the future, as someone does about his career, he saw that it is likely that PCs will not have power after the 2023 election, “Adams said.” We could see a few more during the next year “.
A similar scenario passed through the NDP before he was ousted from power in 2016.
New issues of Probe Research are expected to be released soon and will likely reveal a continuing misfortune for computers, he said.
“Survey figures don’t look very good … especially in Winnipeg, where they are over 20 [percentage] points behind the NDP, “Adams said, noting that the city and surrounding dormitory communities account for more than half of the seats in the provincial assembly.
Although Fielding’s seat once belonged to the NDP, it has been fairly secure for PCs: it won 53% of the vote in the 2016 election and 50% in 2019.
He is likely to stay with the party, but perhaps the notion of being a member of the opposition instead of the ruling party was not so appealing to Fielding, Adams suggested.
He said Fielding, who has held senior positions as an MLA and whose name has emerged as a candidate for party leadership, will be valued by many private sector entities.
As for your constituents?
“People might say it’s too early, that it shouldn’t have jumped, that it’s leaving people on the fence at their assembly,” Adams said.
“But I would say that you can see it differently, that with his resignation now, we will see a by-election before the next provincial elections … [and] they will probably win. “
Public service is very important, but it also involves making great sacrifices in family life. I look forward to spending more quality time with my family and friends as I begin a new chapter in my life.
Scott Fielding pic.twitter.com/8qdhjwfk4l
– @MinFielding
This, in turn, gives the PCs an advantage before the October 2023 provincial election, with voters meeting the new member.
Provincial statutes require that a by-election be held within six months of the vacancy of a seat, unless a general election is held beforehand.
Adams hopes Fielding will be remembered as a competent politician and someone who probably won’t be out of focus for too long.
“I think there will be people looking for him to run again, if not provincial, maybe federal, in the coming years.”