The New Democrat Party (NDP) won the 43rd Manitoba provincial election and will form a majority government..Over 200,000 Manitobans voted at advanced polling stations, which is 23% of all eligible voters. An all-time high for advanced voting in Manitoba..NDP leader Wab Kinew becomes the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province..The NDP kept the northern Manitoba ridings, a traditional stronghold for the NDP..The election was decided in Winnipeg, where the NDP picked up over a dozen seats..Progressive Conservative (PC) leader Stefanson said she is "stepping down" as the party leader. But said there would be a "smooth transition" to a new PC leader..Liberal Party leader Dougald Lamont loses seat in St. Boniface and steps down as party leader. The Liberals went down to one seat from the three they held in the last election. Incumbent Cindy Lamoureux won Tyndall Park as the one Liberal seat..Most of the NDP campaign promises were on healthcare..Their biggest healthcare promises included reopening three Winnipeg emergency rooms, and recruiting 400 doctors and 300 nurses..Regarding affordability issues, the NDP ignored the cost of living other than cutting the provincial gas tax..Stefanson stayed out of the public eye for most of the campaign as she was not a popular leader with Manitobans, according to multiple polls..Many of the PC campaign promises surrounded the cost of living, including cutting the lowest income tax rate in half over four years, ending the Land Transfer Tax for first-time homebuyers, and dropping the PST on restaurant meals..To help businesses, the PCs would have cut the payroll tax in half, mainly to help grow small businesses. .The PCs tried to tie the Federal NDP/Liberal coalition to the Manitoba NDP, using unpopular policies such as the carbon tax to sour the view of the NDP in the provincial election. .Both the PCs and NDP promised no more lockdowns.
