The vast majority of people have never attended or likely have any desire to attend a political convention. For most people it likely sounds like a time of meetings and discussions about government policy. And to some extent that is true, but for those who are active in politics either as volunteers, staff or elected officials, political conventions have a number of different functions.
The primary function of a political Annual General Meeting (AGM) is to carry out a number of duties that are required by political parties, such as reporting to its members the state of the finances, election preparedness and the election of officers for the Party. But a key aspect of any convention is bringing together like minded people who want to make a difference in their province to both set the direction of the political party and also create energy toward achieving its goals.
Two weeks ago, the Progressive Party of Manitoba held its annual meeting of members and welcomed delegates from across the province. It was notable because it was the first annual meeting under the new leadership of Obby Khan. The weekend got started on Friday night with the fall fundraising dinner which welcomed more than 600 people. At the dinner the new logo for the PC Party was revealed. Most political parties update their logos every few years and the new logo for the PC Party reflects that there is new leadership and a new energy for the Party. But that new energy is built on the proud legacy of the PC Party and that was honoured at the dinner as well in a video that paid tribute to the past leaders.
The following Saturday, hundreds of delegates came together to consider policy ideas and to conduct the business of the PC Party. Those in attendance heard a key note speech from the PC Leader and voted on a number of Party Board positions. Two excellent and qualified candidates were running for Party President. Peter Smith, a long-time party volunteer and campaign organizer was voted in as President. Justin Schinkel, a successful business person with long time roots to our region ran a strong campaign as well and will be an important part of building the Party in the future.
As someone who has been involved with the PC Party since I was a youth and who has served in several positions including as Deputy Leader and Interim Leader of the Party, I was incredibly encouraged by the weekend convention. It is important to our democratic system that the political parties that are involved, whether they are the governing party or in opposition, are strong and ready to bring forward ideas and alternatives for government.
The Manitoba PC Caucus is fortunate to have a strong mix of both new MLAs who bring new ideas to the Manitoba Legislature, and MLAs who have been through several elections and can offer advice and perspective. This range of experiences is reflected in the PC Party as well and positions it well to offer Manitobans a strong alternative to the current government at the time of the next election in 2027.
