The Progressive Conservatives will form the next Manitoba Government.

The Tories won tonight's election with 36 seats, compared to 18 for the NDP, and three for the Liberals. In the Portage constituency, incumbent Ian Wishart was re-elected. He says he's very honoured with the results.

"I'm very pleased that across the province Manitobans have chosen a PC government," he says. "And we'll do our best I know. And I think we're very pleased with the job that we've been doing."

Wishart feels the result indicates people are happy the Tories are keeping their word.

"And we're doing it without reduction in services," he says. "And we're also able to balance the books within the foreseeable future, if everything goes the way it should. And also the changes we've made in taxation, the lowering of the PST, the increase of personal deductions, so that we leave money on peoples' tables."

Looking ahead to the new mandate, Wishart thinks the K to 12 review will get a lot of attention.

"The results will be available after January," he says, "I know there are going to be some changes coming as part of that. There are always infrastructure projects to make sure that we have everything in place for the province to continue to prosper and do better. There are some challenges -- the meth crisis -- we're putting in place some programs already to help with that, but addictions, I think, is going to be an area where we have a lot of work to do."

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Manitoba Votes

PC - 36 seats
NDP - 18 seats
LIB - 3 seats

 

Portage la Prairie

*Ian Wishart (PC) - 4489 - Elected
Andrew Podolecki (NDP) - 1521
Charles Huband (LIB) - 843

*Incumbent

Here are the links to the other ridings in our listening area:

Agassiz

Interlake-Gimli

Lakeside

Midland