Greg Selinger's Manitoba's NDP Government Returns, Divided, To Chamber

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger is fighting for his political life as he enters a new legislature session Thursday with an open revolt in his NDP caucus, near-record low polling numbers and untested cabinet ministers.

Even to get through the two-week fall sitting, Selinger will be relying on support in the chamber from five former cabinet ministers who recently resigned after questioning his leadership. They remain in caucus but are no longer allowed to attend caucus meetings or have any input.

There appears to have been very little communication between Selinger's team and the rebels, who will still be expected to sit in the chamber at their assigned times and vote with the NDP majority. They were moved out of the NDP's section on the second floor of the legislature this week and are now in offices in the southeast corner of the building.

"There has been contact, I think it was indicated last week by our caucus chair (Matt Wiebe)," government house leader Steve Ashton said earlier this week.

"The key person that has the direct contact on a daily basis with a (legislature member) is obviously the whip and we will have a new whip in place prior to the sitting on Thursday."

Until recently, the NDP whip was long-time backbencher Greg Dewar. But he was named finance minister earlier this month in a shuffle prompted by the rebels' resignations.

Selinger has been under fire for weeks, after the five said he should consider resigning in light of low opinion polls and continuing public anger over last year's increase in the provincial sales tax. The group included some of the government's top ministers Jennifer Howard in finance, Andrew Swan in justice and Erin Selby in health who have been replaced by less-experienced politicians.

Selinger has said he plans to stay on as premier and lead the party into the April 2016 election. He has also challenged his critics to run against him at the NDP's annual convention in March under a little-used clause in the party's constitution. The executive is trying to hammer out ground rules for the contest.

Selinger appears to be "in survival mode," said Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Manitoba.

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Greg Selinger's Manitoba's NDP Government Returns, Divided, To Chamber