Manitoba Tories discuss election strategy, leadership rules at annual meeting

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's governing Progressive Conservatives laid the groundwork Saturday for their upcoming election campaign. They also looked at potential changes to their leadership selection process that was widely criticized during the last race for the party helm.

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's governing Progressive Conservatives laid the groundwork Saturday for their upcoming election campaign. They also looked at potential changes to their leadership selection process that was widely criticized during the last race for the party helm.

Premier Heather Stefanson revealed a new slogan -- "Fighting for Manitobans" -- and told more than 200 delegates to prepare for the election slated for Oct. 3.

"We need to fight to prevent NDP tax hikes. We need to fight their soft-on-crime agenda," Stefanson told the crowd.

In her speech aimed at firing up party faithful, Stefanson repeatedly accused Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew of being in favour of defunding police, which Kinew has denied. She offered no evidence of any NDP plan for tax increases other than tax hikes enacted under the former NDP government in place before Kinew was elected.

The Tories also revealed a new radio ad and discussed campaign strategy, although reporters were asked to leave the room for that session.

The Tories have been trailing the New Democrats in opinion polls for more than two years. This year, they have also started to trail the NDP in the amount of money in the bank for the first time in a decade.

Stefanson said fundraising has picked up and new ads will hit the airwaves "in the next very short while." The Tories' major annual fundraising event -- a dinner that coincides with the weekend meeting -- was sold out with 1,300 tickets purchased, the party said.