Theresa Oswald 'miles away' from deciding on NDP leadership run

Manitoba NDP MLA Theresa Oswald says she's thinking about whether to seek Premier Greg Selinger's job in a leadership race next spring.

Oswald, who is one of five government ministers who resigned from Selinger's cabinet, confirmed that some people have urged her to run.

"I am miles away from a yes or a no. Absolutely no decision has been made," she told reporters on Friday.

"Some people have insinuated otherwise, but that's just not true. I'm just, just thinking it over."

The provincial NDP executive will meet on Saturday to work out the ground rules for the leadership race.

Those rules could include a decision on whether Selinger should step down as premier until the vote is held at the party's annual convention on March 6.

Oswald said she will not make a decision until she sees those ground rules.

"That's an incredible honour, by the way, when people ask you that," she said of those who have asked her to run.

"I'm just reflecting on that, as I've committed to them that I would do."

The leadership race was called after Oswald and four other high-profile MLAs questioned Selinger's leadership, then left cabinet when he refused to step down.

They accused the premier of not listening to his cabinet anymore and of failing to address public concern over last year's provincial sales tax increase.

The NDP plummeted in opinion polls after the tax hike and has been far behind the Opposition Progressive Conservatives with an election slated for April 2016.

Selinger shuffled his cabinet to replace the outgoing ministers. He later allowed the dissident MLAs to remain in the NDP caucus, albeit in a restricted capacity.

The premier has said he plans to lead the party into the next election. He has said anyone wanting to take his job is free to try to do so at the annual convention under a little-used section of the NDP constitution.

Steve Ashton, the NDP's house leader and emergency measures minister who ran against Selinger in the 2009 leadership race, did not rule out entering this time as well.