Liberals gathered yesterday to welcome Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray as their newest star candidate and to defuse concerns about the backroom deal that took him from city hall to the front lines of a federal election. After months of denying he had any interest in seeking federal office, a beaming Murray appeared in a tiny lounge in the St. James Centennial Pool building to confirm he will stand as the Liberal candidate in Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia. The charismatic mayor was surrounded by a who's who of Manitoba's Liberal elite, including Treasury Board President Reg Alcock, Manitoba's senior Grit MP, and a host of candidates and MPs who will form the Liberal slate in an election expected to be called within the next two weeks. Yesterday's event unfolded as a flawless love-in, as senior Grits like Alcock, widely rumoured to be wary of Murray's ambitious personality, praised the new candidate. "We've had conversations in the past and we've been hoping sometime he would do this and I'm delighted this day has come," Alcock said. Murray, 46, said he is taking the risk of leaving city hall for the opportunity of working with Prime Minister Paul Martin on a new deal for municipal funding, a cause he championed on the national stage. "(Martin) said to Canadians, he said to mayors that we need a new deal for cities. He has asked me to be part of creating that new deal." Although he has been frank about his desire to rise above the station of a backbench MP, Murray said no specific position within government has been offered. "(Martin) told me that if I could get myself elected, there might be a seat in the House of Commons for me," said Murray. Murray said he had not been "shopping around for a riding" and had only seriously considered seeking the Grit nomination in the west-end Winnipeg riding earlier this month when he learned incumbent MP John Harvard had been offered a post as Manitoba's next lieutenant-governor. However, even as Murray tried to downplay speculation about how hard he lobbied, information was surfacing that seemed to confirm there was more going on behind the scenes than the mayor was willing to acknowledge. Harvard, who is leaving federal politics after 16 years as an MP, said Martin offered him the lieutenant- governor's post on March 20. Harvard confirmed the offer was made to create an opening for Murray. Liberal insiders believe the deal was cemented at a private dinner between Murray and Martin more than a week before Harvard was offered his plum. Murray's new political opponents portrayed the Harvard appointment as evidence the Liberals are not sincere about their pledge to reform the democratic process in Ottawa. "It doesn't say much for the democratic deficit of Paul Martin that the only way to get his star candidate in Winnipeg is through political patronage," said New Democrat Pat Martin, the MP for Winnipeg Centre. Harvard's appointment as lieutenant-governor was confirmed yesterday by the Prime Minister's Office in a news release. Harvard said he is looking forward to continuing his work in public service. "There was no coercion, absolutely not," said Harvard, 65. "I've been at this a very long time and it was time to move on."
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