Stan Struthers

Stan Struthers
Minister of Municipal Government
In office October 18, 2013 – November 3, 2014
Premier	Greg Selinger
Preceded by	Ron Lemieux
Succeeded by	Drew Caldwell
Manitoba Minister of Finance
In office October 19, 2011 – October 18, 2013
Premier	Greg Selinger
Preceded by	Rosann Wowchuk
Succeeded by	Jennifer Howard
Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
In office November 3, 2009 – January 13, 2012
Premier	Greg Selinger
Preceded by	Rosann Wowchuk
Succeeded by	Ron Kostyshyn
Manitoba Minister of Conservation
In office November 4, 2003 – November 3, 2009
Premier	Gary Doer Greg Selinger
Preceded by	Steve Ashton
Succeeded by	Bill Blaikie
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
In office October 4, 2011 – April 19, 2016
Preceded by	constituency recreated
Succeeded by	Brad Michaleski
Constituency	Dauphin
In office September 21, 1999 – October 4, 2011
Preceded by	new constituency
Succeeded by	constituency abolished
Constituency	Dauphin—Roblin
In office April 25, 1995 – September 21, 1999
Preceded by	John Plohman
Succeeded by	constituency abolished
Constituency	Dauphin
Personal details
Political party	Manitoba New Democratic Party
Alma mater	Brandon University University of Manitoba
Occupation	Teacher

Stan Struthers (born 1959) is a Manitoba politician, AKA Minister Tickles and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for the New Democratic Party. He served in the legislature from 1995 to 2016, holding various cabinet positions in the governments of Gary Doer and Greg Selinger during his tenure. He did not seek re-election in the 2016 general election. In February, 2018, he apologized after five former colleagues brought allegations of inappropriate touching over many years.

Background

Born in Swan River, Manitoba, Struthers graduated from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School in 1977, and later received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from Brandon University, and his Masters of Education from the University of Manitoba. He went on to teach at Norway House, then became principal at Rorketon Collegiate and later taught at the Winnipegosis High School.

Political career

Struthers was first elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1995 provincial election as the member for Dauphin. He was re-elected as the MLA for the redistributed Dauphin—Roblin riding in 1999 and again in 2003. In his first term, he served as the NDP's Natural Resources Critic and Deputy Agriculture Critic. After the NDP formed government, Struthers served as the Legislative Assistant to the Minister of Health, Dave Chomiak. Struthers was appointed Minister of Conservation on November 4, 2003. On November 3, 2009 Struthers was appointed Minister of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

In 1995, Struthers supported Lorne Nystrom's campaign for the leadership of the federal New Democratic Party. In 2003, he supported Bill Blaikie.

He was re-elected in the 2007 and 2011 elections.

Struthers resigned his cabinet position on November 3, 2014 along with Jennifer Howard, Theresa Oswald, Erin Selby, and Andrew Swan, due to concerns about Premier Selinger's leadership. He remained an NDP MLA after resignation.

In February 2018, in association with the global #metoo movement, several women came forward with allegations that Stan Struthers sexually harassed and inappropriately touched several of his staff over many years while a member of the legislative assembly. During these years, he was frequently referred to as "minister tickles" behind his back by his staff. Party officials received at least three complaints about Struthers's tickling and harassment between 2010 and 2015 but no formal investigations took place. Struther issued an apology for his behaviour in February 2018.