Manitoba premier prepared to work with Harper's minority

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer doesn't expect much to change for the province under the repeat Conservative federal minority government that Canadians elected Tuesday.

Doer says his NDP government supported the federal Conservative budget in 2007, and noted that Manitoba has worked with Ottawa on infrastructure agreements and on establishing the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

"We had great leadership from our prime minister on that issue, so we're really pleased that that project is moving ahead with the private money that's been raised and the public commitment to make it a national institution here in Manitoba," Doer said.  

That said, the premier conceded there are areas where his government is not on the same page as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's.

"Our view is that the farmers should decide the future of the Canadian Wheat Board, not ideology," Doer said. 

"[Harper] will argue that he's won almost every agricultural seat in Western Canada, and that's true.  We will argue that farmers should have a separate vote on the future of the wheat board. It shouldn't be politicians deciding the future, it should be farmers."

Of the Prairie provinces, Manitoba elected the largest variety of candidates. Both the Conservatives and the NDP gained a seat, leaving the Tories with nine, the New Democrats with four and the Liberals with one.

Conservatives were elected in 27 of Alberta's 28 seats. In Saskatchewan, where 14 seats were up for grabs, Tories were elected in 13 ridings.