Former premier Greg Selinger's announcement this week that he will retire from politics early next month is generating some discussion on his legacy as the leader of this province.

The announcment comes on the heels of inappropriate touching allegations by seven women against former MLA Stan Struthers. Those incidents took place while Selinger was leader of the party and the fact that he failed to correct the situation likely hastened his decision to step away from political life.

The MLA for St. Boniface served as premier from 2009 to 2016.

Selinger has had a long career in public service, first as a Winnipeg city councillor and then as an NDP caucus member and cabinet member under former Premier Gary Doer.

Greg Selinger (File photo)

"I think we have to extend a level of respect to anybody that contributes a portion of life to serving the public," said Brandon political science professor Kelly Saunders. "It can be a difficult job and challenging for individuals and their families and we have to properly respect that. However, whatever good work and service that Mr. Selinger may have provided will be overshadowed by his departure and the circumstances leading up to it. I think this is going to be what people are going to associate him with, which is the open fights between him and current NDP leader Wab Kinew and then essentially being forced out of caucus as a result."

Saunders noted that Selinger made some poor decisions as premier primarily because he did not take advice from the people around him. She cites raising the PST from 7 percent to 8 percent as an example.

"What we are hearing now is that he refused to seek counsel and advice from his caucus members and would make a decision and stubbornly stick by it regardless. I think the PST issue was an example of where he was not heeding the cautionary advice of his own caucus who were saying 'we promised we weren't going to do this.' Yet, he stubbornly refused to listen and that was what finally triggered the caucus and cabinet revolt."

Saunders also cited the Bipole lll project as another example of Selinger not listening to the experts at Manitoba Hydro and a number of economists who said building the transmission line on the west side of the province was not a good project to proceed with and would be too costly.

"Yet the NDP stubbornly stuck to that and I think a lot of that had to do with Mr. Selinger who, once he makes a decision, wants to follow through on it. Now the project is facing escalating costs and we're facing a situation where hydro rates are going up and we have an economy that was downgraded by financial markets for ballooning debts and deficits. I think that is one of the single issues that we can point to that is not going to hold him in high esteem in terms of his legacy."

Selinger has said he intends to resign his seat in the legislature on March 7th.