The recently elected Progressive Conservative (PC) party in Manitoba ran on a call for change. But change for the sake for the sake of change can cause more harm than good, especially for Manitoba’s most marginalized. While there are many policy areas to monitor, here are four to watch as they begin their mandate.
By Fletcher Barager
The Manitoba Employers Council (MEC) recently released a report that delivers a damning indictment of the Manitoban economy. Fortunately for the province it is the report, not the economy, that deserves the failing grade.
Deploying a selective set of economic indicators, the report compares Manitoba’s economic performance not to that of the other nine provinces, nor even to the national average, but to a select group of four―a group that not coincidentally contains the four wealthiest provinces, and four of the six largest.
With this realignment, Manitoba moves from its accustomed mid-level placing in the national rankings to a slot at the bottom of this handpicked group. A Free Press editorial (April 5, 2016) then claimed that the report “shows Manitoba failing in almost every key economic indicator”. A strong claim, but not an accurate one. And certainly not a sufficient foundation to support the MEC call for smaller government and lower taxes.
Assessing economic performance, admittedly, is not straightforward. Different indicators highlight different aspects of the economy and also different economic outcomes.
The Syrian refugee crisis has attracted unprecedented political attention and, arguably, corresponding political will in Canada. In November 2015, the Province of Manitoba publicly stated it could welcome 1,500 to 2,000 of the 25,000 Syrian refugees that the federal Liberal government promised to resettle in Canada over a short period of time. According to Welcome Place, the housing arm of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC), between November 4, 2015, and March 17, 2016, 928 Syrian refugees arrived in Manitoba. To put matters into perspective, the total number of refugee arrivals to the province in 2014 was 1,495. On March 21, 2016, Welcome Place claimed on its Twitter account that since November 2015 it has provided settlement support to over 630 Syrian refugees.
By Lynne Fernandez
At the end of 2015 The Conference Board of Canada predicted that in 2016, Manitoba’s economic activity would be second only to BC, with strong performance expected in the service, manufacturing and constructions sectors. The CBOC thinks we’ll see even stronger output in 2017. The Manitoba Bureau of Statistics (MBS) report, The Review 20141 , explains that “Manitoba’s labour market performance has been a strong indicator of its robust economy”. According to the report, Manitoba had one of the strongest labour markets in the country.
By Jim Silver
Brian Pallister has said that if his Conservative Party wins this month’s provincial election, he will not rule out the possibility of experimenting with privatization in Manitoba’s health care system.
It may be worth recalling what happened when the provincial Conservative government privatized 10 percent of Winnipeg’s home care market in 1997. Mr. Pallister was Minister of Government Services at the time, and was fully in support of the “innovative” privatization experiment.
By Susan Prentice
Childcare is a surprisingly important election issue. It figured prominently in the 2015 federal election, and is playing a role in the 2016 Manitoba provincial election. Why does childcare warrant such political and public attention? The answer lies with demographics, care deficits, federal cutbacks and most importantly political choices.
By Josh Brandon
Manitobans rate themselves to be a generous and caring society. When natural disasters strike, we are the first to respond. Manitobans are Canada’s most reliable donors to causes both at home and abroad. So how is it that poverty continues to afflict more than 140,000 Manitobans, including 40,000 children? Quite simply, as dedicated volunteers at Manitoba’s many food banks and shelters confirm, poverty cannot be solved by charity. It requires determined collective effort through government policy and leadership.
By Cheryl Lysy
With the provincial election around the corner, parties are gearing up with promises for Manitobans. The Liberal leader, Rana Bokhari, is promising to turn liquor sales into private business. The Conservatives and NDP have stated they will not privatize liquor stores. As a social work student, former employee of Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and current employee at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, I am concerned.
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