Manitoba Election

Questionnaire Response

What are the main issues that the New Democratic Party stands for? Why are these issues important?

The priorities of the NDP are the priorities of Manitobans.

Health care is our top priority. Our plan puts patients first. When health isn’t a priority, like in the 1990s, there are cuts, frontline health professionals are fired, and wait times worsen. Health care has improved over the past decade. We’ve built or upgraded over 100 health facilities. We’ve added over 900 personal care home and supportive housing spaces while expanding home care. We’ve cut wait times. And we have added thousands of new health professionals. We will build on this record by hiring 2000 more nurses and 200 doctors, training more health professionals, and making cancer wait times the shortest in the country.

We want to build the economy of tomorrow by investing in jobs and training. We have significantly expanded our training system since 1999 and we will build on that record by helping to build a new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre for Red River College, helping private sector employers hire more apprentices and increasing hiring incentives for rural employers.

Manitoba has one of the lowest costs of living in Canada and we want to keep life affordable by helping families keep more money in their pockets. We have guaranteed that Manitoba families will pay the lowest combined bills in the country for electricity, home heating, and auto insurance. We will also ensure that seniors and farmers do not pay school taxes – building on our record of significant tax relief since 1999.

We want to fight crime and build safer communities. Since 1999 we have invested in policing, prosecutions and new units to target offenders. We will continue to expand prevention by hiring more beat cops and supporting after-school programs, by speeding up prosecutions through creating a first-in-Canada weekend court, and working with Ottawa towards tougher laws.

We want to build Manitoba Hydro to ensure prosperity for generations to come. Building Manitoba Hydro will help keep power rates low for Manitoba families and secure international sales. Hugh McFadyen’s record on privatization shows he can’t be trusted to keep Manitoba Hydro public.

We want to strengthen our education system so that students have every opportunity to succeed. During the 1990s schools were underfunded, taxes ballooned, and students suffered. In the last decade we have turned a corner – our graduation rate has gone from 72.4% in 2001 to 82.7% in 2010. We are raising the school leaving age to 18 and working on a parent-friendly report card. We will build on this record by limiting class sizes for all Kindergarten to grade 3 classes to 20 students to ensure students benefit from more individual attention from teachers in the vital first years.

Lastly, we want to preserve and protect our natural heritage. We have taken strong steps to protect our water – steps opposed by Hugh McFadyen. And we are working with local residents to protect the East Side of Lake Winnipeg. In contrast, McFadyen wants to put major transmission line straight through the heart of the Boreal forest.

What makes the New Democratic Party different from other political parties?

Today’s NDP puts families first.

When the economic downturn hit, we had a choice to make. We could have absorbed the effects of the global recession all at once – with major cuts to health, education, and public safety, and at the risk of derailing economic recovery. This is what the Opposition demanded we do – the Tories even introduced an amendment to the provincial budget which would have required $500 million in cuts.

But we rejected calls to cut public services and we refused to let thousands of Manitobans lose their jobs. We have a Five-Year Economic Plan that keeps us on track to maintain fiscal stability and return to surplus by 2014. The 2010/11 Public Accounts show that our Five year Economic Plan is on track to return the budget to balance by 2014 while protecting jobs and services, without raising taxes.

The NDP is the only party that wants to invest in the services that Manitobans depend on.

Unlike the other parties, we are also committed to building and protecting Manitoba Hydro. Hugh McFadyen was Gary Filmon’s top advisor when the PC government broke its promise and privatized MTS. He would do the same for Manitoba Hydro.

What are the first things you would like to do if you form government after the 2011 election?

If we are re-elected, we will get to work immediately and start keeping the promises that Manitobans elected us on.

Since 1999 we have had a strong record of keeping our promises. Just look at what we have accomplished together. We promised to end hallway medicine and rescue health care – and we have reduced hallway medicine by 95% and turned the health care system right side up. We said we’d renew hope for young people by investing in education and cutting tuition – more young families are choosing to build their futures here, our graduation rate is up, and our tuition fees are still lower than they were in 1999. We said we’d make our communities safer – and we have hired more officers and prosecutors, expanded prevention programs, and put in place tough new laws. We said we’d keep balanced budget legislation – and we balanced ten straight budgets before the global recession hit. And we said we’d keep Manitoba Hydro public – and we’ve done just that.

We’ve accomplished so much together. New Democrats will keep building a better Manitoba for everyone. We will build a future that will make our children and grandchildren just as proud to call Manitoba home as we are today.

Why should a voter choose to vote for the New Democratic Party?

The fundamental choice facing Manitobans in this election comes down to this: who will keep our province moving forward in the right direction?

Manitobans are proud of our province and optimistic about our future – and with good reason. Something big is happening in Manitoba. But it was not always this way. Under the Conservative governments of the 1990s, life was getting harder for families, and our population was declining.

Now, the tide has turned. Manitoba is home to more people than ever before. More young families are choosing to build their futures here. We now have the second-youngest province in the country, and we’re getting younger. Just look around. We are literally rebuilding our province. Manitobans walk with a confidence we did not have in the 1990s.

We need to keep Manitoba on the right track. Hugh McFadyen and the PCs are a risk we can afford to take.

Do you have any other comments regarding the New Democratic Party that you would like to share?

Greg Selinger and Today’s NDP have a full slate of highly professional and dedicated candidates for the 2011 election – all working hard to keep Manitoba on the right track and building for the future. Our record of diversity includes Manitoba’s first woman-of-colour MLA and cabinet Minister, Manitoba’s first female Health Minister, and Manitoba’s first female Finance Minister. Our most recent cabinet included a record number of women in key positions. Our candidates come from many different backgrounds - some are teachers, others are lawyers, some are entrepreneurs, and others farm. Collectively they have experience in their communities, in both supporting and leadership roles.

Please visit todaysndp.ca for more info.

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