November 3, 2022

PC Government Offers No Solutions  

Treaty 1 and Dakota Territory, Homeland of the Red River Métis, Winnipeg MB—As the fourth session of the 42nd Legislature comes to a close today, the Manitoba NDP continues to focus on fixing health care and helping families in the cost-of-living crisis.  

“Manitobans want to see their government fix health care and make life more affordable. This session, with a provincial election around the corner, we put forward ideas to fix the damage done to health care and help families feeling the pressure of rising prices,” said Kinew. “Working families need a government that understands the challenge they face and is ready to help them, but the PCs are only focused on helping their wealthy friends.”  

In Question Period New Democrats raised record emergency room waits and hallway medicine at hospitals across Manitoba, including the Grace Hospital. The NDP urged the PC government to address chronic nursing and doctor shortages and to eliminate burdensome red tape that prevents Manitoba nurses from working in the province. They flagged the impacts of PC health care cuts on families, including cutting home care supports, abandoning the foot care clinic in Thompson and blocking addictions organizations from testing street drugs.  

In this session the Stefanson PCs resurrected Pallister-era Bill 36 which would raise Hydro rates and eliminate public oversight of Manitoba Hydro, after the first bill was stalled by the NDP. Kinew announced an early campaign commitment to freeze Hydro rates so that families can catch a break, while Premier Stefanson voted for a 5% rate hike. Kinew urged the PCs to stop raising milk prices, to use MPI reserves to lower autopac rates, and his caucus brought forward legislation to end unfair rent increases.  

As part of their commitment to community safety, the Manitoba NDP announced a plan to end chronic homelessness by following a Houston, Texas model to match unsheltered people with available housing. 

“Premier Stefanson and her PC government used this session to continue giving tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” said NDP House Leader Nahanni Fontaine. “They put the interests of a wealthy PC donor ahead of the safety of Brandon families and supported doubling water rates for Brandon families. Manitobans will not forget that in this session the PCs refused to give Manitobans a statutory holiday to acknowledge Orange Shirt Day. While they promote the interests of the wealthy few, our NDP team is putting families first.”