Manitoba Politics

[Wideleft]

Seeing as we'll be having a provincial election this year, I think this thread will have no problem standing on its own and separate from the Canadian Politics thread.  Throw your civic/municipal stuff in here as well.

[JCon]

Pour one out for Civil Servants.

One of the most challenging things for any gov't, when everyone knows that they're getting booted from office, is holding onto staff. Order in Council appointments have zero protection (and they know that before going nt), so they often looking for other work long before the gov'ts term ends. 

Politicians make the decisions but the staff are who get things done. Without competent, experienced staff, there's very little chance you'll get much done. 

When the NDP was in its final throws in gov't the staff cleared out. The new NDP gov't in Alberta scooped up the good ones. It was a mess. 

These are political appointments, so they usually have deep roots with the party. 

[Mark H.]

Yes.  Remember that Mark Stobbe case?

He was only living in Manitoba because the NDP were in power at the time - he'd moved over from another province.

 

[JCon]

3 hours ago, Mark H. said:

Yes.  Remember that Mark Stobbe case?

He was only living in Manitoba because the NDP were in power at the time - he'd moved over from another province.

 

Yup! 

[Wideleft]

17 hours ago, JCon said:

 

One of the most challenging things for any gov't, when everyone knows that they're getting booted from office, is holding onto staff. Order in Council appointments have zero protection (and they know that before going nt), so they often looking for other work long before the gov'ts term ends. 

Politicians make the decisions but the staff are who get things done. Without competent, experienced staff, there's very little chance you'll get much done. 

When the NDP was in its final throws in gov't the staff cleared out. The new NDP gov't in Alberta scooped up the good ones. It was a mess. 

These are political appointments, so they usually have deep roots with the party. 

Have to take advantage of those severance packages, too.

[JCon]

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

Have to take advantage of those severance packages, too.

No job stability, no security. I have no problems with the severance packages, which should be done by formula. 

These are jobs that are absolutely required in order to ensure govt operates. Can't do it without. But, due to the political nature of it, it is seen as a partisan issue, when it really shouldn't be. 

[Wideleft]

2 minutes ago, JCon said:

No job stability, no security. I have no problems with the severance packages, which should be done by formula. 

These are jobs that are absolutely required in order to ensure govt operates. Can't do it without. But, due to the political nature of it, it is seen as a partisan issue, when it really shouldn't be. 

I totally agree.  Only suggesting that it makes leaving that much more palatable.

[Wideleft]

Premier silent after Tory MLAs attend Poilievre speech

By: Carol SandersPosted: 9:31 PM CST Monday, Jan. 16, 2023

 

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is refusing to address why members of her Progressive Conservative caucus attended an event organized by a group that has been called out for minimizing the impact of racism and residential schools.

Stefanson, who has said Indigenous reconciliation is a top priority for her government since becoming premier more than a year ago, skirted a question about Tory MLAs attending the Frontier Centre for Public Policy event on Jan. 13, featuring federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

An email from Stefanson’s press secretary focused instead on Poilievre being in Winnipeg: “Premier did have plans to meet with (him), but their schedules didn’t work out.”

A number of prominent PC caucus members attended the gathering at the downtown RBC Convention Centre, including Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen, Health Minister Audrey Gordon, Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Andrew Smith and MLAs James Teitsma (Radisson), Obby Khan (Fort Whyte) and Kevin Klein (Kirkfield Park).

A PC caucus spokesperson said the party wasn’t keeping track of who attended the Frontier Centre for Public Policy event — and it wasn’t a big deal.

“Just as the Manitoba NDP or Manitoba Liberals would attend events featuring the federal leaders of their respective parties, some PC caucus members attended an event featuring the Conservative Party of Canada leader,” the spokesperson said in a prepared statement.

“Any tickets purchased by PC caucus members were paid for personally.”

Klein (elected last month in a byelection) explained in an email why he attended Poilievre’s speech.

“In my experience, the best leaders are the best listeners and I went to listen, on my own dime. I wanted to listen to Mr. Poilievre’s thoughts on improving health care across the nation, his stance on violent crime, and affordability for Manitobans and Canadians,” Klein wrote Monday.

Last summer, the Winnipeg-based Frontier Centre posted a commentary on its website that said stories about murdered and secretly buried children at residential schools are highly suspicious, if not completely false. Last month, the centre posted an article that said anti-white male policies represent the only ongoing systemic discrimination.

Attending such an event as a high-stakes election looms shows a lack of judgment, said Brandon University political science Prof. Kelly Saunders.

“They’re almost 30 points behind the NDP,” Saunders said, referring to the PCs’ Winnipeg polling results from a December Probe Research Inc. survey

“To not think about the optics of every single thing that they’re doing from now until that election time, specifically around public events such as this with flashpoint organizations like the Frontier Centre — it’s shocking to me.”

On Monday, Frontier Centre spokesman David Leis said the organization wants to see criminal investigations when human remains are located at former residential school sites, and have a respectful dialogue about reconciliation — then accused the media of misrepresenting the centre and threatened legal action before hanging up on the Free Press.

The centre has published reports calling for the abolition of the Indian Act, something Poilievre has also publicly endorsed.

On Jan. 13, the Conservative leader — who said he supports reconciliation and has called residential schools “an ugly and horrific blight on our history” — told The Canadian Press: “We speak with groups all the time with which we disagree.”

Taking part in an event associated with the Frontier Centre is a price the PCs can ill afford to pay when they’re tanking in the polls — especially in Winnipeg’s urban constituencies that are considered more progressive, Saunders said.

It also undermines the premier’s messaging Indigenous reconciliation is a priority, she added.

Indigenous relations critic for the NDP, Ian Bushie, said the premier must explain how she can say reconciliation is a priority but not call out the Frontier Centre or her caucus members for participating in one of its events.

“It’s just kind of ‘Here’s talking points for the public, but at the same time we’re gonna go and do this kind of thing, we’re gonna support these kinds of organizations,’” said the Keewatinook MLA and former chief of Hollow Water First Nation.

The PC MLAs in attendance made a conscious decision to hear Poilievre speak at the Frontier Centre’s event, rather than choosing another time to see the federal Conservative leader in Winnipeg, said Bushie.

“They choose to do this but, honestly, we believe that reflects their values, as well.”

— with files from The Canadian Press

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/01/16/premier-silent-after-tory-mlas-attend-poilievre-speech

Edited January 17, 2023 by Wideleft

[JCon]

PP is residential school denier. The CPC is just the PPC now. Trash. 

Not a surprise to see Klein there. That's his base. 

[Wideleft]

Edited January 17, 2023 by Wideleft

[JCon]

Just now, Wideleft said:

Maybe spend the money on making it easier to stay in school? Nah, ef the kids. 

[Wideleft]

2 minutes ago, JCon said:

Maybe spend the money on making it easier to stay in school? Nah, ef the kids. 

Tried to copy a comment from Reddit, but it doesn't seem to work.

 

"Otherwise you'll make fragmented sentences like "School. Keep going" instead of " Keep going to school.""

Edited January 17, 2023 by Wideleft

[JCon]

3 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

Tried to copy a comment saying the exact same thing on Reddit, but it doesn't seem to work.

"Otherwise you'll make fragmented sentences like "School. Keep going" instead of " Keep going to school.""

Honestly, they probably brought Wayne a bunch of options but this was the only thing he could understand. The two word sentence threw him off for a while. 

 

259 days. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by JCon

[blue_gold_84]

6 minutes ago, JCon said:

Honestly, they probably brought Wayne a bunch of options but this was the only thing he could understand. The two word sentence threw him off for a while. 

 

259 days. 

[WildPath]

 

 

[JCon]

13 hours ago, WildPath said:

 

 

Ugh. 

No changes to independent funding? Double ugh.

[Mark H.]

2 hours ago, JCon said:

Ugh. 

No changes to independent funding? Double ugh.

If I am correct, they get 50% of what a public school receives, provided they teach the provincial curriculum

If they don't teach the curriculum or use a home school program - funding = 0

 

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-financial-assistance-cheques-affordability-1.6726754

Quote

The Manitoba government is cutting $225 and $375 cheques as part of a new affordability package billed as a carbon tax relief fund, intended to help people make ends meet in a time of high food and fuel costs, the premier says.

"It is getting hard to afford the basic necessities. We hear Manitobans when they say they can hardly afford to put gas in their cars," Premier Heather Stefanson said at a news conference on Thursday.

The $200-million fund will benefit roughly 700,000 people older than 18 who lived in the province on Dec. 31, 2021, and whose family net income that year was less than $175,000, with or without children.

A single person who meets the criteria will receive $225, while couples will receive $375. For couples, the lower income earner will receive the cheque. They will begin to be mailed out at the end of this month, the government website says, but the process will likely take up to six weeks.

Stefanson said the carbon tax is adding to people's financial burden, and called on the federal government to put a stop to it.

Clown ****.

[JCon]

And, next week, the Premier is meeting with the Prime Minister to complain that they are too poor. The gall of the PCs/Right across the country is astounding and criminal. No leadership, no ideas, nothing but corruption. 

[Wideleft]

Meanwhile, sexual assault victims are being turned away at HSC due to staffing issues.

People who have been sexually assaulted aren't receiving adequate care because the department tasked with treating them is understaffed and hasn't yet received funding promised by the province nine months ago, the Manitoba Nurses Union says.

Darlene Jackson, the president of the union, says a full-time provincial co-ordinator of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program hasn't been hired, and there haven't been any education opportunities to be able to train new forensic nurses.

"The program has been held together by a small group of extremely dedicated nurses. Currently SANE nurses cover the phones when no one is scheduled, they may work up to 24 hours in a row and many of them hold a position elsewhere in the system," Jackson said at a news conference Wednesday.

"With the gaps in scheduling, extremely vulnerable patients have been told to go home and wait, to do their best to preserve the evidence ... This is outrageous."

Jackson said nurses have reported having to send people home, to stay in the same clothes and not to shower before returning at a later date. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-nurses-union-sexual-assault-nurse-examiner-1.6725459

Edited January 27, 2023 by Wideleft

[GCJenks]

In addition to expressing outrage at the way Shared Health and WRHA spend there money there are things we can personally do to help. 

If I can suggest a great organization supporting the victims or sexual assault, especially during childhood, please support Heartwood Healing Centre.

https://heartwoodcentre.ca/support-our-mission/

[rebusrankin]

I mean the extra $ is nice but I'd rather see heathcare funded better, more $ for schools, programing to increase affordable housing etc.

[blue_gold_84]

1 minute ago, rebusrankin said:

I mean the extra $ is nice but I'd rather see heathcare funded better, more $ for schools, programing to increase affordable housing etc.

This move by the PC gov't is just pandering to their fervent base. Both lack any ability to see beyond the short-term.

You don't improve your financial situation by lowering tax revenue and handing out cheques. This is a short-sighted and feeble attempt to distract us from issues plaguing the province.

[Wideleft]

16 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

This move by the PC gov't is just pandering to their fervent base. Both lack any ability to see beyond the short-term.

You don't improve your financial situation by lowering tax revenue and handing out cheques. This is a short-sighted and feeble attempt to distract us from issues plaguing the province.

And the height of cynicism to name it the carbon relief program - a not so subtle finger of blame pointing to the feds.  

[blue_gold_84]

5 minutes ago, Wideleft said:

And the height of cynicism to name it the carbon relief program - a not so subtle finger of blame pointing to the feds.  

Despite the fact we get rebates from the federal gov't a few times throughout the year.

What a cancerous clown show at the legislature.