Letters to the Editor

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Letters of the day Throne speech split

By: Staff Writer

4/12/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Manitoba's throne speech on Monday had a welcome proposal for grassroots anti-poverty activists.

Following the campaign to target poverty for a poverty-free Manitoba, organized by the Canadian Federation of Students and Make Poverty History Manitoba, we are happy to see the announcement of the premier's advisory council on poverty and education, which will be established "to co-ordinate the efforts of all sectors in the community and bring forward new ideas and approaches."

Students and community members in Manitoba should take advantage of this unique opportunity, and consider this a victory, it goes to show that taking action on poverty gets results.

We look forward to working with the premier and the advisory council, and we will continue the campaign to Target Poverty for a Poverty-Free Manitoba!

JONNY SOPOTIUK,

Canadian Federation of Students

Winnipeg

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Tell us something new -- as a student, hearing Monday's throne speech from Premier Greg Selinger was rather uninspiring.

I half expected to hear some visionary statements or progressive policy initiatives, or at the very least to hear some new announcements.

While other provinces, like New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, are committing to progressive policy initiatives by continuing to block any tuition fee increases this year, our government announces capital spending and tax credits.

Unfortunately, our government's press release and throne speech is nothing but old news. Selinger already committed to making available a portion of the 60 per cent tuition rebate to students during the NDP leadership race. The new campus projects were already committed to, most of which have already broken ground.

This year's throne speech should have been used to take our province in a new direction. But it looks like Selinger is already off on a bad track to start his term. Students were hoping for some real leadership and vision to move our province forward, and the throne speech definitely wasn't that. So the real question now is, will Selinger be able to deliver or will students need to look elsewhere?

Stephen Montague

Brandon University Students' Union

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 4, 2009 A15

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