Winnipeg South Centre Q and A – Matt Henderson

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This article was published 14/10/2015 (3674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg South Centre is home to 90,711 people, based on the 2011 census, from various backgrounds and diverse neighbourhoods. There are 67,988 people registered to vote in the riding. The riding stretches from the south banks of the Assiniboine River down through Tuxedo and Linden Woods, east through River Heights and Fort Garry, and north through Fort Rouge to Osborne Village.

Four candidates are running for MP in Winnipeg South Centre. Based on community issues and concerns, The Sou’wester posed the same questions to each candidate to find out how they will work for the community.

Here are NDP candidate Matt Henderson’s answers:

Q: Residents who have had door-to-door Canada Post delivery for decades will lose that service in favour of community mail boxes. How do you feel residents in the riding will be affected by the end of door-to-door delivery?

A: The NDP has promised to stop the cuts to door-to-door mail delivery once we are elected on Oct. 19. Community mailboxes pose a number of challenges and are barriers to accessibility. For example, how is a senior with restrictions on their mobility supposed to get their mail in the middle of the winter when sidewalks, streets and mailbox platforms are covered in ice? The safe thing to do is bring back door-to-door mail delivery. This will be one of my priorities if I am elected to represent Winnipeg South Centre.

Q: Describe how you and your party will best represent Winnipeg South Centre residents in regards to Kapyong Barracks consultations.

A: Winnipeg South Centre has an amazing opportunity to be a leader in the reconciliation process. An NDP government will work on a nation-to-nation basis with First Nations and honour the treaties.

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Both the Liberal and Conservative governments have dug in their heels on this issue and this prime piece of land has sat empty since 2004. It’s time to engage indigenous communities in meaningful consultation, not just on Kapyong but all across Canada.

Q: What will you and your party do to increase or improve access to childcare specifically in Winnipeg South Centre?

A: An NDP government will bring in a national childcare strategy and work with provinces to create one million quality affordable childcare spaces at no more than $15 a day. We are the only party that has pledged to fix the biggest problem that young families are facing — finding childcare spaces. As parents of two young children, my wife Lauren and I know first-hand how difficult it is to find suitable childcare. The NDP strategy will help parents get back to work sooner and help grow a sustainable strong economy.

Q: Recent crime has made many residents fearful for their property and safety in their community. Taking into consideration federal jurisdiction over sentence length and the Youth Criminal Justice Act, how will you and  your party address low level and petty crime in Winnipeg South Centre neighbourhoods?

A: As a homeowner, these stories are troubling and everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community. Policing services in Winnipeg South Centre fall under the jurisdiction of the City of Winnipeg and we will do whatever we can to give them the tools do their jobs. There are concrete things that we can do at the federal level to address the broader societal issues like poverty and inequality that are often the root causes of crime.