Blackout sets stage for Manitoba election call

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/06/2019 (2502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister’s promised self-imposed blackout on government announcements and advertising will take effect Wednesday.

While the premier remained abroad on a business trip and subsequent vacation, the province’s chief civil servant, Fred Meier, announced the measure Monday.

The policy affects all government departments, Crown corporations and regional health authorities.

The timing of the blackout suggests a provincial election will likely be held Sept. 10, as Pallister had spoken of restricting government ads and announcements for 90 days before a vote.

In an interview, Meier would only say the blackout would extend to when the writ is dropped, and the dictates of the Election Financing Act would apply.

“It keeps going until the writ is dropped and the premier makes the decision when the writ is dropped,” he said.

With the blackout period looming, the Progressive Conservative government has been boosting the number of announcements it has made in recent days. On Monday, it kicked the process into overdrive, with seven announcements on a single day.

Expect another flurry Tuesday, the final day before the blackout takes effect.

Meier confirmed details of the policy in a phone call with the Free Press, and later provided a copy of the government’s new restrictions. The policy is four-pages long and includes guidelines on public appearances, federal-provincial meetings, public appearances and media interviews.

Meier said government news releases that provide basic health and safety information to the public will not be affected (i.e., notices on water quality at busy beaches will continue, as will notifications of an evacuation due to fire and West Nile virus updates).

“All of those sort of routine government pieces around health and safety will continue,” he said.

Pallister previously said he would voluntarily impose a blackout on advertising in the days leading up to a provincial election.

“The goal is to ensure that there’s no violation of the principles of fairness, no use of government-based resources to support politically-based announcements,” he told reporters June 4, before leaving on a 12-day trip to France.

Pallister was scheduled to attend D-Day commemoration ceremonies and business meetings, and said he would later spend time with his wife, Esther, overseas (at his own expense).

Under Manitoba’s fixed-election date rules, the scheduled date for the next provincial election is Oct. 6, 2020. But the premier has said he doesn’t want an election to interfere with the province’s 150th anniversary next year.

On Monday, the province made a flurry of announcements, including new investments in addictions and mental health supports, upgrades to the Centennial Concert Hall, and more medical access for those with Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont mused early in the day the government seemed to be setting the stage for an early election call.

“My guess is that if he calls the blackout on Wednesday, Manitobans will likely head to the polls mid-September. It will be interesting to see what exceptions the PCs come up with to promote themselves during the blackout,” he said.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew took issue with the government’s intention to cut off communications shortly after releasing the full version of Dr. David Peachey’s report on phase 2 of Winnipeg’s health-care system changes.

“It’s disappointing that, on the same day a damning report on health-care cuts is released, the premier would force his civil servant to effectively launch an election campaign while he vacations in France,” Kinew said.

“This election is about putting a stop to Pallister’s health-care cuts and ER closures and the NDP intends fight hard for Manitobans’ No. 1 priority.”

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca