Stefanson’s government going out with a resounding thud

Opinion

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This article was published 30/05/2023 (832 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the Manitoba legislature adjourns for the summer this week, any hope the Stefanson government had of turning its political fortunes around before the next election will come to an end.

MLAs sit Thursday for the last time before the upcoming provincial election, scheduled for Oct. 3. Barring a miraculous turn of events over the summer, the Stefanson government is headed for almost certain defeat at the polls.

The Tories have been so far behind the NDP in Winnipeg (where elections are won and lost) for so long, the challenge of making a comeback is virtually insurmountable.

What little opportunity the Tories may have had during the last session to significantly close the gap was squandered.

The Tories’ biggest failing during the last session was, by far, in health care. Their mismanagement of hospital operations was particularly damaging. It triggered a fierce public backlash from doctors, nurses and allied health-care workers that will have a lasting effect. It’s tough to get re-elected with that many front-line professionals mad at your government.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon’s incompetence and constant fumbling of important files was a big reason for that. The amateur way her office handled and responded to questions about the Tories’ “health care human resources” plan has been a major embarrassment for government. Gordon’s non-answers to simple questions, such as the net change in overall healthcare staffing, are an insult to the public.

The Tories failed to make any meaningful progress in health care throughout the session, including on wait lists and staffing shortages. To make matters worse, the Stefanson government announced several new health-care projects, including an expanded ICU at Grace Hospital, without any details or plans on how to staff them.

Opposition members revealed during the session that Manitoba Health commissioned a study in 2022 to examine the sustainability of staffing in health care. The evidence showed that once government discovered there was widespread burnout and discontent among front-line workers, they shelved the report and abandoned further study. Instead working to solve the problem, they ignored it. It was a damning revelation.

The Tories were also dogged during the last session by a mass exodus of senior executives at Shared Health, the agency that oversees health services across the province. The upheaval raised serious questions about who is in charge of health-care and why so many people have bolted.

At the same time, several people in senior positions within the Stefanson government were let go, including former clerk of executive council Don Leitch and former chief of staff Phil Houde.

Ironically, Gordon’s press secretary Draper Houston received a promotion and a raise earlier this month to become senior manager of health communications for cabinet. Go figure.

None of this paints a picture of a stable government that seems to know what it’s doing.

Meanwhile, the Stefanson government’s 2023 budget, introduced in March, did little to boost Tory support. Despite “historic” spending levels and tax cuts few demanded, the fiscal blueprint barely moved the needle for the PC party in public opinion polls.

Claims of “astronomical” spending on public schools by Education Minister Wayne Ewasko in February also fell flat. Despite a 6.1 per cent overall funding increase, some school divisions said they will still have to cut services next year, owing to inflation and years of PC government austerity.

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The Tories’ rejection of harm-reduction strategies for drug addiction did not win them many accolades during the last session, either. The political fallout from former community wellness minister Sarah Guillemard, who claimed last year she did her own “research” on supervised injection sites, was particularly damaging.

The Tories were also in hot water earlier this month after the Free Press revealed Manitoba Public Insurance doled out performance bonuses and pay raises to senior executives.

The Stefanson government’s recent patronage appointment of residential school denier and former Tory cabinet minister Jim McCrae was particularly egregious. McCrae, a justice minister in the 1990s, has downplayed the harm caused by residential schools. Despite that, he was appointed to a committee that helps select judicial officials to the Court of King’s Bench.

He resigned from the position last week after he was contacted by the Free Press about it. Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen apologized Monday for the appointment.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca

Tom Brodbeck
Columnist

Tom Brodbeck is an award-winning author and columnist with over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom.

Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.