Throne speech reaction: What was expected and what was missing

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This article was published 16/05/2016 (3433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reaction to Monday’s throne speech was as predictable as the throne speech itself.

No surprises, nothing out of left field, no one who should have liked it didn’t, no one who anticipated the throne speech with fear and loathing was suddenly doing cartwheels and proclaiming “Bravo!”

In former premier Greg Selinger’s own words after the speech, “It was very brief and nothing we hadn’t heard already.”

Here’s a look at the predictable reaction and complaints of what was left out.

The predictable

It was definitely not a shocker — business applauded every word.

“It’s hard for us to find things we didn’t like in it,” said Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce.

The business community is already providing names to the Pallister government of people who could serve on its various advisory bodies and task forces.

“We’re in the process of providing them some suggestions of individuals,” Davidson said. “They’re going to want to make sure they have the right people at the table.”

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities is eager to help its new BFF: “We can help the municipalities understand what the government is trying to do,” generously offered Mel Klassen, mayor of Altona and AMM vice-president.

As a Conservative who spoke highly of Pallister’s “fair say” pledge during the campaign, Mayor Brian Bowman unsurprisingly spoke glowingly of the throne speech. The speech didn’t mention any specific Winnipeg projects, but Bowman celebrated how it outlined how municipalities with a “fair say” on infrastructure investments. The speech made no mention of giving Winnipeg its fair share of the PST, a pledge Bowman campaigned on in 2014.

“Many of the themes were ones we’ve been working on at city hall, I think there’s going to be lots of room for collaboration with Manitoba’s new government — I have to say this was a good throne speech for Winnipeg,” Bowman said.

“We have more work to do (with fair share), but fair say, let’s respect that there is only one taxpayer and what we are hearing today is following through on a commitment was made during the campaign.”

The municipalities like to hear about partnerships and calling their own shots on infrastructure spending, said Klassen. “They used part of our campaign material, Fair Share, Fair Say,” he pointed out.

Red River College president Paul Vogt ventured that when Pallister says he wants the business community to advise him, RRC sees itself as part of that community.

“We see ourselves that way,” said Vogt, citing as an example of his school’s bona fides, “We work hand in glove with the aerospace industry.”

Meanwhile, said Vogt, “The most reassuring thing was that, prior to the throne speech, we heard that (NDP operating grants promises) funding would be retained for this year.”

The missing

The three Manitoba Liberal caucus members marched out of the throne speech with a litany of complaints about what was missing from the throne speech. Each took a turn, with former Liberal leader Jon Gerrard (River Heights) noting there was no mention of supporting science or technology endeavours. Furthermore he noted, there was nothing mentioned about the future of Lake Winnipeg or the implementation of a surface water management strategy.

There was no mention of the east side road authority, which Pallister has pledged to amalgamate, or the suicide epidemic occurring on some reserves, lamented Liberal MLA Judy Klassen (Kewatinook). Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux (Burrows) added the speech doesn’t say anything specific about immigration.

Interim NDP leader Flor Marcelino was “heartbroken” over sectors she said the speech ignored. This included persons with disabilities, newcomers to Canada and missing and murdered indigenous women.

“No mention of reconciliation, no mention of University College of the North, we would like to see all those in the coming days. We would like a wholesome discussion on those,” Marcelino said.

Post-secondary students who want a free university education in an ideal world hadn’t expected much, heard the same. There was no commitment to how the government would handle the tuition cap or operating grants beyond this year.

“It’s not a big surprise,” said Michael Barkman, Manitoba chairman of the Canadian Federation of Students, who said more scholarships and bursaries are a step forward, but cautioned that the system can’t “rely on the private sector for donations.”

If greater financial aid is a prelude to the Conservatives taking the cap off tuition increase, “If it does come up, it’s something we’ll fight against,” said Barkman.

Pat Wege clung to a vague promise of providing the best possible care to families, seniors, children and patients, somehow covered child care.

“I guess that includes child care — the words aren’t actually there,” said Wege, executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association.

The president of the union representing 14,000 provincial public servants said she had hoped to hear a definition of frontline services. Manitoba Government and General Employees Union (MGEU) president Michelle Gawronsky said she’s been told that means people who deliver services, Pallister has repeatedly said he’ll protect frontline workers.

But, she asked rhetorically, “Can you define what your definition of a frontline worker is?”

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca