ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Promises made Monday

Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011

NDP

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/09/2011 (5163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NDP

Premier Greg Selinger said Monday a re-elected NDP government would fund the hiring of 50 city police officers to patrol downtown.

Selinger said he believes Mayor Sam Katz and police Chief Keith McCaskill will support the proposal.

“Everybody is concerned about making the downtown a safe place,” the premier said.Selinger said informal discussions have already taken place on a permanent presence of foot-patrol officers downtown. Winnipeg police have used two “storefront” operations on Portage Avenue over the years, with both closing because of rental costs, staffing pressures and other issues. “It’s been frustrating not to see cops walking on Portage Avenue,” Selinger said.

Later in the day, the NDP also pledged to resurface 20 kilometres of Highway 17 between Fisher Branch and Peguis at a cost of $15 million.

Conservatives

The Tories said Monday they would add 40 new palliative-care beds in Manitoba to meet growing demands on the heath-care system from an aging population.

Palliative care focuses on relieving the suffering of patients by controlling pain and caring for patients who are dying.

The number of Manitobans over age 75 is expected to nearly double by 2036.

Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen said the additions would cost $10 million.

McFadyen reaffirmed earlier pledges that a Tory government would get tough on gang and gun crime. He said if elected, he would reinstate a city police gang database to help keep track of gang members and fund more officers for a special unit to focus on the illegal gun trade.

Liberals

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard promised the Liberals would commit $4.6 million to fight diabetes epidemic in Manitoba. He said a significant amount of this money would go toward offering healthy life alternatives to those most at risk as part of a stronger focus on prevention and early detection in at-risk communities, especially in remote communities and those where incidence of diabetes is higher.

“Liberals will make the diabetes epidemic a major public health priority in Manitoba,” Gerrard said.