Letters, Oct. 5

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/10/2023 (1095 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hoping for better

I am delighted that we have a new provincial government, but I must express some concerns.

I am afraid that the new NDP party might turn into a more conservative government.

When I attended a candidate debate hosted by Make Poverty History, the candidates were asked if they would raise the Income Assistance level up to the poverty line. The Liberal and Green party candidates said yes. The PC candidate said no.

I was shocked and frightened when the NDP candidate also said no.

Mr. Kinew seems to think that training and finding a job will end disabilities. This is simply not true. Many medical conditions are incurable, and need prescribed medicines, some of which are not covered by pharmacare, physio and other therapies not covered by Medicare, specialized foods and diets, home care and other life expenses not covered by any insurance plans, public or private.

People with disabilities need assisted and accessible homes, with home care, in buildings that are up to current building code standards, in communities that are safe and clean. I hope Mr. Kinew realizes this, and that Manitoba becomes a better home for all. Thank you.

Judy Herscovitch

Winnipeg

Too bad for Liberals

It was wonderful to see Wab Kinew become the first First Nations premier in Canadian history. It was very sad to see both Jon Gerrard and Dougald Lamont lose their seats in the Manitoba legislature.

Jon Gerrard and Dougald Lamont are both very good men. The NDP has been the conscience of Parliament at the federal level. The Liberal Party of Manitoba has served in this capacity in the Manitoba legislature.

Both the NDP and the PCs have a terrible record in Manitoba when it comes to equality for queer people. In 1972, the Schreyer NDP government refused to register two gay clubs as non-profit organizations because they were organizations for homosexual people. The justice minister in the Schreyer government said this: “Our concern is that such groups ought not to be clothed with the same rights and respectability as other groups.”

In 1987, Gary Filmon and the entire PC caucus voted against Manitoba’s Human Rights Code because it provided explicit human rights protection for homosexuals. During debate, Filmon said this: “I think that the overall intent, the intent of suggesting that homosexual lifestyle and heterosexual lifestyle are equal and equivalent, is an unwarranted attack on the moral and religious values of the vast majority of Manitobans. To include sexual orientation, this lifestyle choice in there, I believe, is absolutely wrong.”

In Manitoba and in Canada, the Liberal party has been the party of progress for queer people. In Manitoba, the Liberals were shut out of the legislature when Sharon Carstairs won a seat in River Heights in 1986. Sharon Carstairs was the champion of gay rights in the legislature when explicit human rights protection for homosexuals was added to Manitoba’s human rights legislation in 1987.

Sharon Carstairs’ appeal for justice for queer people didn’t hurt the Liberals at all in the Manitoba election in 1988. Sharon Carstairs delivered 20 seats in the Legislature for the Liberals, and the NDP were reduced to third-party status.

Sharon Carstairs proved that one woman who is a Liberal can have a huge impact in the legislature. I look forward to seeing Cindy Lamoureux follow in the footsteps of Sharon Carstairs.

Rich North

Winnipeg

Thanks for the assist

On election day I was unable to find my voter information card. I went to vote anyway.

The elections employee could not recognize my right to vote by inputting the information from my driver’s licence. I left frustrated. I contacted Mike Ambrose, director of communications and public information with Elections Manitoba. He emailed a copy of my voter information to me.

No doubt Mike was very busy on election day but he was helpful, patient and courteous. He made sure that this senior could exercise her right and her desire to vote!

Kudos to Mike for being a true professional.

Jan Tarasenko

Winnipeg

Lament for Lamont

It was disheartening to see Dougald Lamont fall in his St. Boniface riding Tuesday night. Throughout this campaign, he’s presented Manitobans with the only rational, coherent platform of the cycle.

Though I didn’t agree with him on several issues, it was clear that he was dealing with real facts and presenting policy ideas that would actually address them. That’s more than I could say about the high priest and priestess of sound bites and platitudes… OK, maybe that’s a little harsh to Kinew and Stefanson, but they both provided little actual substance on the campaign trail, in the televised debate, or in their official platforms (when they finally were released…).

Dougald was truthful and upfront with voters from the outset, and for it all, he was casually cast aside. It’s not just a blow to the Liberals in Manitoba, whom I have no particular affinity for, it’s a blow to those moderates among us that would like to see a little more substance and sanity restored to our political debates.

When the ghost of Diogenes the Cynic wanders the halls of Manitoba’s legislature, with his lamp at his side, there will be one less honest man for him to find.

Colburne Poapst

Winnipeg

Useful signs

All politics aside, after reading some of the articles that highlighted the proliferation of signs in our neighbourhoods, surely our creative communities searching for more resources can come up with all sorts of ideas for repurposing or upcycling those signs.

I’m guessing hundreds or thousands of campaign funds were used for these one-time ads. Maybe some thought should go into charging an environmental fee to politicians when they are purchased, like what we pay for other types of plastic materials.

Without thinking too much, how about creating pickup dates at a few constituency headquarters for anyone to get some free signs or have a call in or email posted for those who are interested and schedule one or two times for pickup. I am aware of several registered charities that could make use of them. Where can I pick some up?

Schools can use them for projects indoors or out — a free supply for fairs such as science; students at any level can easily turn them into sturdy, lightweight portfolios or drawing boards or art projects; great lightweight storage boxes of all shapes can be fashioned with a roll of duct tape; how about disposable garbage receptacles? They could be made using the metal stakes that come with many of the signs and I’m saddened to suggest that they’d make protective ground mats and even shelter materials.

The wooden stakes are great building materials for many things including construction with the signs or at least a good supply of firewood. And if all that fails, how about having those faces faced together and reusing them for signs! Just a few ideas.

Daryl Dumanski

Winnipeg

No more free ride

Re: Boo to bylaw (Letters, Oct. 4)

Keep up the good work Al. Parking violators and speeders in red light camera areas are helping the city balance the budget.

Enough of the free courtesy tow during plowing. If you haven’t got it figured out by now, you deserve to pay for the tow. I think the ticket and $100 for tow would do nicely.

Bill Allan

Winnipeg