Jamie Moses

Orange Shirt Day should be a stat holiday

The fall session of the Legislature resumed at the end of September. During the summer break, I had the chance to be out in the community, on doorsteps across St. Vital.

Parties must work together on cost of living

With the cost of food, gas and housing skyrocketing, I know many seniors and families in St. Vital are struggling to get by.

Manitobans work hard so they can support their families, pay the bills, and save for their futures. Right now, the average paycheque isn’t keeping up with the rising cost of living. The provincial government has a role to play in helping Manitobans through these tough times – that’s why my NDP caucus colleagues and I have been calling on the Premier to take the cost-of-living crisis seriously.

We’ve called for the creation of an all-party committee to tackle the crisis of rising food costs. Statistics Canada has shown the average grocery bill has risen almost 10 per cent in the last year, leaving more and more families relying on food banks. Harvest Manitoba and other foodbank organizations have reported a 4 per cent spike in the number of individuals and families in need — this includes families right here in St. Vital. We should all work together to find solutions that make groceries more affordable regardless of which party we represent.

Another way the provincial government can directly impact the cost of living is through Manitoba Hydro rates. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Progressive Conservative government has raised Hydro rates through legislation twice, bypassing the PUB, the independent oversight board they tried to eliminate through Bill 35. I will continue to fight to ensure that rates are affordable in St. Vital and are set through an independent process meant to protect Manitobans. I continue to call on the PC government to ensure that Hydro rates are affordable for Manitobans.

Issues to keep focused on in this session

As I returned to the legislature alongside my colleagues for our spring sitting, I wanted to provide a brief update on the key issues my NDP colleagues are focused on now and in the months to come.

We’re going to continue fighting for better quality healthcare services for Manitobans. Progressive Conservative cuts to our health-care system have left our health-care workers exhausted and the system at a breaking point. Patients continue to be transferred hundreds of kilometres away from their homes in order to receive medical care.

At the beginning of April, over 160,000 Manitobans continue to face challenges as they wait to receive the diagnostic tests and surgeries they need. This is absolutely unacceptable. Manitobans deserve better, and I’ll continue working to hold the PC government to account for these and other healthcare-related failures that we have seen.

We will never forget that our health-care system became overloaded and 57 critical-care patients were flown out of province. During that dark moment, Krystal Mousseau, a 31-year old mother of two, died during an attempt to transfer her out of province to Ontario. She died on May 25, 2021.

Young people inspire hope at a bleak time

Once again, this year didn’t start off the way many of has had hoped. These past few months have been challenging for so many in St. Vital, as a record number of Manitobans have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and as we continue to lose more of our loved ones to this pandemic. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone during this difficult time. What has consistently been a source of hope, however, is all the incredible young people that call St. Vital home. It has been uplifting to spend February safely visiting classrooms across St. Vital to share some stories with the students for I Love to Read Month. I want to thank all the schools who invited me to participate.A huge thank you as well to all the teachers and school staff who not only ensured I Love to Read Month was a success again in such difficult circumstances; but who have been on the front lines ensuring that our kids safely get the education and support they need to learn and grow. Sharing in the joy of reading with so many young learners in their classroom is one of the most enjoyable parts of my role — it’s even better I get to celebrate Black History Month with them at the same time. Sharing books like Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, by Vashti Harrison, which has many stories of Black people who have made significant achievements, will hopefully inspire today’s youth to do the same.This Black History Month, I am proud to work with the BIPOC student committee at Dakota Collegiate and the students at Glenlawn Collegiate. It’s fantastic to see all the work they have been doing to not only bring BIPOC students together but to inspire their school community and St. Vital to do more to promote equity and equality in our community. Thank you to the student leaders and school staff organizers for doing such important work to build a more inclusive school environment. This is work that will undoubtedly have lasting benefits throughout the entire school year and beyond. As always, please feel free to get in touch with me by email at Jamie.Moses@yourmanitoba.ca or by phone at 204-219-5407. Best wishes and stay safe. 

Once again, this year didn’t start off the way many of has had hoped. These past few months have been challenging for so many in St. Vital, as a record number of Manitobans have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and as we continue to lose more of our loved ones to this pandemic. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost someone during this difficult time. 

What has consistently been a source of hope, however, is all the incredible young people that call St. Vital home. It has been uplifting to spend February safely visiting classrooms across St. Vital to share some stories with the students for I Love to Read Month. I want to thank all the schools who invited me to participate.

Health care remains in crisis

Happy new year!

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday season. Although this year’s celebrations weren’t what we had hoped for, I hope we all were still able to connect, one way or another, with the ones we love.

I am pleased to see that many people in St. Vital have received and are making appointments to receive their booster shots. The vaccine booster is a critical tool to keep yourself, your family, and our community safe as the pandemic continues. In the next few days, I will be getting my booster shot. If you still need to book your vaccine appointment, please do so online using the vaccine finder or by phoning the vaccine call centre at 1-844-626-8222. Contact my office if you need assistance with booking a vaccine appointment.

However, as we all step up time and time again, making the commitments and sacrifices necessary to keep our communities safe, the Stefanson government has failed to do the same — following in Brian Pallister’s footsteps.

Bill 64 is dead but there is still much to do

As schools across Louis Riel School Division re-open and a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic looms, many in our community are worried what this will mean for our kids’ educations, our job security and, most importantly, for the health and safety of our community.

Right now, all our focus should be on these most pressing concerns - strengthening health care, supporting our schools, and keeping life affordable for working families in St. Vital. Unfortunately, we are not seeing this focus from the Progressive Conservative government.

My team and I spent the summer canvassing throughout St. Vital, listening to concerns of families in our community. That’s why I know how many people in St. Vital don’t support this government’s legislative agenda - including Bill 64.

Back in the spring, my NDP colleagues and I delayed Bill 64 and four other pieces of legislation to this fall. Without that delay, Bill 64 would have already passed into law.

Congratulations, 2021 graduates!

Congratulations to all our high school graduates. We know that the public health measures have sadly made it more difficult for us to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our future leaders in graduation ceremonies.

As graduates, your last couple years of high school have been like no other, with public health restrictions making it more difficult to see the people and do the things you love.

While the frustration of dealing with challenges you’ve faced has been tough, know that the strength and determination that got you to this point is the same strength and determination that will fuel your future success in life.

Our community will get through this temporary crisis and I have no doubt that the graduates of 2021 will be working to help build a better world for us all.

Vaccines in arms are the best way out of this

In St. Vital and across the province, it’s now been over a year since many family members and friends were able to gather in person. As we experience the third wave of this COVID-19 pandemic, I know we are all tired and all miss these connections now more than ever.

Fortunately, vaccines provide us with light at the end of the tunnel.

Just recently, my wife and I received our first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the RBC Convention Centre supersite. By just receiving this one shot I felt relief knowing I’m doing what I need to do to protect those within my family and our community. Thank you to the countless staff at vaccination sites across the province working tirelessly to get shots into the arms of Manitobans as quickly as possible.

As vaccine eligibility expanded in May, I know that many people throughout St. Vital are looking to get vaccinated. However, I also know many people face barriers to getting the vaccine; from parents needing to arrange childcare for their appointment to some who simply are unable to access transportation or are unable to navigate downtown to visit the super site.

Education plan gets a failing grade

In St. Vital and across the province, we know that our schools are the beating hearts of our communities. Schools where our children go to learn not only about math, literacy and science but also how to be active and engaged citizens in the world around them.

On March 15th, the long-awaited K-12 education review and the accompanying Education Modernization Act, Bill 64, was released. It’s clear that in Bill 64, the Pallister government is planning to do to education what it had already started to do to health care - cut funding and centralize power at the cabinet table and make things more challenging for the most marginalized individuals in our community.

Bill 64 removes all locally elected school boards and trustees, eliminating Louis Riel School Division and combining it with all others in Winnipeg - creating a school region with over 100,000 students. This bill replaces locally elected representation with volunteer parent councils and an appointed provincial education authority appointed to serve on behalf of the premier and minister of education, not our communities.

The new PC plan falsely claims that it will give parents a greater ability to have a say in their child’s education but ultimately the minister will have the final say.

Education plan gets a failing grade

In St. Vital and across the province, we know that our schools are the beating hearts of our communities. Schools where our children go to learn not only about math, literacy and science but also how to be active and engaged citizens in the world around them.

On March 15th, the long-awaited K-12 education review and the accompanying Education Modernization Act, Bill 64, was released. It’s clear that in Bill 64, the Pallister government is planning to do to education what it had already started to do to health care - cut funding and centralize power at the cabinet table and make things more challenging for the most marginalized individuals in our community.

Bill 64 removes all locally elected school boards and trustees, eliminating Louis Riel School Division and combining it with all others in Winnipeg - creating a school region with over 100,000 students. This bill replaces locally elected representation with volunteer parent councils and an appointed provincial education authority - an authority appointed to serve on behalf of the premier and minister of education, not our communities.

The new PC plan falsely claims that it will give parents a greater ability to have a say in their child’s education but ultimately the minister will have the final say.

Happy to participate in I Love to Read, BHM

It was so exciting this past month to visit classrooms virtually across St. Vital to share some stories with the students for I Love to Read Month.

Although this year looked a bit different compared to last year 0151— reading the books to my laptop was quite the change — I want to thank all the schools who invited me to participate.

A huge thank you as well to all the teachers and school staff who not only made I Love to Read Month a success in a year like no other; but who have been on the front lines ensuring that our kids safely get the education and support they need to learn and grow.

Sharing in the joy of reading with so many young learners in their classroom is one of the most enjoyable parts of my role. It was fun to read some amazing books by local authors like Deborah L. Delaronde’s Louis Riel Day: The Fur Trade Project. It was also great to celebrate Black History Month at the same time by reading Kadir Nelson’s Nelson Mandela.

There is hope for this new year

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season.

I know for me and my family it certainly was different to share greetings through video calls instead of giving hugs. Though, it did warm my heart to know that I was doing my part to keep my family and community safe by staying physically apart. I hope that you all were still able to connect safely with your loved ones.

Before the new year, I was happy to spread a little holiday cheer around the St. Vital community.