Holding government to account

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/10/2022 (219 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a summer spent connecting with community members in Wolseley and hearing your concerns, I know that the greatest challenge Manitobans are facing right now is access to quality and timely health care. Community members shared many challenging experiences, including long wait times for diagnostic tests and surgeries and unacceptable waits for emergency care. I’ve also spoken with health-care providers who are dealing with mandated overtime. Unfortunately, no matter how hard staff work, it’s never enough to meet the demand in a broken system. Our team is advocating for government accountability and investments in health care, every single day in the Legislature.

Last spring, the Progressive Conservative government put forward many bills that will make life harder and more expensive for Manitobans. Two of these bills are Bill 22 (The Environment Amendment Act) and Bill 36 (The Manitoba Hydro Amendment and Public Utilities Board Amendment Act).

Bill 22 gets rid of cosmetic pesticide restrictions, meaning that products previously restricted from lawns and boulevards, owing to prior safety and environmental concerns, will be back on the market. This change is disappointing, and a step back in environmental protections that so many Manitobans have supported. If this bill passes, use of these pesticides will increase in our communities and be allowed in municipal parks and near schools. Increased exposure to these chemicals increases cancer risk and affects those with asthma, which is bad for the health of people and pets. Manitoba is the only jurisdiction in North America going backwards on this issue.

Another issue that we know Manitobans are facing right now is affordability. But, instead of helping ease the cost of living, the PC government has introduced Bill 36, which will raise Hydro rates at a time when life is already getting much more expensive. Bill 36 will increase Hydro rates by up to five per cent every year and will allow the PCs to set rates rather than independent experts. That’s just wrong.

Our NDP team will continue to hold the PC government to account and we will continue to fight against poor legislation such as Bills 22 and 36.

As the fall session in the house continues, I promise that the Manitoba NDP will continue working for you. If you have a concern we want to hear from you! Contact my office at lisa.naylor@yourmanitoba.ca or 204-792-2773.

Lisa Naylor
Wolseley constituency report

Lisa Naylor is the NDP MLA for Wolseley.

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