One year into advancing public safety

Concordia

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/10/2024 (335 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After our first year in government, I know that public safety is still one of your top priorities when it comes to creating a better Manitoba. After years of cuts and mismanagement from the previous Progressive Conservative government, we know that Manitobans deserve better. Today, I want to give you an overview of the progress we have made towards making our province safer.

Our government is a listening government, and that is why we decided to hold a public safety summit here in Winnipeg. We met with law enforcement, victim service groups, community organizations, Indigenous leaders and many others. We wanted to hear directly from those who understand the challenges facing the justice system and gained valuable insight on how to move forward. The Manitoba NDP is tough on crime and the causes of crime, and we are committed to listening to those on the frontlines who want to see meaningful change through collaboration with all parties.

Through our public safety initiatives, we will continue to make investments in our community safety network. We have provided funding to rural and Indigenous law enforcement to support local crime-stopping initiatives. We have also allocated an additional $1.9 million to address continuing retail and violent crime in Winnipeg. In June, we also introduced and eventually expanded the security rebate program. With this rebate, families can afford more security systems for their homes and businesses, allowing them to protect their loved ones and livelihoods.

This fall, we introduced the Long-Bladed Weapons Control Act. This bill would prohibit the sale of long-bladed weapons to minors, require retailers to keep purchase records and securely store weapons, and enforce purchasers to provide photo ID at the time of purchase. After seven-and-a-half years of inaction from the PCs, our government is proud to finally begin working on keeping weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them.

Above all else, we want Manitobans to feel safe. They deserve a hard-working government that is going to continue to find solutions to combat crime in our province. I am proud of all the work we have done together over the last year, but the work is not over yet. We will continue to work towards creating sustainable changes here in Manitoba.

Lastly, I would like to thank everybody for their contributions to making our province a safer place. For our first year in government, I am proud of the progress we have made towards making our communities safer. As your MLA for Concordia, I am thankful for your continued support and am honoured to keep representing you in the legislature.