Transcona candidates vow strong local voice

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/04/2016 (3639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Herald is reaching out to candidates in the April 19 provincial election to answer questions for voters. Below are responses from Transcona candidates Ajit Kumar (MP), Blair Yakimoski (PC), Barb Burkowski (NDP), Darrell Rankin (CP) and Chad Panting (Lib.).  

Ajit Kumar (MP)
Age: 42
Occupation: Truck driver

What are the top two issues facing your riding and how will you address them?
1. Social and recreation services for seniors. I will give back up to 20 per cent of my salary to help fund these programs.
2. High taxes. We will reduce property taxes and the PST to create a larger tax base and stimulate growth.

How do you feel your party can improve the lives of the constituency’s residents?
Improve the lives of residents. With big tax cuts, everyone is wealthier — businesses thrive and people work. Tax rate increases slow growth in the economy. Tax rate cuts speed up growth in the economy. So with lower tax rates, the government gets a smaller sliver, but of a much larger and growing pie.

What do you feel you can personally offer the constituency as its elected representative?
I am passionate about fighting the problems and offering solutions rather than talking them away. I sold my semi-truck to fund my campaign.

Blair Yakimoski (PC)
Age: 53
Occupation: Business owner

What are the top two issues facing your riding and how will you address them?:
Unfortunately, Transcona has been taken for granted by the NDP for too long. I often hear at the door that people want an MLA who will properly represent Transcona in the legislature by acting in the best interest of this community.  
Transcona faces many of the same issues as all Manitobans: education concerns, health care challenges, and a need for accountability of elected officials. I’m proud that the PC Party has brought forward a comprehensive plan and a strong team to address these issues.

How do you feel your party can improve the lives of the constituency’s residents?
As part of building a better Manitoba, I would work with our government along with our municipal and federal partners to secure supportive funding for infrastructure projects that are vitally important for our residents and businesses to thrive.

What do you feel you can personally offer the constituency as its elected representative?
As a grocer and a retailer I understand labour, production, distribution and human resources. I am also a lifelong resident of the Transcona area and care very much about the community.

Barb Burkowski (NDP)
Age: 42
Occupation: Project manager, community organizer, and construction safety specialist

What are the top two issues facing your riding and how will you address them?
1. Health care. The QuickCare clinic announced for Transcona will provide the community with more convenient access.
2. Childcare. We will bring 250 new childcare spots and upgrades to schools.

How do you feel your party can improve the lives of the constituency’s residents?
Addressing problems with Transcona’s pools is a high priority for me. Every child should learn how to swim.

What do you feel you can personally offer the constituency as its elected representative?
I believe that everyone matters and I will listen to and support my constituents.

Chad Panting (Lib)
Age: 32
Occupation: Lawyer

What are the top two issues facing your riding and how will you address them?
1. Access to affordable, high quality childcare. We will invest in social infrastructure to build new centres and repair existing ones.
2. Improved roads, transit and community infrastructure. Only the Liberals have committed to helping fix our existing roads, sidewalks and lanes with dedicated funding for municipalities above existing funding in place.

How do you feel your party can improve the lives of the constituency’s residents?
I commit to working with the city, the local community clubs and organizations to secure the funding for Transcona’s two pools, as well as bringing together all community stakeholders to provide the much-needed support for our community’s existing recreational facilities.

What do you feel you can personally offer the constituency as its elected representative?
As the only candidate for Transcona that resides in the constituency of Transcona, I hit the same potholes as my constituents. I will provide strong leadership, a passionate voice and will fight everyday for the community and for Transcona residents.

Darrell Rankin (CP)
Age: 59
Occupation: Writer.

What are the top two issues facing your riding and how will you address them?
Living on meagre incomes and finding good jobs. Manitoba’s real jobless rate is close to nine per cent after counting 25,000 jobless workers on reserves. 64,000 more people are using food banks in Manitoba since 2008. The debt load on families is skyrocketing, a form of impoverishment that can’t last long and that will create major emergencies for many in the next unavoidable economic downturn. Only the Communist Party’s policies will curb corporate power and soften the blow of the next crisis for workers.

How do you feel your party can improve the lives of the constituency’s residents?
The Communist Party will create and improve access to jobs with measures that have worked before: a shorter work week with no loss in pay, a $20 an hour minimum wage, a fair tax system (tax corporate profits; reduce taxes on workers, especially the sales tax), universal affordable childcare to ensure access to jobs, free access to higher education (no financial barriers), a guaranteed income above the poverty line, affirmative action hiring (to end racism, sexism and other discrimination), and expanding Medicare to cover prescribed pharmacy, dental, eye and mental health needs.

What do you feel you can personally offer the constituency as its elected representative?
I’ve been active in organizing mass movements and journalism since the mid 1970s. I’ve worked for trade unions at all levels and am a past chair and treasurer of the Canadian Peace Alliance. I have experience with large protests, small to large movements, and political and economic strikes. I am familiar with the history and conditions of the working class in its diverse forms and am working to strengthen the broadest and most powerful alliances for and of working people and their allies, including Aboriginal nations.