Cabinet must abandon Pallister’s agenda

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/08/2021 (648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I know Fort Rouge residents want a government that is committed to strengthening health care and education, a government that works to keep life affordable for families.

But Premier Pallister’s Progressive Conservation government has a different agenda – time and time again it puts money ahead of people. Instead of investing in health care and education, it has made deep cuts to classrooms and hospitals for years.

Now that the premier has announced his resignation, it’s time for his cabinet ministers to make a choice – they can keep Mr. Pallister’s legacy alive or they can withdraw his harmful legislation.

Our NDP caucus is listening to Manitobans and fighting for you. That’s why we are calling on Pallister’s PC cabinet ministers to withdraw the five bills we delayed from the last legislative session, starting with Bill 64.

We delayed Bill 64 to give parents and school staff time to learn about the bill and fight back. Because of this, a vocal majority of Manitobans have publicly criticized the bill and signed up to speak at committee in record numbers.

In addition to Bill 64, we delayed Bill 35 to keep Hydro bills low. We also delayed Bill 16, the PCs’ anti-worker bill that would erode worker’s fundamental rights, and Bill 57, which undermines Manitobans’ democratic rights to gather for peaceful protest.

Last, we delayed Bill 40 to fight the addictions crisis and keep communities safe.

The PC caucus has let down Fort Rouge families for the past five years. They supported the gutting of our health-care system, including closing emergency rooms, cutting acute-care beds, and allowing dangerously high nursing vacancy rates. They voted in favour of hiking up Hydro rates on regular families during a pandemic – circumventing the Public Utilities Board. And when Manitoba was the only province in Canada to transport critically ill COVID-19 patients out of province, not one of them spoke out.

Now it’s time for all PC cabinet ministers to make a choice – will they listen to families or follow through with Pallister’s harmful agenda?

So far, Pallister’s ministers have stood by him every step of the way as he made life harder for Manitobans. Any cabinet minister who continues to stand behind these bills is confirming that Pallister’s legacy will continue as long as the PCs are in power.

Manitobans deserve a government that looks out for them – tell me what you think by contacting my office at 204-615-1922 or email me at wab.kinew@yourmanitoba.ca