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Frances Koncan:
The Free Press invited all provincial candidates to fill out a questionnaire about themselves, the issues affecting their communities, and what they hope to achieve in office.
Ten questions on the issues: Find out how your opinions compare with the candidates hoping to become your next MLA.
We’ll then show you how the candidates’ positions compare to yours.
If a party’s position doesn’t appear on the scale below, their candidate did not respond to the question.
Legend
The provincial government says consolidating Winnipeg’s six acute care hospitals down to three will improve overall medical care for patients. Is that the right move?
Great idea
Good idea
We’ll see
Not a good idea
Terrible idea
PCHow much control should the provincial government have over the operations of Crown corporations like Manitoba Public Insurance and Manitoba Hydro?
Hands-off
Not much say
50/50
Some oversight
Direct supervision
PCThe Pallister government plans to eliminate the deficit by 2022. Should balancing the books be a priority?
Essential
High priority
Neutral
Low priority
Not important
PCIn Budget 2019, the provincial government spent approximately $350 million on highways. The construction industry says we need to invest more. Is $350 million the right amount?
Way too little
A little under
About right
A little too much
Way too much
PCThere have been calls to install safe consumption and/or injection sites in Manitoba, so that people with addictions can consume or inject drugs in a space with medical supervision and more readily available access to addiction services. Are these sites a good idea?
Urgently needed
A good idea
Not sure
Not necessary
A bad idea
PCHow important is it for the provincial government to take steps to address climate change?
Urgent
Important
Neutral
Not important
Unnecessary
PCWill a carbon tax influence consumer behaviour, such as encouraging people to drive less or make their homes more efficient?
Definitely won't
Probably won't
Not sure
Probably will
Definitely will
PCI would rather have more money in my pocket through tax cuts than have the provincial government increase spending on public services.
Strongly disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neutral
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
PCManitoba’s K-12 education system is currently undergoing a review of curriculum and spending models. How much control should school boards have when it comes to making education budgets?
Total control
More control
Current system
Less control
No control
PCHow much do you consider a candidate’s personal history - before they entered politics - when deciding who to vote for?
Not at all
Very little
Neutral
Somewhat
A lot
PCThe candidates, as people: Would-be MLAs introduce themselves to you and describe their backgrounds, what made them decide to run for office, and how they hope to solve the problems facing your community.
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Age: 61
Profession: Retired Senior public servant
Education:
Bachelor of Arts Queens University Executive Leadership and Strategy Program
What is the biggest issue facing your community, and how would you address it?
River Heights citizens are concerned and informed about many issues, but the most common concern I hear at the door is the environment. We need to preserve our watersheds and improve water quality in Lake Winnipeg. I’m proud of our PC party’s recent announcement that if re-elected, we will increase funding for natural infrastructure such as wetlands. We will invest an additional $50 million in the Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) trust fund, bringing total investment in the GROW fund and the Conservation Trust fund to just over $200 million.Why did you decide to run for office?
I am guided by my work within the community. I am on the vulnerable persons’ panel and see people with disabilities aging out of the safety and comfort of schools. I want to advocate for support for them and their families. I also believe in the value of preventative medicine. My father was a founder of the Reh-Fit Centre and I am the immediate past chair of the Reh-Fit Foundation board. I was also on the board of CancerCare Manitoba and have lost family members to cancer. We need to invest in preventative measures to help people avoid heart attacks and diseases that have such devastating impacts on them and their families.Manitoba is marking its 150th anniversary next year. Suggest one way we can make it a memorable occasion.
I would like to see a Cultural Day Parade that honours all of the cultures that contribute to Manitoba. I would also like to see sporting events through the year dedicated as part of the 150 celebrations – we have hockey, baseball, football and soccer – lot of opportunities for special events.Tell us something about yourself that voters might find surprising.
I am not the first woman in my family to run for political office. My cousin was the first Maori woman to be elected Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
http://susanboulter4mla.ca/
https://twitter.com/BoulterSusan
https://www.facebook.com/BoulterSusan
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No response given
No response given
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Age: 71
Profession: I am a physician who specialized in looking after children with blood conditions and cancer, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist. I was involved in caring for children, in teaching and in research during my years in training and on staff at the University of Minnesota (1971-1980) and on the staff at the University of Manitoba becoming the Head of the Section of Pediatric Hematology in 1985 and a full professor in 1987. In 1993, I was elected the Member of Parliament for Portage-Interlake, and served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chretien as the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development (1993-1997) and the Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification (1996-7). In these roles, I was involved in promoting science and research in Canada, in helping to promote access to the internet for all Canadians and in helping to build the economic base in western Canada. In 1998 I became leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, serving until 2013. In 1999 I was elected the MLA in River Height, and I have served in this role since then, running for re-election in this 2019 election.
Education:
I attended Victoria School in Saskatoon, then Nutana Collegiate. In 1967, I obtained a B.A in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1971 I graduated with a degree in Medicine from McGill University. This was followed by an internship, residency and Ph.D. in Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, the latter in 1978. To maintain my license as a physician I continue to the present to be involved in continuing medical education.
What is the biggest issue facing your community, and how would you address it?
Health care is the number one issue people are raising with me during the election. This includes concerns over the long wait times in our emergency rooms, concerns over access to needed care, concerns over the present situation where too many nurses are overworked and having to do extra, sometimes mandatory, overtime because of staff shortages. This includes concerns over access to mental health care and the need to better address the methamphetamine crisis which is resulting in increased property crime in River Heights. Manitoba Liberals will reverse the emergency room cuts, will fill the needed nursing positions on an urgent basis and will move to a more sustainable health care model in which we phase out the regional health authorities and devolve more control to local hospitals and communities. The latter will be accompanied by a change in the funding model from global budgets to patient-based funding, to focus efforts on patients and enable improved management to reduce wait times and improve care. We will maintain within Manitoba Health critical province-wide functions like procurement, provincial standards, information and specialist networks. We will create a specialist network for Brain, Mental Health and Addictions modeled on CancerCare Manitoba and reporting to Manitoba Health as CancerCare Manitoba does. We will treat the methamphetamine crisis as a public health emergency and move quickly to put in place adequate facilities for stabilization, detoxification, treatment and supportive housing, together with a vigorous approach to prevention. Associated with these changes we will put in place a greater and more effective focus on prevention and more attention to mental health. To achieve the latter, we will bring the successful Improved Access to Psychological Therapy program developed in England to Manitoba - training 250 new psychological therapists who will operate in about 50 centres all over Manitoba to enable improved therapy for conditions like depression and anxiety and to better address the impact of trauma.Why did you decide to run for office?
I decided to run for office originally because of concerns about the direction of health care in Manitoba. I watched the problems develop in the 1980s and 1900s, and then continue to build under the 17 years of NDP government from 1999 to 2016. The difficulties in health care have worsened under the Conservative government led by Brian Pallister. Working as a team with Dougald Lamont as Liberal leader we have built the Liberal position to achieve official party status and have developed our new Liberal way to address health care and many other issues. I decided to run for re-election because we have the team and the opportunity to get enough Liberals elected to make a large impact on the political scene in Manitoba and to achieve better health care, a better economy and a better environment for our province. I also feel that I can continue to contribute by helping individual people in River Heights with their issues.Manitoba is marking its 150th anniversary next year. Suggest one way we can make it a memorable occasion.
With health care being so important to Manitobans, I believe establishing a specialist network for Brain, Mental Health and Addictions, similar to CancerCare Manitoba, on our 150th Anniversary would be a fitting and lasting contribution to health care in our province. It would send an important signal to Manitobans that we will have an organization which can address the needs of all those who suffer from brain, mental health and addictions and at the same time can provide leadership in the effort to optimize brain health for all Manitobans.Tell us something about yourself that voters might find surprising.
In 1967, by chance, I had an opportunity to join with Doug Whitfield to band a number of young Bald Eagles in northern Saskatchewan. In 1968, with the concern over the precipitous decline in Bald Eagles in many parts of North America, we received funding to extend our efforts in an aerial survey of Bald Eagle nests in northern Saskatchewan and parts of northern Manitoba. In 1968 and 1969, in this region where the authoritative book on The Birds of Canada said Bald Eagles were nothing more than a rare and picturesque species, we found about 250 Bald Eagle nests and banded many young. Naomi joined our team in 1970, and in the more than 50 years since Naomi, our children and many others have continued to this study of Bald Eagles and have contributed much to our knowledge of this species in what is now the longest running study of a stable raptor population anywhere in the world.
http://www.jongerrard.ca
@DrJonGerrard
https://www.facebook.com/jon.gerrard
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