Tories rapped for protest response

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This article was published 09/02/2022 (953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opposition Leader Wab Kinew accused Premier Heather Stefanson of shirking her responsibility after failing to appear in public on Thursday to address escalating protests against COVID-19 restrictions.

Instead of answering questions about the growing protests — trucks and farm equipment blocked the Canada-U.S. border at Emerson, south of Winnipeg — Stefanson sent her justice minister to face the media.

Minister Kelvin Goertzen called for Manitobans to “take a bit of a step back” and consider why people opposed to public health measures and COVID-19 vaccination requirements have occupied part of downtown Winnipeg for a week and began blocking the border crossing early Thursday.

“We have to sometimes understand where other people are coming from and different positions,” Goertzen said.

Kinew called the response disappointing and blamed the Tories for failing to de-escalate demonstrations that also hit a secondary school in Steinbach Thursday.

“We saw a severe escalation in the crisis in our province today and for the premier not to show up, it’s a failure of leadership,” Kinew said. “Instead, to see a minister come out and just make excuses and try to lay blame in other places just shows how the PCs are not responding to this current situation in the way that Manitobans want them to.”

Kinew said there is consensus among Canadians that COVID-19 vaccinations work and that “public health measures should be respected.”

Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said the provincial government seems to have abandoned efforts to enforce the law because it called on Ottawa to take the lead to deal with demonstrators.

“Blaming anyone else is shameful, but the Justice Minister and the Stefanson PCs have essentially given them encouragement to keep on blocking highways, hospitals and harassment,” Lamont said in a statement.

The justice minister could call for a court injunction to end blockades, he added.

“Instead, protesters who have demonstrated contempt for the law, and the lives and livelihoods of their fellow Manitobans have been given a pat on the back. This is moral bankruptcy.”

Goertzen said the province will be in a better place soon and pointed out Stefanson and chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin are scheduled to announce the next step in rolling back restrictions on Friday.

The government hopes to lift all public health orders by spring, if COVID-19 trends continue to improve.

It has taken a conciliatory tone in responding to protests that have targeted schools, barricaded roadways, disturbed the lives of downtown residents, impacted access to healthcare and disrupted international trade.

Goertzen said his government is trying to encourage dialogue between protesters and law enforcement while reminding protesters to respect the rights of others.

“I know that people don’t like to hear that you’ve got to take some balances to these things, but balance sometimes gets you to a solution,” Goertzen said.

Goertzen said he does not agree with the tactics being employed by protesters but stopped short of telling them to go home. He would not say whether he considered the demonstrations to be lawful.

“Ultimately, by the letter of the law I think you’ll find most protests in some form or fashion end up breaking certain bylaws or laws, but in a democratic society we typically see that the right to be able to express concerns about government is an important freedom,” he said. “It’s never black and white.”

The province is satisfied with the operations of the Winnipeg Police Service in managing the protest on Broadway and Memorial Boulevard, Goertzen said, adding it is the federal government’s responsibility to ensure the border crossing at Emerson is open to traffic.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca