Stefanson says Tories ‘getting things done’ in tough times

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This article was published 07/12/2022 (748 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Heather Stefanson’s state of the province address was part highlights reel, part campaign speech.

“We’ve been listening to Manitobans, taking action on our priorities and getting things done,” the premier told close to 1,000 attendees at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday.

Her audience was smaller and less enthusiastic than last year’s event, attended by 1,100 people, when the newly sworn-in premier promised to take a more collaborative tone than her predecessor, Brian Pallister.

Chamber president and chief executive officer Loren Remillard attributed the smaller crowd size to the flu. He said he was “very pleased at the turnout… Our members love to come to this event: it’s great networking.”

The premier was limited in what she could say because of the communication blackout ahead of Tuesday’s byelection in Kirkfield Park, Remillard said after her speech.

“We weren’t anticipating any major announcement,” he said. “There was a highlights reel of the last year.” She hinted that more help on the affordability front may be announced after the Dec. 13 byelection.

Stefanson reiterated highlights of her government’s throne speech and reminders of what it has accomplished in turbulent times.

“Our team has been confronted with some of the biggest challenges in Manitoba’s history,” Stefanson said, pointing to the pandemic, flooding, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, inflation and an increase in violent crime.

The province is addressing a surgical and diagnostic backlog worsened by the pandemic with private sector help — something she said the NDP wouldn’t do.

“Your health card is still the only thing you need to access these services,” Stefanson said. “We will never let ideology get in the way of patient care.”

She said her government has welcomed 13,000 Ukrainian refugees, sent cheques to close to 300,000 families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet, increased social assistance rates for the first time in 20 years, and increased education property rebates.

The PCs have cut barriers to growth by introducing a new venture capital program and by investing in the CentrePort trade corridor, the premier said. The provincial economy is expected to grow 3.6 per cent this year.

When faced with an increase in violent crime, her government has taken steps to “crack down on violent offenders while addressing the root causes of crime.” Last month, it announced $3 million for a specialized police unit to deal with serious, violent offenders and arrest those with outstanding warrants.

Stefanson said the deaths of Indigenous women that came to light in recent weeks have shaken Manitobans.

She made an emotional plea for Manitobans “to work together as a community to make sure these horrific acts of violence stop happening in our communities.”

Manitobans, who will head to the polls next year, have an “important decision” to make, Stefanson said: “a decision between a party that put Manitoba Hydro $24 billion in debt, jeopardizing the future of the Crown corporation… or our team who stabilized the financial situation at Manitoba Hydro, allowing for lower rates for Manitoba families and businesses for decades to come.”

Without naming the NDP, she said the choice was for a party that would cancel 13,000 surgeries for “ideological reasons, or our team who will explore innovative options with the private sector.”

Her party “reduced your taxes across the board,” while the other party raised taxes 14 times in 17 years “despite promising not to do so.”

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said later that health, safety and affordability have worsened under the PCs.

“The speech we heard today acknowledged that there’s a crisis in health care, with crime, and the cost of living. All this has happened under Brian Pallister and Premier Stefanson’s watch,” Kinew said at the convention centre.

“My view is, if you don’t get it done in two terms, you don’t deserve a third.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca