Free Press feature lets candidates introduce themselves Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 4, 2019 Last Modified: 10:48 PM CDT Thursday, Sep. 5, 2019 Updates

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/09/2019 (1843 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Free Press believes one of our core responsibilities is to provide readers with all the information they need to exercise their democratic right to vote.

As part of that commitment, we reached out to all provincial candidates to offer them the opportunity to introduce themselves, share their position on issues of interest to Manitobans, and explain why they’re the best person for the job of MLA.

Ninety-five candidates responded — about 40 per cent of the 235 candidates running. 

(A note to candidates: if you haven’t yet responded, we can still add you. Check your email for our invitation, or email webnews@freepress.mb.ca for more information.)

On the issue front, we’ve launched a feature on our website that lets you, the voter, select your position on ten issues of interest — then compare your position to the candidates running in your area.  From health-care reform to deficit reduction to safe-consumption sites and carbon taxes, see where the candidates fall.

Aside from letting us know their position on the issues, we also invited the candidates to share a bit about themselves personally.

A question asking for “something about you that voters might find surprising” revealed break dancers, comic book collectors, heavy-metal music fans, bingo-callers, martial artists — and one candidate who was struck by lightning the night after he won the Liberal nomination.

We also asked candidates to propose a way to memorably mark Manitoba’s 150th anniversary next year.  Several candidates encouraged Manitobans to see the province — including free admittance to provincial parks for the year — and many mentioned the importance of partnering with Indigenous Manitobans to mark the event.  Other candidates came up with more creative options:

• “Have a flotilla of boats from the culture of every Manitoban – starting with birch bark canoes, York Boats, and then various boats from cultures of new Canadians – Icelanders, Scots, Chinese, you name it. Have them travel down the Red and Assiniboine and meet at the Forks for a concert and have a party.”
• “Create a new flag… I would have a competition with all the schools in the province of Manitoba.”
• “I would like to see a province-wide high school theater festival with original plays authored, produced and performed by students that the general public could attend.  We could make the plays about the issues facing Manitoba in the past 150 years.”

To see replies from all candidates, visit winnipegfreepress.com/election and select your constituency from the list.  (Or, if you’re reading this on our website, just scroll back up to the top of this story and select your constituency using the red bar.) 

Look for “Ten questions on the issues” to compare your responses with the candidates, and see “The candidates, as people” to read candidates’ longer answers to our questions.