Manitoba votes 2019 - Dauphin
- Details
- Published on Thursday, September 5, 2019
The Neepawa Banner & Press has asked the area’s provincial candidates their thoughts on several significant topics impacting their constituency. In the Sept. 6 edition of the paper, we featured Dauphin and Spruce Woods constituencies. Due to space constraints in the hard copy paper, some of the candidates' responses had to be condensed. Here, you can find the full responses from the Dauphin candidate who sent in a response. PC candidate Brad Michaelski and NDP candidate Darcy Scheller did not submit their responses before the Banner & Press's print deadline. If they do send in responses before the election, they will be published here.
What we asked the candidates:
1. What was the specific issue that inspired you to put your name on the ballot?
2. Why do you want to represent this constituency? And why do you want to represent your party?
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing your constituency?
4. We’re teaching kids, are we teaching them what they need to know to be functioning members of society?
5. Manitoba is a diverse population, yet some groups (LGBTQ+, First Nations, immigrants, etc.) aren’t discussed. Do you think more focus needs to be put on education that is more inclusive of our province’s citizens?
6. How do you see rural health services changing over the next decade?
7. The perception in many rural communities is that they are left out when it comes to development. How do you define rural development and how would you support it?
8. What role can the province play in helping to address the rising cost of living facing those from the middle class down?
Cathy Scofield-Singh
Liberal Party
About the candidate: I have lived in Ste. Rose-du-Lac since 2001. I am a Nurse Practitioner and I provide primary health care services in Ste. Rose-du-Lac.
Responses: 1. As a Nurse Practitioner, I have seen, at ground level, all of the drastic Health Care and economic cuts created by the current government and the impact that has made in the lives of rural Manitobans. We need stabilized funding and innovative plans to improve healthcare for rural and Northern Manitobans.
2. We are being told that the NDP and PCs are our only choices in this upcoming provincial election. This is not true. The MB Liberal party has developed a new way forward and has innovative plans to improve our economy while ensuring strong health care and education, adequate child care and addressing poverty to improve the lives for all Manitobans, including northern and rural Manitobans.
There are approximately 1.3 million people living in Manitoba, of which approximately 800,000 live in urban areas. That means there are approximately 500,000 people living outside of Winnipeg’s perimeter. Many of the issues facing rural and northern Manitoba are different than urban Manitoba and they need specific attention and different models for us to succeed.
When I was asked by Dr. Jon Gerrard to consider running as a MB Liberal candidate for the Dauphin Riding, I reviewed all of the policies and plans released at that point. In doing so, I found that MB Liberal stance about a new way forward for all Manitobans and their plans resonated with me. The MB Liberal party addresses many issues facing rural Manitobans.
I have had the opportunity to talk with Dougald Lamont. I found him willing to listen to me and was able to speak to my concerns. I found that the MB Liberal party believes in the future of Manitoba and Manitobans and have developed plans and policies that will move Manitobans forward.
Another reason is that politics tend to be run by lawyers and economists, often run by people who really do not understand the issues faced by everyday Manitobans, especially those living in rural Manitoba. They do not see the effect that their cutbacks are making in our lives, especially in regard to health care.
As a Nurse Practitioner, I provide healthcare to rural and northern Manitobans. I meet people where they are at physically and emotionally. I know the issues that my clients face day to day and I see how they are struggling to make ends meet. I spoke with a Dauphin resident the other day, who said “If you do not have your health, you don’t have anything”.
3. The Dauphin riding is facing multiple issues and it would be impossible to delineate one of them as they are intertwined. Health care access is intertwined with access to mental health, which in turn is intertwined with addictions. With the rise in addictions comes a rise in crime, which affects all Manitobans. We need to take a holistic look at all factors which can improve our lives, including education, proper housing, the opportunity for employment, etc.
4. I don’t want to speak negatively about the education provided by our children’s educators, as they are doing an excellent job with what they have and with the curriculum they must adhere to. The MB Liberal party has announced plans that can make a positive impact for students, teachers and families in providing the best education to students of all ages. In a world where our children will be increasingly facing issues like climate change, it is important that children help us with solutions which can be a win for all of us – in particular a win for farmers. Manitoba Liberals have the most comprehensive green plan of any party and we include working with farmers so that farmers can get credit for carbon storage.
5. Absolutely! I cannot speak to what other groups are discussing about these issues. In my role as a Nurse Practitioner, I do address issues facing the Indigenous population, newcomers, LGBTQ2 population and other minorities.
Part of reconciliation is about making everyone aware about issues that are faced by those who may be different from you. The reality is that we are all unique and we are all different. We all deserve respect no matter how different we are.
6. If we keep following the current path, access to health care in rural Manitoba will continue to decrease. We need new, innovative ideas to increase access to health care in rural Manitoba. The MB Liberal party has outlined numerous, innovative ways that will bring health care back to our home communities and not left just within the larger, urban areas. One of the Liberal commitments is to put psychological therapy under MB Health and to deliver these therapies province-wide. This will dramatically improve access to help for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
7. Rural development is about growing and developing communities outside of Winnipeg’s perimeter. It is about encouraging the development of the rural economy so that communities, residents, farmers will be able to grow and be economically viable. The MB Liberal party has announced a plan for growth and development of Manitoba’s economy, which includes a non-partisan Manitoba Business Development Bank, which will encourage growth at the grass root level.
8. I am personally in the middle class income and have seen my buying power decrease substantially during the last couple of years. According to Stats Canada, in 2017, Canadians owed $1.71 for every $1.00 that they earned. Also, we are an aging population. Retirement should be a potential for everyone, yet with our current debt load, it is becoming an unrealistic goal. If we are spending a $1.71 for every $1.00 earned, how can we retire? The issue is that most people have to spend their money now in order to live and really are not able to prepare for retirement.
The province can help by growing the economy, which would improve everyone’s economic base. If our personal economic base improves, then we would be able to deal with the rising costs of living and be able to prepare for our retirement. Manitoba Liberals have put forward a bold plan to address poverty, to help those with low incomes, to help improve their lives while improving our economy by improving the buying power of those on low incomes.
I believe that life is all about choices and change. This is the time to make a personal choice to change!
