Pallister pumped with campaign success

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Published on Thursday, April 28, 2016

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Fresh off his historic win in the April 19 Manitoba election, PC Manitoba leader Brian Pallister held a conference call press conference with rural media. It was attended by about a dozen representatives from rural radio stations and newspapers. 

Pallister was also coining some new words. A reporter asked him about the word “rurban” that Pallister had uttered. The premier-designate explained how rural MLAs got involved in the campaign in more urban centres like Dauphin, Brandon and Winnipeg. “We had strength in the rural areas and we used that strength to campaign in the urban centres, explained Pallister. “But I have a new word, it’s urbal. It’s when we have urban people go out and learn about rural issues and vice versa.” Pallister was very happy with how he was able to build a team across varying demographics in Manioba.

Asked about the west side Bi-Pole III hydro line, which is already under construction, and if he intended to stop construction, Pallister said, “Bi-Pole III was the dumbest project ever, anywhere. We have to get the real information instead of blacked out reports, which is what we have seen so far. We will do the best we can to stop it.”

During the campaign, Pallister promised there would be 1,200 new personal care home (PCH) beds constructed. Pallister was asked that given that there seems to be private investment money available in Russell, Boissevain and Morden to build a care home, if he was interested in private/public partnerships to construct care homes. Pallister said that under the former conservative government, there were 90 beds per year built, but under the NDP, only 20 per year. “The government can’t do it all. There are great partnership models available and we need to look at them to get the number of beds made available that are needed.”