Politics

 

No one wants to miss this post. Faye is writing about something she knows very little about, politics. In Manitoba an election date has been set for October 3. There are frequent advertisements on the TV, showing the candidates stating what they are going to do if they were to be the next Premier of Manitoba. 

Heather Stefanson is our current Premier and is leading the Conservative party. I wish with all my heart, that as a woman, she would have been more successful. Sadly, she has gained very little respect for her decisions and is rated as the least popular premiere in Canada. 

Wab Kinew, has been leading the NDP party for some time. He is hoping to be the first, First Nations Premiere. I really like Wab, and his platform. He has a tough on crime platform, with plans to support policing and the homeless. He is using his own experience in the justice system to help address the crime. He has always been a big advocate for Health care. His wife is a doctor, and he feels the front-line workers need to be heard. 

Liberal leader, Douglas Lamont's platform includes plans to stop giving money back to the wealthy with new spending and tax changes. He has plans to shuffle about a billion dollars in order to help fix health care, education and other services.

At election time, do you vote for the party, the person or the platform. Coming from a strong Conservative community, I feel that I have in the past voted for the party. In the States, people will die on a sword for their party. It seems in the US; you are either a Democrat or a Republican and you will never change. 

Do you vote for the person? I had someone tell me that they would never vote for Wab because he has a past of substance abuse and has been arrested. I feel that his lived experience can be a positive in understanding the needs regarding addiction. As a person, Wab intrigues me. I have trouble warming up to Stefanson, I think it all started when I watched the Conservative party arguing among themselves when Stefanson replaced Pallister. Shelley Glover challenged Stefanson when she came up 363 votes short and launched a legal challenge against the results. Who does that remind you of? Lastly, the liberal candidate, Lamont, I know not one thing about this guy. Isn't it a shame that all the platforms could not be put together and actually make a better province. 

I used to be very proud of how in Canada, you couldn't bash other candidates. They were expected to run a clean campaign and that meant not running down other parties. Sadly, we have become Americanized in that aspect. I just want you to tell me what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. I have no interest in listening to the candidates at a debate, that is just not me, but for those that enjoy it, I am glad for you. 

On January 27, 1916, women in Manitoba were the first in Canada, to be able to vote in a provincial election. Women over 21 in BC, were allowed to vote in federal elections after 1918.  By 1922, most women in Canada, were allowed to vote with the exception of Quebec (1940) and North West Territories (1951).  Voting is a right that we take for granted. It is something that many women around the world still can't do. We need to exercise our rights and vote. 

If you are 18 and have been in Manitoba for 6 months, you can vote in the election on October 3. There have been times when I don't want to vote for any of the candidates and haven't. Once I voted for the person and their platform and not the party. I do feel the platform is the most important to me. 

Currently, Manitoba needs strong leadership. I always believe someone, somewhere knows the answer. If I were in charge of fixing this issue, this is what I would do. I would start by developing a working group of the following people and would add other areas of the population as needed. I would have them develop a list of needs, prioritize those needs and start to work on them one at a time.  

1. A self-made successful farmer, not someone that was handed the farm, but made it a farm. 

2. A teacher with lots of experience.

3. A member of the front-line workers in health care. 

4. A self-made successful businessman/woman.

5. An advocate in the area of drugs, addiction and homelessness.

6. A representative from the northern aboriginal communities. 

7. Someone that is extremely good with numbers and budget. 

8. Someone from the immigrant population.

9. A community member at large.

10. Someone from the justice system.

11. Low-income population.

12. Senior representative.

I worked in health care long enough to know that the decisions for care were being made in an office. I never felt equipped to go into any one of the offices and decide how it should function, so why was it okay the other way. I believe this is how it is happening in way too many areas.  We are becoming a top-heavy management province/country. 

In closing, I am sure you have really enjoyed this babble about politics. I do have my rose-colored glasses on as I write this. I am a fixer, and I like it when things are fixed. It seems so easy from my chair in my living room. The trouble is, promises made at election time are often broken. Maybe, we can have hope for this election, who knows, there is always hope.