Another day, another set of election promises from Manitoba politicians in the lead-up to the Oct. 3 provincial election.
Manitoba Liberals are promising democratic reform if they win the election.
Currently sitting in third place with three of 57 seats in the provincial legislature, the Liberals are calling for the introduction of a ranked-ballot system for elections going forward.
Leader Dougald Lamont said the initiative — which is used in many jurisdictions around the world — could help to eliminate ‘strategic voting’ and give voters a clear say on who they want to represent them.
“If we want lasting change in Manitoba, we need to change the way we vote by strengthening grassroots democracy with ranked ballots in provincial elections,” Lamont said in a release.
“One of the reasons we keep flip-flopping back and forth in Manitoba is that under our system, voters are told they have no choice but to vote for someone they don’t like to keep out someone else out.
“And that’s how you get the dysfunctional governments and divisive campaigns we see in Manitoba right now.”
The party’s proposed solution would give voters the opportunity to list their candidates order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 per cent of the overall vote, the last-place candidate would be eliminated, and the second choice of those who voted for that candidate would be counted.
Manitoba’s Opposition New Democrats are continuing to push for health-care reforms, after promising to re-open four Manitoba emergency rooms — three in Winnipeg — that had been downgraded to urgent care centres by the governing Progressive Conservatives.
The NDP said Friday they intend to hire 200 more paramedics if they win Oct.3, increasing response times for Manitobans in need of emergency care. Leader Wab Kinew said the party would first hire 100 paramedics to replace jobs cut in 2019, followed by an additional 100 by the end of the NDP’s first term in power.
The promise has been endorsed by the Paramedic Association of Manitoba.
“Shutting down the Seven Oaks ER was a terrible decision for northwest Winnipeg,” Kinew said in a release.
“Paramedics have seen first-hand how dangerous this is. But (Premier) Heather Stefanson’s PCs did it anyway. Our plan to build a new ER at Seven Oaks will give you back the emergency services you need.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
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