Manitobans will be heading to the polls Sept. 10 to elect the province’s next government, Progressive Conservative leader Brian Pallister announced June 19.
“Over three years ago, Manitobans overwhelmingly entrusted us with a clear mandate to fix the finances, repair the services, and rebuild the economy,” said Pallister, who became premier when the PCs ousted the NDP after 17 years in power in the spring of 2016. “We inherited a mess. But together, we have made real progress. The deficit is cut by more than half. Health care and education investments are at a record high. And we did so without raising one single tax on Manitoba families.”
Pallister touted the reduction of the provincial sales tax back to seven per cent come July 1 and said his government has achieved 90 per cent of what it set out to do.
“On Sept. 10, Manitobans will have an opportunity to choose between building a better Manitoba with lower taxes and better services, or falling back to the higher taxes and worse services we experienced under the NDP”, Pallister said. “That’s a risk Manitobans can’t afford.”
NDP leader Wab Kinew had a different take on how Manitoba is doing.
“[Pallister] has made a lot of bad choices,” Kinew said in a video posted on Twitter. “He’s chosen to cut health care, he’s chosen to ignore the meth crisis, he’s chosen to pick fights with the mayor [of Winnipeg], the prime minister, you name it, but now you’re going to get your opportunity to make a choice and I want you to choose me. I’m going to fix health care. I’m going to stand up for jobs in Manitoba and I’m going to fight for our future, which means protecting the environment.”
Manitoba Liberal leader Dougald Lamont told 680 CJOB that choosing to have an election in September instead of October 2020 as set out in Manitoba’s fixed election date law demonstrates Pallister’s priorities.
“This is an election that’s convenient for him,” said Lamont, adding that the Liberals will be ready to fight this election and will field a full slate of 57 candidates. “I think it is an incredibly important election. It’s a choice between whether Manitobans want to re-elect one of the tired old parties or elect another party, the Manitoba Liberal party, which wants to do things differently and frankly Manitobans don’t have to put up with another four years of cuts to education, health care and infrastructure and the incompetence of the Pallister government.”
Manitoba Metis Federation President David Chartrand said he was concerned that the election date is one day before a court date to resolve the matter of the Manitoba Minnesota Transmission Project and that he didn’t believe Pallister’s reason for calling an election this year.
"I do not buy the excuse that this election date has to be rushed so as not to conflict with Manitoba’s 150th birthday celebrations in 2020," said Chartrand in a press release. "If Pallister cared so much about this province’s history, he would sit downwith its founding people and live up to the agreements and treaties we have worked so hard to create."
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Grand Chief Garrison Settee said progress has been made over the last three years but that First Nations people need to reflect on whether the province has done enough to improve their quality of life.
“I want to encourage First Nations people to get involved in this election, either by running as a candidate, volunteering to campaign for a candidate you support, or simply by getting out to the polling stations on Sept. 10 and casting a ballot,” said Settee in a news release. “Exercise your voice and get involved in this democratic election process here in Manitoba.”
Elections Manitoba announced June 19 that it is holding in-person voter registration for the upcoming provincial election in Thompson at the City Centre Mall from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 20-21, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 22, noon to 5 p.m. June 23 and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 24. Voters need to show one piece of government-issued photo identification or two other pieces of identification to register. Voters who are already registered come election day can be served more quickly at their voting place, says Elections Manitoba.
