While reducing the provincial deficit the past two fiscal years, our Manitoba government has significantly increased expenditures in health care by $386 million, in education by $399 million and in the Department of Families by $288 million over what was previously budgeted for these services by the previous government in 2015. These are the largest investments in these services that Manitoba has ever seen, and our government is continuing to listen to Manitobans about budget issues. It was my pleasure this week to welcome Scott Fielding, Manitoba minister of finance, and Reg Helwer, MLA for Brandon West and legislative assistant for finance, to Thompson and to assist them with our government’s pre-budget consultation session at the Ma- Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre.
This public session is one of many that Minister Fielding is conducting across the province to plan for Budget 2019, and to hear from Manitobans about how our government should sustain health care, balance the budget and invest in education in the coming year. I want to thank all participants who made presentations, and everyone who attended for sharing their thoughts and providing feedback from a northern perspective as we plan for a stable, secure and sustainable future in our province. Manitobans can also provide input online to help plan the next provincial budget at manitobansmakingchoices.ca. Anyone interested in information on provincial agencies, boards and commissions can visit the Manitoba government website at www.gov.mb.ca/government/abc.
I’m also very pleased to have had the opportunity to attend the official opening of the Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinic in Thompson this week. Located at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s Eaglewood site at 90 Princeton Dr., this clinic is one of five opening across the province to offer front-line help for Manitobans suffering from substance addictions. RAAM clinics provide assessments, counselling, prescriptions of appropriate medications and connections for patients to community treatment programs and primary care physicians.
The clinics are key elements in the provincial effort to help Manitobans seeking treatment for addictions to opioids, methamphetamines, alcohol and other substances. While providing timely care to patients, RAAM clinical teams will also reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments and crisis services.
