Last week, I had the honour to present the resolution calling on the provincial government to restore Thompson’s foot care clinic in the Legislative Assembly. I was saddened, albeit not surprised, to see that the government was not in support of returning the much-needed foot care services to Thompson. The Progressive Conservative government cut our health system right before a pandemic and they should be held accountable for undermining our public healthcare system right before the virus struck, and leaving the north under-equipped to properly provide care.
The provincial government has offered far too little attention and support to Northern Manitoba for many years, and the cuts that led to the closure of the Thompson foot care clinic are proof of that. The PC government closed the Thompson foot care clinic in 2019, and has not made any effort to reopen the clinic despite thousands of community members expressing the need for the services that it offered to the north.
This provincial government’s track record in the north is dismal. Cutting healthcare across the board, including birthing services, an emergency room, a brain injury unit and foot care clinic. Pulling support programs like the Communities Economic Development Fund, leaving Thompson without an aquatic centre for years, and cutting support for communities that are dealing with mine slowdowns or shutdowns, Northern Manitoba has been left to struggle for so long that communities need desperate attention now to address the issues that have arisen in the past years of austerity.
For years now, the PC government has not supported Northern Manitoba adequately and pushed our priorities to the side. This is not sustainable, and it absolutely does not reflect the wishes of Northern Manitobans.
Northern Manitoba deserves the attention of this government, and the longer that this government goes without investing significantly in the north, northern families and communities will continue to struggle to make ends meet.
While the PC government has ignored the needs of the north, the Manitoba NDP has consistently offered a voice of support for the north as opposition. While the PC government has not listened to the needs of Northern Manitoba, your Manitoba NDP has listened to your concerns and we have worked to hold the government accountable.
I look forward to hearing from you, so please do not hesitate to reach out by calling my office at 204-677-4789, reaching us by email at Eric.Redhead@yourmanitoba.ca, or coming to see us at 402-79 Selkirk Avenue in Thompson.
