Discussions

standard standard h8r said "Here is something from the editorial in today's Brandon Sun: "None of the three parties has offered a longterm view, at least not one that is backed up with a financial road map, integrated with spending promises."     None of the three parties. None of them. That includes Pallister and the PC's. Don't let your newfound blind allegiance shape your thinking.     The editorial also said "Mr. Pallister’s prescription for the future was just two pages long, and it looks like it could have been scribbled on a napkin on the kitchen table."     Hardly a comprehensive plan.     I am concerned that Pallister's "managers" are working so hard to keep him away from unscripted moments, like the debate in Brandon. Are they so afraid of him speaking off-script that they limit his appearances ? If his minders are that concerned about his judgement, maybe the voters should be similarly concerned. "

no one has a long term view backed up by a financial plan, that is the OPINION of the editorial department of our local newspaper.  
 
The only party with ALL the financial information is the party in power right now, the NDP.  
 
plus it's hard to know how much cash is in the kitty when the NDP refused to release a spring budget!  
 
Edited by Johnbisonbear, 2016-04-11 11:33:54

The NDP are great at fear mongering.  
 
Driving south on 18th. street and seen a new sign about stopping PC health care cuts by voting NDP.  
 
Give us a break NDP! Do you always have to resort to scare tactics to win an election?  
 
Can't win an election on your own merits?

I'm still undecided but I did note in the news last week that Manitoba has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.  
 
As much as I dislike many things about the NDP, that's given me pause to consider the good they've done. Our economy is sufficiently diversified that we're weathering this oil thing pretty good. I think I'm feeling hesitant about demanding change when we're doing pretty good on the job front. Alberta is hemorraging jobs, but you can't blame the current government there because it started before their election, and is mostly due to oil prices.  
 
The change in government didn't help, but any change is government will destablize things too, no matter which side of the fence you're leaping to/from.

Johnbisonbear said "The NDP are great at fear mongering.     Driving south on 18th. street and seen a new sign about stopping PC health care cuts by voting NDP.     Give us a break NDP! Do you always have to resort to scare tactics to win an election?     Can't win an election on your own merits? "

I have never voted on fear tactics. In fact, when blatant fear statements such as this are made, I do more research to find out if there is any truth to it.  
 
While I am not going to search up all the articles right now, it was proven over and over that the PC's did not rape and pillage the medical system as the NDP claimed they did when they took power all those years ago. They promised they would repair the damage done by the former government and end hallway medicine. They made promises in the last election that every Manitoban would have a personal doctor, and wait times for specialists would be decreased.  
 
Well here's the reality. A good chunk of people still use walk in or hospital because they cannot get a GP. Nearly none of the Brandon Clinic docs are taking patients. My family doc - usually well over a month to get in to see her, and when I do, the wait times are up to three hours due to her being over booked.  
 
By the way, around Winnipeg - doctors are "interviewing" people to see if they might be a good match for their practice. And they are turning people down for whatever reason. I know of half a dozen people, including my mother, who have been rejected from a doc taking them on for various reasons. I thought that was not allowed??  
 
 
My children are 14 and 11. Since they were born, wait times for specialist appointments have nearly tripled. Used to be you could get in to see the allergists in Winnipeg within a couple of months tops - my son has been "waiting" with headaches and sinus issues/bleeding noses for over a year now. How is that a shorter wait time?  
 
Wait time to see Dr Thess is still well over a year, then the wait is 8-12 months for the surgery. Though I was told it was only a six month wait when I got in to see him, here we are at nine months and I still do not have a surgery date.  
 
People need to seriously write down a pros and cons list and do some research (NOT just reading pamphlets left my canvassers. ) They are salesman trying to sell you something. You need to think for yourself.

Don't worry things will improve once Pallister brings in American style pay as you go health care. People wont be going to the doctor for a simple cold as they wont want to pay even $5 a visit.  
 
If you think things are going to improve by Pallister rolling back $300 million dollars of PST money and saying he is going to give us more money on our income tax by increasing the basic exemption and then increasing infrastructure spending higher than what the NDP presently do now and also throwing more money at the health care system and giving doctors a raise to keep them here then.....well that just doesn't compute on my handheld calculator.  
 
Oh yes we do have the second lowest unemployment rate in Canada right now but once Pallister starts cutting civil servants, teachers and homecare workers our costs will increase by having people pay more out of their pockets for privatized homecare.  
 
But wait once he claws back the seniors education property tax rebate that will offset a bit of the PST cut. Yep I think you guys have got everything figured out.  

CatMan said "Some of the political observers are saying that Brandon East is one of the seats to watch.   Any opinions on whether Mr. Caldwell will hang onto his job? "

will handily hold on to his seat. He has done a lot for Brandon. I wish I was able to vote for him.  
 
The reason they are building the first street bridge is because it is in Drews Brandon East, to bad he wasn't running in Brandon west we could have had the Daly overpass done first LOL!!!

Abbysmum said "I'm still undecided but I did note in the news last week that Manitoba has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.     As much as I dislike many things about the NDP, that's given me pause to consider the good they've done. Our economy is sufficiently diversified that we're weathering this oil thing pretty good. I think I'm feeling hesitant about demanding change when we're doing pretty good on the job front. Alberta is hemorraging jobs, but you can't blame the current government there because it started before their election, and is mostly due to oil prices.     The change in government didn't help, but any change is government will destablize things too, no matter which side of the fence you're leaping to/from. "

You're okay with all the spending I gather?  
 
It doesn't matter to you what kind of promises Selinger makes to get re-elected? Do you have deep pockets?  
 
I know of people, some of them semi-professional, some making a lot more coin than anyone in my family ever made talking about not retiring because of financial worries.  
 
Most of those worries are from the constant tax increase we have faced over the last decade or longer.  
 
I find it sad when people who can retire and deserve to retire can't or won't because they are worried about finances.  
 
A change will destabilize the province? I highly doubt it. The sun will still shine the next day and things will continue on.

Reggie 2 said "Don't worry things will improve once Pallister brings in American style pay as you go health care. People wont be going to the doctor for a simple cold as they wont want to pay even $5 a visit.     If you think things are going to improve by Pallister rolling back $300 million dollars of PST money and saying he is going to give us more money on our income tax by increasing the basic exemption and then increasing infrastructure spending higher than what the NDP presently do now and also throwing more money at the health care system and giving doctors a raise to keep them here then.....well that just doesn't compute on my handheld calculator.     Oh yes we do have the second lowest unemployment rate in Canada right now but once Pallister starts cutting civil servants, teachers and homecare workers our costs will increase by having people pay more out of their pockets for privatized homecare.     But wait once he claws back the seniors education property tax rebate that will offset a bit of the PST cut. Yep I think you guys have got everything figured out.   "

Any party trying to cut front line health care for our citizens will be crucified.  
 
Have you not seen the ads where Pallister pledges to protect front line services? I guess not! But you will come on here and spread this BS, ugh!

Well wouldn't this all help improve our deficit? Isn't that one of Pal's main election issues....the deficit?  
 
Your constant concern is all the out of control spending as you suggest above.  
 
Edited by Reggie 2, 2016-04-11 18:27:02

Reggie 2 said "    CatMan said "Some of the political observers are saying that Brandon East is one of the seats to watch.   Any opinions on whether Mr. Caldwell will hang onto his job? " will handily hold on to his seat. He has done a lot for Brandon. I wish I was able to vote for him.     The reason they are building the first street bridge is because it is in Drews Brandon East, to bad he wasn't running in Brandon west we could have had the Daly overpass done first LOL!!! "

that the First street bridge was built to buy votes for Drew?  
 

The PC platform says they will find $51M in cuts from their red tape review. This is roughly a 40% savings vs what is budgeted now. Can they really achieve a 40% savings and still protect front line services?

Johnbisonbear said "    Reggie 2 said "    CatMan said "Some of the political observers are saying that Brandon East is one of the seats to watch.   Any opinions on whether Mr. Caldwell will hang onto his job? " will handily hold on to his seat. He has done a lot for Brandon. I wish I was able to vote for him.     The reason they are building the first street bridge is because it is in Drews Brandon East, to bad he wasn't running in Brandon west we could have had the Daly overpass done first LOL!!! " that the First street bridge was built to buy votes for Drew?     "

I'm saying he gets things done in his constituency and that's who I would vote for.  
 
Why vote for just a "sitting MLA" that never says anything.

"The reason they are building the first street bridge is because it is in Drews Brandon East, to bad he wasn't running in Brandon west we could have had the Daly overpass done first LOL!!! "  
 
And ain't that just the truth.  
 
Two local political realities are - that when it comes to rural Manitoba (all of Manitoba outside the perimeter highway from the Winnipeg Centric point of view), NDP representatives to the legislature can be relied on to:  
 
a) represent the government to us, rather than the other way around,  
 
b) pull the pork into their own NDP ridings and punish the rest for the impertinence of not seeing the Light  
 
 

Johnbisonbear said "    belzebob said "    Farmers Feed the World said "MTS was sold in 96 I believe. We still had party lines in 95 for sure trust me. " I stand by my post.     if a party does not put up the sale of a crown corporation as an election issue, so the voters can make an informed decision.     the only way a crown corporation should be sold is after a provincial referendum.     that referendum should be a solid majority. at least 75% so we know the majority agree.     none of that happened before the sale of MTS and I will always view it as bein illegal. " the PC's promised to not sell MTS.     Anyone else remember?     I'm hearing a lot of people talking about their own finances and saying they cannot bear more tax increases. People that pull in more than 50 grand a year.     Some of you are saying "what's the big deal about a little tax increase", well it's a big deal to plenty!     If Selinger gets back in he will have no problem what so ever to raise the PST again! This win for the NDP will be a endorsement to tax (more) and spend! "

Your quote from above to me:  
 
"Have you not seen the ads where Pallister pledges to protect front line services? I guess not! But you will come on here and spread this BS, ugh!"  
 
Funny how I have suggested a few ways to cut costs ($5 to visit doctor) that have been bantered about years ago by the PC's and you call it BS, now if that BS you use means "Best Solution"that would be great. However you saying Selinger is going to raise the PST again that is baloney.  
 
Also as I said in the past I really haven't felt a hardship from the PST increase if it is helping. as an example a $5000 purchase is an extra $50 PST. When gas was at 69.9 I was filling my truck up for $50 and when it 129.9 it was costing me $100 so there I got my PST increase back many times this winter.  
 
 
 
Edited by Reggie 2, 2016-04-11 20:05:56

Isn't 18th street the dividing line between Brandon East and West so who's constituency is it in

Johnbisonbear said "    Abbysmum said "I'm still undecided but I did note in the news last week that Manitoba has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.     As much as I dislike many things about the NDP, that's given me pause to consider the good they've done. Our economy is sufficiently diversified that we're weathering this oil thing pretty good. I think I'm feeling hesitant about demanding change when we're doing pretty good on the job front. Alberta is hemorraging jobs, but you can't blame the current government there because it started before their election, and is mostly due to oil prices.     The change in government didn't help, but any change is government will destablize things too, no matter which side of the fence you're leaping to/from. " You're okay with all the spending I gather?     It doesn't matter to you what kind of promises Selinger makes to get re-elected? Do you have deep pockets?     I know of people, some of them semi-professional, some making a lot more coin than anyone in my family ever made talking about not retiring because of financial worries.     Most of those worries are from the constant tax increase we have faced over the last decade or longer.     I find it sad when people who can retire and deserve to retire can't or won't because they are worried about finances.     A change will destabilize the province? I highly doubt it. The sun will still shine the next day and things will continue on. "

All I'm saying is that obviously some aspects of what's been going down the past decade or so been working because people here actually have jobs on the most part. Our economy isn't a one-trick pony, unlike Alberta now or Ontario in 2008-2009. You know how many people I know that have come back from Alberta to find work here the past 18 months? Lots.  
 
People not retiring is another matter for another thread. That's usually something decades in the making. We're facing not retiring when we'd like to (in about 20 years), but we also know it's because we made some bad choices along the way. Can't blame the government for that.  
 
I don't like paying taxes any more than the next guy, and there are many, many aspects that I think money was *not* well spent, but I think we need to look long and hard at the current state of our province vs. other provinces and what's on the table from any of the other parties before we decide to upset the apple cart.  
 
I personally feel that a minority, either NDP or Conservative, would be ideal. It would force them to be somewhat accountable to each other.

spoken to people that have had to go back to work after retiring because of the taxes going up every single year. Yes they have told me this fact. Add into that equation our cost of living so people need more and more money but the gov't wants more from taxpayers.  
 
Despite the fact that the province gives the school board more cash every single year the BSD still raises their portion of our taxes.  
 

On a quick scroll, haven't seen this link in this thread. Poll put out a few days ago (Friday) that would seem to indicate that the PCs are "poised to form government" with an 18 point lead in polls at that time:  
http://news.probe-research.com/2016/04/manitoba-pcs-poised-to-form-government.html  
 
... Even if a separate release would indicate that Manitobans are "uninspired by leadership choices" overall with all leaders trailing their overall party in support:  
http://www.probe-research.com/documents/160407%20WFP%20CTV%20Leader%20Trust.pdf  

So did everyone else find the televised debate boring and un-debatable ? I was waiting for a new thread on people's perspectives after tonight's "debate". I've never heard so many "thank you for the question" and "excuse me" before. Friendly Manitoba I suppose but I was hoping to hear more regarding proposed changes/policies/taxes/cures. Yawn. Sorry I missed the one here in Brandon. Thoughts?

I quit watching. I'm not sure, but I don't think I heard a single question answered as asked.  
 
I was rather disheartened by the exchange between candidates.

well at least this time we have a conservative candidate that states a 2 tier medical system is better for Manitobans.  
 
not sure how he figures that.  
 
but at least we know where some of the cuts will come from.  
 
but maybe he will leave that alone and just open up auto insurance in the province,  
 
at least then the best he could get would be on the board of "the general".  

Had to stop watching it.  
Nobody would give a straight answer - just went on the attack. Even when asked to answer, they spent most of their time slamming the other guy.  
Not impressed with anyone.  
But we have to vote for somebody.......

actually.. I wasn't impressed with Pallister on yesterday debate. Thats who I was going to vote for, now not sure who.

Getty said "actually.. I wasn't impressed with Pallister on yesterday debate. Thats who I was going to vote for, now not sure who. "

Also with the post above the one quoted. Why can't they answer the question? Instead they go off in a totally different direction avoiding it. Fwiw, I kind of favored the GP. I don't know if I am in favor of changing the PST now that we are used to it. Keep it the same, but use the money wisely to improve what needs or reduce the debt of the province. My 2 cents as I never comment on politics.

belzebob said "well at least this time we have a conservative candidate that states a 2 tier medical system is better for Manitobans.     not sure how he figures that.     but at least we know where some of the cuts will come from.     but maybe he will leave that alone and just open up auto insurance in the province,     at least then the best he could get would be on the board of "the general".   "

is Brian Pallister saying that there is 2 tier health care already in Manitoba, created by the NDP.  
 
I never heard BP say that 2 tier is acceptable but I'm not putting a spin on what I heard.

Six days until the election and I couldn't be more apathetic to the candidates.  
I like Drew and what he personally stands for, but I'm not interested in supporting Sellinger.  
I would be willing to give Islefson a shot however I find Pallister to be as palpable as Sellinger if not worse.  
I feel like Bokhari would promise the moon and even when I can see past that I don't like Hamilton.  
 
At this point I will probably spoil my ballot.

Degenerate108 said "Six days until the election and I couldn't be more apathetic to the candidates.   I like Drew and what he personally stands for, but I'm not interested in supporting Sellinger.   I would be willing to give Islefson a shot however I find Pallister to be as palpable as Sellinger if not worse.   I feel like Bokhari would promise the moon and even when I can see past that I don't like Hamilton.     At this point I will probably spoil my ballot. "

Decline your ballot. A spoiled ballot is just that and counts for nothing. It is easy to make extra marks on a ballot which then renders it spoiled.  
 
A Declined ballot means that you didn't make any mistakes but chose to not support any of the candidates.  
 
https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/e030e.php  
 
Do a search on that page for "decline" for more information.  
 
Like you, these candidates don't impress me much either.

Abbysmum said "    Johnbisonbear said "    Abbysmum said "I'm still undecided but I did note in the news last week that Manitoba has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.     As much as I dislike many things about the NDP, that's given me pause to consider the good they've done. Our economy is sufficiently diversified that we're weathering this oil thing pretty good. I think I'm feeling hesitant about demanding change when we're doing pretty good on the job front. Alberta is hemorraging jobs, but you can't blame the current government there because it started before their election, and is mostly due to oil prices.     The change in government didn't help, but any change is government will destablize things too, no matter which side of the fence you're leaping to/from. " You're okay with all the spending I gather?     It doesn't matter to you what kind of promises Selinger makes to get re-elected? Do you have deep pockets?     I know of people, some of them semi-professional, some making a lot more coin than anyone in my family ever made talking about not retiring because of financial worries.     Most of those worries are from the constant tax increase we have faced over the last decade or longer.     I find it sad when people who can retire and deserve to retire can't or won't because they are worried about finances.     A change will destabilize the province? I highly doubt it. The sun will still shine the next day and things will continue on. " All I'm saying is that obviously some aspects of what's been going down the past decade or so been working because people here actually have jobs on the most part. Our economy isn't a one-trick pony, unlike Alberta now or Ontario in 2008-2009. You know how many people I know that have come back from Alberta to find work here the past 18 months? Lots.     People not retiring is another matter for another thread. That's usually something decades in the making. We're facing not retiring when we'd like to (in about 20 years), but we also know it's because we made some bad choices along the way. Can't blame the government for that.     I don't like paying taxes any more than the next guy, and there are many, many aspects that I think money was *not* well spent, but I think we need to look long and hard at the current state of our province vs. other provinces and what's on the table from any of the other parties before we decide to upset the apple cart.     I personally feel that a minority, either NDP or Conservative, would be ideal. It would force them to be somewhat accountable to each other. "

Manitoba lost 3400 jobs over the last year so things aren't as rosy as we are lead to believe.

I see you are back at your fear mongering again with as usual little to no research done. Just a lot of drivvle. Saskatchewan lost double Manitoba in job loss at 6800.  
 
Read the link:  
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/30/jobs-canada-payroll-report_n_8433060.html  
 
Edited by Reggie 2, 2016-04-13 17:18:44

Reggie 2 said "I see you are back at your fear mongering again with as usual little to no research done. Just a lot of drivvle. Saskatchewan lost double Manitoba in job loss at 6800.     Read the link:     http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/30/jobs-canada-payroll-report_n_8433060.html     Edited by Reggie 2, 2016-04-13 17:18:44"

I live in Manitoba, not Sask. I am concerned with MANITOBA. I'm not saying that our province lost the most jobs across the country. So sorry, I'm not fear mongering just stating the facts. Perhaps re-read my post.  
 
If you want to have a look at the article the info was in the Winnipeg Sun, the one about the leader's debate.  
 
BTW Reggie, how many Sask. jobs were lost due to the slumping oil industry?  
 
Edited by Johnbisonbear, 2016-04-13 18:21:48