Manitoba | Provincial Politics

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Boreal

For the first time ever, I don't think I will vote.

In Manitoba provincial elections (I think, anyway), you can go to the polling station, and refuse your ballot. You will be marked down as such.

You do that, and I'll vote NDP.

[hexrae]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

In Manitoba provincial elections (I think, anyway), you can go to the polling station, and refuse your ballot. You will be marked down as such.

You do that, and I'll vote NDP.

I'll vote Liberal.

Just need someone to join us and vote Conservative, then we all cancel each other out. The system works!!

[thurmas]

I am voting PC, we did it we beat the system yeah!!!!!

[Winnipegger@Heart]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Wow. I knew it was large but not that large!

Makes me think of 2 things off the top of my head:

1. Winnipeg NEEDS LRT. Period.

2. Remember "where will everyone park for Moose games??" Seems a bit silly to worry about 15,000 when 75,000 do it every single weekday already.

Oh, and the NDP seem to be doing damn good for Manitoba this time around. It's certainly a much nicer place than during the Filmon years, that's for sure.

Not really; the jobs are low-paying, and there is still a very large number of people leaving the province. Plus, there were not a lot of regions doing very well when Filmon was in office. Any current positive growth can no doubt be contributed to transfer payments, and the NDP has no interest in making Manitoba a "have" province". Virtually all downtown developments are occurring, and have occured because developers were given major, major incentives. The downtown is not attractive enough to invest in without handouts, and that is because the NDP has not made the province attractive for investment. The city has done a decent job, but the province, with its ridiculous payroll tax, etc, say "stay out investment". The NDP wants to do nothing about our incredibly high income tax. It is time for a change, and the more attractive the business climate, the better Winnipeg will be.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger@Heart

Not really; the jobs are low-paying, and there is still a very large number of people leaving the province. Plus, there were not a lot of regions doing very well when Filmon was in office. Any current positive growth can no doubt be contributed to transfer payments, and the NDP has no interest in making Manitoba a "have" province". Virtually all downtown developments are occurring, and have occured because developers were given major, major incentives. The downtown is not attractive enough to invest in without handouts, and that is because the NDP has not made the province attractive for investment. The city has done a decent job, but the province, with its ridiculous payroll tax, etc, say "stay out investment". The NDP wants to do nothing about our incredibly high income tax. It is time for a change, and the more attractive the business climate, the better Winnipeg will be.

Hugh, is that you?

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger@Heart

...the NDP has no interest in making Manitoba a "have" province".

Obviously this is a discussion that belongs in the MB Politics thread, but since you put it out there, I'll respond anyway.

I assume you're trying to suggest that the Filmon, ahem, McFayden Conservatives are somehow going to magically transform Manitoba into a "have" province? How exactly will this happen? Tax cuts? Trimming the fat? That won't stimulate the kind of growth seen in energy rich provinces. Last time I checked, Alberta is a "have" province because it sits on pool of oil larger than Saudi Arabia. Sask is starting to achieve "have" status because of it's large oil and potash reserves. NFLD became a "have" province in 2008-9 because of massive oil developments off its coast. See a pattern here? It's going to take more than empty rhetoric to produce this miracle.

McFayden isn't offering anything new, creative, or constructive in his plans. I'm prepared to keep an open mind, but so far I am unimpressed.

[trueviking]

suggesting that manitoba's growth is due to transfer payments is ridiculous.

the problem with equalization is that it is black or white....it provides sound bite rhetoric...in our system it doesnt matter how well everyone is doing, someone will still get equalization...its not like if you reach a certain level of affluence you no longer qualify...we will never be as rich as alberta.....at least until we stop powering cars with oil....equalization is not a signal of failure, it is a signal that we were not lucky enough to have been a dinosaur habitat 50 million years ago.

we received equalization when the tories were in power and i hear nothing from them today that leads me to believe we will stop anytime soon.

if the tory strategy is to try and sell the idea that times are tough in manitoba, so we need a change to end the NDP economic failure, hugh better start updating his resume.

Im not an NDP fan, but few people are going to buy into the fact that we are not doing well.

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger@Heart

Not really; the jobs are low-paying, and there is still a very large number of people leaving the province. Plus, there were not a lot of regions doing very well when Filmon was in office. Any current positive growth can no doubt be contributed to transfer payments, and the NDP has no interest in making Manitoba a "have" province". Virtually all downtown developments are occurring, and have occured because developers were given major, major incentives. The downtown is not attractive enough to invest in without handouts, and that is because the NDP has not made the province attractive for investment. The city has done a decent job, but the province, with its ridiculous payroll tax, etc, say "stay out investment". The NDP wants to do nothing about our incredibly high income tax. It is time for a change, and the more attractive the business climate, the better Winnipeg will be.

stick the corse i would say lets continue to build on what we have and grow the concervitives have been a pritty lack luster party if they had their act together they woulda tossed doer ages ago

[1ajs]

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Elaborate, Mr. McFadyen
By: Mary Agnes Welch
Posted: 09/2/2011 5:42 PM

We had a rather dispiriting scrum with Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen Friday afternoon. I fear it’s the first of many where the guy — who is known to be a policy wonk — does nothing but duck real policy debates.
After McFadyen announced his home reno tax credit, CTV’s Jeff Keele asked whether the province ought to take an annual dividend from Manitoba Hydro, just as B.C. and Quebec do with their power companies.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce touted the idea earlier in the day, and it’s an oldie that’s never had much traction in Manitoba.
McFadyen replied that a Hydro dividend is not part of his party’s economic plan, which was released Wednesday.
Keele pressed further. Why isn’t it a good idea?
I wanted to hear this answer, too, thinking McFadyen might say something such as: Taking a dividend puts pressure on rates. If Hydro has to give the province a little sugar every year, homeowners will eventually feel it on their monthly Hydro bills.
Instead, McFadyen demurred, saying again the notion is not part of the party’s plan.
Moving right along, I asked about another chamber

more here http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/welch/Elaborate-Mr-McFadyen-129162628.html

[rrskylar]

Some snippets from the latest Black Rod (pretty funny actually)

It's 'the world's worst campaign' vs 'the world's worst campaigner.'

The Manitoba NDP under unelected Premier Greg Selinger is running a Seinfeld campaign--- it's about nothing.

McFadyen is possibly the only person in the country who could make the NDP the fiscally conservative party in the election, who could promise to OUTSPEND the NDP, who could run a campaign pledging to put the province DEEPER INTO DEBT than the NDP.

Read here; http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2011/09/worlds-worst-campaign-vs-worlds-worst.html

[jmt18325]

Unelected premier? Really? We don't elect premiers. Greg Selinger is running on the NDP record. He doesn't need anything else.

[vid]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

McFadyen is possibly the only person in the country who could make the NDP the fiscally conservative party in the election, who could promise to OUTSPEND the NDP, who could run a campaign pledging to put the province DEEPER INTO DEBT than the NDP.

Ontario's PC party supports socialist price controls for energy, and the Ontario NDP opposes a bunch of taxes. Ontario simply doesn't have a fiscally conservative party at this time, unless by "fiscally conservative" you mean "we're going to stop paying down this portion of our debt and just hope it goes away, or something".

[Only The Lonely..]

The SpenNDP are out of new ideas, after 12 years in office how much more time do they really need?

Personally, I think it's — hilarious to see them pulling out old grainy photos of Gary Filmon from the 1890's and blaming the current state of health care on him.

And the decision to sell MTS 100 years ago. Blacch...could you really imagine the old government telephone company offering 4G service?

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Personally, I think it's — hilarious to see them pulling out old grainy photos of Gary Filmon from the 1890's and blaming the current state of health care on him.

Blaming him? What? The NDP have hired over 3000 more nurses and over 600 new doctors (read that as an increase) since taking power. MRI waits are less than half what they were, with 6 - 7 more machines on line, and 3 - 4 more coming on line in the next 3 years. CT scan waits are almost nonexistent.

Blame them? Why? Healthcare has never been better in this province, and for a long time, neither has the economy.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Blaming him? What? The NDP have hired over 3000 more nurses and over 600 new doctors (read that as an increase) since taking power. MRI waits are less than half what they were, with 6 - 7 more machines on line, and 3 - 4 more coming on line in the next 3 years. CT scan waits are almost nonexistent.

Blame them? Why? Healthcare has never been better in this province, and for a long time, neither has the economy.

Another reason why the nurses union can't be taken seriously this election when they gripe about healthcare, or the firefighters for that matter. More taxpayer bucks being used to buy $peNDP votes from big bloated labour.

Talk about robing Peter to pay Paul.

[Joshy]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Another reason why the nurses union can't be taken seriously this election when they gripe about healthcare, or the firefighters for that matter. More taxpayer bucks being used to buy $peNDP votes from big bloated labour.

Talk about robing Peter to pay Paul.

Speaking from personal experience, not all nurses are enamoured by the NDP and their labor-loving unionistic bias. Trust me.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Another reason why the nurses union can't be taken seriously this election when they gripe about healthcare, or the firefighters for that matter. More taxpayer bucks being used to buy $peNDP votes from big bloated labour.

Talk about robing Peter to pay Paul.

Well that's certainly a non answer. In all seriousness, there isn't much socialist about this particular NDP government.

[Kinguni]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

More taxpayer bucks being used to buy $peNDP votes from big bloated labour.

Talk about robing Peter to pay Paul.

I'm in a labour union and they haven't done anything for me. Mind you, I'm City, but from my perspective I've seen them wasting money on the WRHA, between ugly unnecessary buildings and bloated administration. If one party promises to cut the bloat I'll vote for them. Mind you, they also have to promise to run that power line down the east side of the province too. That's mandatory.

I'm not saying the NDP have done bad, but they could have done much, much better.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Kinguni

If one party promises to cut the bloat I'll vote for them.

Actually, the WRHA has the lowest (or very close to it) overhead in the country. Less than 4%, which is the cap.

[Winnipegger@Heart]

Originally Posted by trueviking

suggesting that manitoba's growth is due to transfer payments is ridiculous.

the problem with equalization is that it is black or white....it provides sound bite rhetoric...in our system it doesnt matter how well everyone is doing, someone will still get equalization...its not like if you reach a certain level of affluence you no longer qualify...we will never be as rich as alberta.....at least until we stop powering cars with oil....equalization is not a signal of failure, it is a signal that we were not lucky enough to have been a dinosaur habitat 50 million years ago.

we received equalization when the tories were in power and i hear nothing from them today that leads me to believe we will stop anytime soon.

if the tory strategy is to try and sell the idea that times are tough in manitoba, so we need a change to end the NDP economic failure, hugh better start updating his resume.

Im not an NDP fan, but few people are going to buy into the fact that we are not doing well.

Right...BUT...those lovely transfer payments have gone up substantially thanks to the NDP who has done nothing to get the province to stand on its own two feet.

Discussion at this point beats no discussion from the NDP camp; that is because the NDP loves welfare, giving and receiving.

Our ill-effective NDP government has also done squat regarding the crime rate, which has risen substantially, always making us crime capital. Skilled, educated people leaving for Saskatchewan and Alberta, while criminals and other hoodlums flock here.

The NDP is like that old lady in line at the supermarket who spends forever digging through her purse for coupons. The NDP needs to move faster on important issues, yet is just too damn slow to act. Then again, to act would mean it has the motivation, and ideas, and it lacks both. Also, if you are a serial arsonist, Manitoba is the best place to be because our judges set you free (hey, that makes a great slogan for the NDP camp...)