Brian Pallister, leader of Manitoba PC's hates Halloween

No doubt there are many industrious researchers from various parties searching through the past speeches of their opponents to unearth treasures with which they can embarrass them.

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In the case of Brian Pallister, the leader of the opposition Progressive Conservative party in the Manitoba legislature, such researchers have unearthed several paragraphs in a speech that Pallister gave in the legislature in November of 2014. I thought I would check out the speech just to make sure that the researcher was not altering any of what Pallister said. The whole speech can be found here. Turned out that everything was authentic and the author even mentions the context that Pallister was actually trying to draw a parallel between the behaviour of NDP members and trick-or-treaters at Halloween. Indeed, Pallister was trying to scare Manitobans away from supporting the NDP, since they are like those who go out looking for treats on Halloween. They dress up and disguise themselves so that those giving out the treats do not recognize them for what they are. People end up giving them treats, their votes I guess, if the analogy follows through at all. Probably Pallister was just dressing up his contention that the NDP members mislead people about what they are. In the process of his analogy, however, Pallister does have personal recollections and states opinions on Halloween that he probably should have left off the record.

Pallister starts out by noting he hates Halloween and always has. Apparently his first issue with Halloween was that he was bigger than other kids so everyone knew who he was not matter what he wore. Since everyone else could hide their identity while he couldn't he must have concluded that hiding one's identity on Halloween was a bad thing:"It wasn't fun for me and I've never liked it ever since. I don't like the deceit of it. I don't like the holiday and I never will. I don't like trick or treat. I think it's–I don't think it's good for the integrity of the kids."

The article points out that Pallister identifies himself as a Christian. The previous Christmas, Pallister had wished any Manitoban infidel atheists a merry Christmas but wondered what they celebrated during the holiday season. He himself celebrated the birth of Christ. Most scholars consider Halloween a Christian celebration as well, though it may be also have accumulated certain pagan customs. According to Wikipedia: 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide,[9] the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed...According to one view, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianized observance influenced by Celtic harvest festivals.. with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots.Pallister could celebrate Halloween as a Christian ritual. Of course, as with Xmas, Halloween has been secularized and is now promoted more by secular merchants and local Chambers of Commerce than religious authorities. Pallister concludes his analogy by trying to make the NDPers spooks to be avoided: I don't like Halloween, and what I'm seeing from these people is Halloween all over again. Trick-or-treat traitors, they jump up and down around Halloween time and say, let's change costumes. We can be somebody else now. We'll be the new, new NDP.

The NDP certainly needs new costumes and to appear different. It is languishing about 20 percentage points behind Pallister's party in the polls. It may see former premier Gary Doer as a possible wizard who can save it from defeat in the election to take place next April.

Gary Doer Canadian Ambassador to the US and former Manitoba premier to return to province

- Gary Doer is planning to leave his position as Canadian ambassador to the U.S. soon, but is leaving the exact date to the new Liberal government.

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When he resigned as premier of Manitoba, he did not say that the Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had chosen him to be Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Given that Doer was a prominent NDP premier, the appointment was a surprise. Harper constantly warns his supporters about the dangers of the socialist NDP. However, as former NDP Manitoba MLA and leftist Cy Gonick claims, perhaps Doer "does not have a socialist bone in his body." No doubt Harper hoped that Doer's diplomatic skills in dealing with politicians of every political stripe and his leftist credentials would help him out in dealing with the new Democratic administration of Barack Obama in the United States.

In spite of his NDP background or perhaps because of it, Doer's efforts were appreciated by the Conservatives. He has served Harper for six years, a period longer than his last two predecessors together. He has worked tirelessly but unsuccessfully to move the Keystone XL pipeline project forward. He was able to negotiate an arrangement to facilitate border crossing, but the deal must still go through the U.S. Congress and Canadian parliament, the same is true of the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP). Trudeau Liberals are likely to support the agreement. Another former NDPer, Liberal Bob Rae, has been rumoured as a possible successor to Doer. Rae was once an NDP premier of Ontario.

It appears Doer will return to the province of Manitoba: "I've never sold my home in Winnipeg, Winnipeg's always been my home. I didn't sell my house, I didn't sell my cabin.I don't want to go into much more detail....I'll talk about the future when the future starts — which is not quite yet ... I loved being premier. It was an honour to be an ambassador. It's always an honour to represent Canada."

Doer's return to Manitoba no doubt will see some provincial NDP insiders planning to have him return to Manitoba politics and perhaps become premier again after the upcoming election next April. The present NDP government is quite unpopular and testing new bottoms in the polls. It trails the Conservative opposition by some 20 percentage points and is almost tied with the Liberals, who have 24 percent of the vote compared to 25 for the NDP in a September poll.

Doer served as Canadian Ambassador to the US since October 19, 2009. Doer had been 20th Premier of Manitoba from 1999 right up until 2009, when he resigned shortly before his appointment as ambassador. For Doer to run, the present leader and Prime Minister Greg Sellingerwould have to step down so there could be an early leadership convention. Sellinger survived a leadership challenge which created divisions within the party but those appear to be mainly patched up by now.

Manitoba NDP leader Sellinger faces leadership race next March

On Saturday, the ruling provincial Manitoba New Democratic Party held an emergency executive meeting in Winnipeg to discuss dissent within the party with criticism being directed at Premier Greg Selinger by a number of cabinet ministers.

The meeting lasted a full four hours beginning at 10 AM in the morning. Selinger was able to convince the executive that the solution to the crisis was to hold a leadership convention at the party's annual convention March 6, 2015. Selinger was smiling when he emerged from the long meeting and said: “I’m happy that we’ve found a democratic way to make decisions. That’s always been the tradition of our party." Selinger would not comment when asked by a reporter whether some executive members wanted to hold an earlier leadership race claiming that those were "internal discussions".
 Party president, Ellen Offert, said that a committee will soon be set up that will formulate the ground rules for the leadership race. The rules will need to be approved by the party executive and the larger provincial council. The council will be meeting next on December 6th. Offert said: "In terms of the timing, I think the timing is available. I think it can be set up to be fair. We want to be fair for everyone." Selinger was upbeat about the process claiming that it was a democratic way of solving the dispute: "It put democracy at the forefront on how we make decisions. It allows us as legislators to get back to our number one priority, which is serving the people of Manitoba."
 Five senior cabinet ministers recently publicly criticized Selinger for his performance. The party is plagued by low poll numbers. Selinger lost considerable public support when he raised the provincial sales tax from 7 to 8 per cent. There are other provinces such as neighboring Ontario that have the same rate and others such as Quebec have an even higher rate. However, Selinger had promised not to raise the tax in his last campaign and was unable to convince many that breaking his promise was justified. The five cabinet members who criticized Selinger resigned.
 Selinger furher punished the five members by removing some of their caucus privileges. While the five remain members of the party they will not be allowed to attend caucus meetings or have any input into decisions. The government will set out its plans for next year in a throne speech that starts a two-week fall session of the Manitoba legislature.
The next election in Manitoba will probably not be until April of 2016: A federal election is slated for the fall of 2015, so the provincial election is to be pushed back to April 19, 2016, unless the federal government changes its date. This will give the NDP time to try and improve their position in the polls.
  A recent poll published October 9 shows the Conservatives with a twelve point lead over the NDP with the Conservatives having 42 per cent support among decided voters. However, this is down somewhat from a June poll that showed 45 per cent support. The Liberal party has 20 per cent support much higher than usual. Conservative support is very strong outside of Winnipeg with only Brandon and northern Manitoba for the most part showing support for or electing NDP members. The NDP and Conservatives are still neck in neck in Winnipeg.
 The NDP has been in power in Manitoba since 1999. After premier Gary Doer resigned to take a position as Canadian ambassador to the US to serve Stephen Harper's Conservative government, Selinger led the party into the 2011 election. Doer had been popular and there were some gloomy predictions about how Selinger would perform. He won 37 seats one more than the previous record set by Doer and a comfortable majority in the legislature.

NDP may remove references to "socialism" in preamble to party constitution

The New Democratic Party, the main opposition party in the Canadian federal parliament, may rewrite to preamble to the party constitution. The preamble still has a few phrases that make favorable reference to "socialism".

The predecessor of the New Democratic Party(NDP), the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), had as its party platform a document that would make many present NDP members run for cover. The document was called the Regina Manifesto. The term "manifesto" became a cause of great concern because it was associated in the public mind with the Communist Manifesto. It made no difference that the official party line and the early leaders were all staunchly anti-communist.

The CCF was founded in 1932 and the Regina Manifesto adopted the next year at a convention in Regina. The Manifesto as well as calling for pensions, universal health care, and the nationalisation of major industries also said:

" No C.C.F. Government will rest content until it has eradicated capitalism and put into operation the full programme of socialized planning which will lead to the establishment in Canada of the Cooperative Commonwealth."

The CCF Saskatchewan provincial government was able to introduce the first free hospital care system in North America in 1946.

By 1956, the CCF changed its position to that of a social democratic party that accepted capitalism and a mixed economy. The Winnipeg_Declaration replaces the socialist aim of eradicating capitalism with the following:

"The CCF will not rest content until every person in this land and in all other lands is able to enjoy equality and freedom, a sense of human dignity, and an opportunity to live a rich and meaningful life as a citizen of a free and peaceful world."

The NDP was founded in 1961 and combined the old CCF with the labor movement. The preamble to the constitution of the party makes several references to democratic socialism, the principles of socialism and association with socialist parties around the world. It is this preamble that has caused the difficulties. The preamble is not that long so I will post it so that you can compare it with the revised version that was not voted on at the last convention:

The New Democratic Party believes that the social, economic and political progress of Canada can be assured only by the application of democratic socialist principles to government and the administration of public affairs.

The principles of democratic socialism can be defined briefly as:

That the production and distribution of goods and services shall be directed to meeting the social and individual needs of people within a sustainable environment and economy and not to the making of profit;

To modify and control the operations of the monopolistic productive and distributive organizations through economic and social planning. Towards these ends and where necessary the extension of the principle of social ownership;

The New Democratic Party holds firm to the belief that the dignity and freedom of the individual is a basic right that must be maintained and extended; and

The New Democratic Party is proud to be associated with the democratic socialist parties of the world and to share the struggle for peace, international co-operation and the abolition of poverty.

The 2011 NDP convention was held just weeks are the NDP made huge electoral gains to become the Official Opposition for the first time ever. In order to broaden the appeal of the party, the party brass and others wanted to scrap any references to socialism. The furthest the revision would go is to refer to social democratic principles. Here is the revised preamble:

The New Democratic Party believes that social justice, equality, and environmental sustainability are vital to achieving a strong, united and prosperous Canada for all.

To that end, the New Democratic Party is dedicated to the application of social democratic principles to government.

These principles include an unwavering commitment to economic and social equality, individual freedom and responsibility, and democratic rights of citizens to shape the future of their communities.

New Democrats hold firm to the belief that individual freedom and dignity are basic rights that find the fullest expression in healthy and prosperous communities, where individuals can realize their full potential and contribute to a stronger Canada.

Established in partnership with the Labour movement in 1961, the New Democratic Party is the voice of working people in the Parliament of Canada, advocating and implementing laws that advance their collective and individual interests.

New Democrats are proud to stand in solidarity with its allies around the world working for international peace and justice, ending discrimination and exploitation, eliminating poverty and ensuring that wealth and power are in the hands of the many and not the few.

Any reference to socialism or any suggestion that capitalism might be replaced by socialism is entirely lacking. Most of the document is rhetoric of the sort that most any progressive party might produce, including the Liberal Party of Canada. Note that the reference to production not being for the sake of profit is also eliminated. There was no vote on this amendment at the convention as Brian Topp, who was then Federal Director, moved to send the motion back to the federal council for further consideration.

Amazingly, over the next few months, the preamble actually disappeared from the copy of the constitution that was posted on the NDP website! Without any explanation or acknowledgement that anything had happened it just as mysteriously reappeared.

The current federal director of the NDP Nathan Rotman said that the motion that had been referred to the federal council and there had been a small group of party elders and others who had consulted on the issue. This panel will report it conclusions at the upcoming meeting in February. They will then put forth a motion to be voted upon or they may wait to see if any riding associations put forth amendments to the constitution.

I would expect that some riding associations will suggest amendments in line with what the party brass want and just as certainly there will be strong opposition especially from the Socialist Caucus. Whatever the wording change, the reality is that the NDP has moved rightward for decades. As James Laxer wrote in an e-mail:

“Like other social democratic parties in the West, the NDP has adopted much of the outlook of the neo-liberalism that is the dominant ideological strain in the market-centred era of globalization.The NDP has been able to challenge the Liberals as a less corrupt, more principled and somewhat more progressive party that occupies centre-left ground.”

As I understand it, socialism is the socialization of the major means of production, distribution, and exchange plus production on the basis of need not profit. The New Democratic Party has nothing to do with that. Indeed a former New Democratic Premier of M anitoba, Gary Doer, now serves as the Conservative government's ambassador to the US and the present leader of the NDP, Thomas Mulcair, was a former minister in the Quebec Liberal government. Whatever changes in wording are ultimately made, the NDP will still be called socialist by many in the media while not being socialist at all.

Defeat of Proposition 6 in Michigan will clear way for new Detroit, Windsor bridge

Proposal 6 would have required Michigan residents to vote on any new international crossing to be built between Michigan and Ontario, Canada. The measure was defeated by more than 60%.

Proposal 6 was supported by billionaire Matty Moroun who owns the sole existing bridge, the Ambassador Bridge. The existing bridge is already 83 years old. Moroun spent more than $30 million on advertising to promote voter support for the proposal. If the proposal had passed the requirement for a referendum on any new crossing would become part of the state constitution.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was pleased with the results. From India, where he is on a trade mission, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the decision:

"We're very pleased to see the support of the people of Michigan for the new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, which is very important to the economies of both our countries. I look forward, in particular, to working with [President Barack Obama] on the Beyond the Border initiative, which is obviously very important for the opportunities for Canadians and Americans going forward."

The Canadian minister of transport, Denis Lebel, also applauded the defeat of the proposition: Denis Lebel, minister of transport, infrastructure and communities, also praised the result:

"The defeat of Proposition 6 clears the way for the construction of the new bridge across the Detroit River. This is good news for travellers, workers and industry on both sides of the border, who will benefit from the new publicly owned bridge.The new bridge will attract new investments and business opportunities to boost our local and national economies, and will result in much needed jobs for Ontario and Michigan communities.The new crossing will also increase border capacity to handle future trade and travel growth, and will be built with the security of both our countries in mind."

A deal for a new bridge was negotiated back in June of this year. Canada will foot the bill for Michigan's $550 million share of the new one billion dollar publicly owned bridge.

The People Should Decide Group has insisted that Michigan taxpayers will end up paying something for a new bridge. No doubt they will have to pay something for facilities at the end of the bridge where vehicles depart and enter the U.S. Moroun will probably continue to fight against construction of the new bridge in the courts. No doubt competition will force him to lower tolls and with a bridge that is over 80 years old he will also face steep costs of repair to keep the bridge safe.

The bridge is probably a marvelous cash cow for Moroun. In 2010, almost 29,000 trucks crossed the bridge each day. More than 25% of U.S. Canada trade passes over the bridge. Chrysler builds minivans in Windsor Ontario. The company moves thousands of cars and truck across the border and every day has more than 1,600 customs entries. The New Democratic Party MP for Windsor West Brian Masse said that Moroun could spend $30 million to promote opposition to the new bridge showed that he kept tolls too high. Masse said:

"The actual government on the Canadian side needs to actually start regulating their toll rates because we have the highest toll rates in Ontario for a bridge that has the highest volumes. I can't understand why we continue to allow that situation to exist when it's clear that volume should actually dictate price, and we should actually be reducing the rates."

The Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Gary Doer, has spoken out against Proposition 6. Doer said:

"Two bridges are better than one, for two-way trade, for security, for reliability. When you look at the proposal that the prime minister and the governor of Michigan came forward with, it cuts out a lot of traffic lights in Windsor. So that's good for the environment and for traffic on our side of the border.And it's got the support of all the Great Lakes states and provinces."

Both Chambers of Commerce and also some unions support a new bridge. Both groups hope the bridge will help promote trade and new jobs.Windsor Ontario has the highest unemployment rate in Canada.

Sandy Baruah, who is the CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce said that the result sends a clear message from the citizens of Michigan.

"Matty Moroun and the Ambassador Bridge Company ran an entire campaign and spent $31-plus million saying 'the People Should Decide.' Now, it'll be up to them to determine if they're going to honour that word — the people have clearly decided that they reject that proposal and that they want this bridge."

Perhaps, it is time for Moroun to retire with his billions. However, no doubt he will have a few more years without competition.

Mostly sweetness and light as US governors meet with Canadian Premiers

Since the deal on the Buy American policy no doubt the atmosphere in US Canada relations has improved considerably. But there are still some irritants remaining as the article notes. Not too surprising that Brad Wall should impress the Americans, since he is both right win and able to quote famous Americans in keeping with the context! Gary Doer seems to be keeping a relatively low profile as Harper's ambassador to the U.S. Maybe that is the way Harper likes it!



Sunday, February 21, 2010

U.S. governors sing the praises of Canada
Sheldon Alberts, Washington Correspondent, Canwest News Service


WASHINGTON -- Canadian politicians have long complained about the challenges of getting their voices heard in America's halls of power. But for seven Canadian premiers, there's no longer any reason to complain.

Armed with arguments and statistics in favour of free trade, and employing a bit of Canuck charm, Canada's provincial leaders got an enthusiastic welcome this weekend from U.S. state governors who generally endorsed calls for stronger cross-border ties and commerce.

By the end of the premiers' first-ever meeting Saturday with the National Governors Association, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell was singing a gravelly voiced rendition of O Canada. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour proclaimed the Canada-U.S. relationship as "breathtaking" and unique to the world.

And yet another governor, Minnesota Republican Tim Pawlenty, stressed the importance of Canadian crude oil to his state's economy.

Mr. Pawlenty, touted as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012, said it would be "very ill-advised" for the U.S. to impose any sort of barriers to Canadian oil.

That was music to the ears of western premiers who worry U.S. state and federal lawmakers will pursue environmental and trade measures to curb Canadian petroleum exports.

"Today's meeting with the National Governors Association was a huge step forward," said New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham, whose province supplies about 60% of refined petroleum products into the Northeastern U.S. states.

"Security of supply of energy is critical for the U.S. economy to recover."

The recent resolution of Canada's dispute over Buy American provisions in the U.S. stimulus package contributed to the positive tone of the hour-long session at a downtown Washington hotel.

Mr. Rendell, a Democrat, was coaxed by a Canadian reporter into singing a verse from O Canada.

"I can't sing. I sound like a sick squirrel, but I will try my best," Mr. Rendell said.

Improvising his own lyrics, Mr. Rendell sang: "O Canada, proud, brave and free. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee."

Mr. Barbour, a Republican, said he was impressed with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who cited a famous quote by president John F. Kennedy on the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.

During a 1961 visit to Canada, Mr. Kennedy told Parliament "geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends."

Mr. Wall "spoke to what every one of us here feels," Mr. Barbour said.

"The Canadians are not just our closest neighbours, they are our best friends," Mr. Barbour said. "There is hardly any place in the world where you could have an open border of this distance."

The premiers also met Sunday with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to raise ongoing complaints over country-of-origin labelling rules that Canada says unfairly damage exports of meat and food products to the United States.

The Buy American agreement saw 37 states sign onto World Trade Organization rules that will allow Canadian companies to bid on U.S. procurement projects, in exchange for American access to the Canadian market.

The premiers' meeting with the governors followed two high-level meetings on Friday with senior White House officials, including Larry Summers, economic czar, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said he pressed U.S. leaders about the depth of protectionist sentiment caused by the recent recession.

"I have been reassured that, while it always has some seductive appeal, there is a new awareness ... that we have to guard against protectionism and keep our trade linkages strong," Mr. McGuinty said.

Premiers now hope Canada will get a permanent exemption from future Buy American measures.

"I think there is a good possibility they [will] recognize the need for a preferential treatment for Canada," said Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger.

"I don't think any of what they have tried to do . . . was intended to side-swipe Canada. But now we have to be there so they think about us when they make these kinds of decisions."

Gary Doer, Canada's ambassador to the U.S. and a former Manitoba premier, said the governors' relationship with the premiers can serve as model for how Ottawa and Washington get along.

Several premiers and governors, for example, had already developed close ties over the years through cross-border meetings at the regional level.

As premier of Manitoba, Mr. Doer negotiated the Western Climate Initiative with several states that set regional greenhouse gas emissions goals.

Deals struck between some provinces and states on tailpipe emissions are now being used as a model for national standards planned by Ottawa and Washington.

"It's a visible example of how premiers and governors are working on issues that could be left for international discussions, but rather can be solved in a more practical way," Mr. Doer said.

"All the work that states produce will be helpful to the U.S. government and all the work that provinces are able to achieve helps the government of Canada."

Alberta's Ed Stelmach, British Columbia's Gordon Campbell and Newfoundland and Labrador's Danny Williams were the only premiers who did not make the trip to Washington.

© 2010 The National Post Company. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

The NDP changes its tune and its colours.

Most politicians seem to be of the chameleon species no matter what their political stripes. The NDP certainly changed its tune once Ignatieff got serious about voting against the Conservatives. Of course now Ignatieff is quiet about that as well. Layton's opportunism does not seem to have hurt his poll numbers but then it has not helped them either. The NDP seems stuck in the doldrums. The only great leap forward in the NDP seems to be that of Gary Doer the former Manitoba premier, who is now busy defending Harper's environmental policy as Canadian ambassador to the US. This is from the Star.



Hébert: For Jack Layton, a year of playing chameleon

Chantal Hébert



For Jack Layton and the NDP, 2009 was a year of greater opportunism than opportunity.

Over a period when the opposition parties took more hits from the ruling Conservatives than they inflicted, his party turned out to be the most resilient.

Unlike Gilles Duceppe, Layton did not suffer the humiliation of losing a party fortress to the Conservatives in last month's by-elections. Unlike Michael Ignatieff, the NDP leader's own members are not questioning his competence these days, or at least not openly.

As a bonus, Green rival Elizabeth May was off the national radar for most of the year.

Layton had spent the bulk of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's first mandate on the sidelines but managed to carve out a more central role for his party in the second Conservative minority Parliament. That has translated into more presence in the media.

According to a year-end content analysis published last week by Influence Communication, Layton was the fourth most mentioned federal politician in the Canadian media this year, ahead of most of the Conservative cabinet. The Prime Minister, the leader of the official Opposition and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty took the top three spots.

Taken together though, none of the above adds up to an imminent rendezvous between the NDP and government or even the second-place role of official opposition in the House of Commons.

Two recent polls pegged NDP support nationally at around 16 per cent, within the margin of error of its score (18 per cent) in the last election. That suggests the New Democrats did not benefit in any lasting way from their greater visibility and/or from one of the worst Liberal falls on record.

So far, greater NDP relevance in Parliament is not translating into greater relevance with the voting public. And that may explain why, in 2009, the NDP got away with the political equivalent of murder on the issue of consistency.

First, there was the reversal – on a dime – of the party's long-standing policy of non-cooperation with the Conservatives on confidence issues.

In September, Layton latched on to adjustments to the EI regime as a reason to keep the Harper government in place even more quickly than he had dismissed the more substantial EI concessions of the previous Conservative budget in January.

Then in November, a third of the NDP caucus and half-a-dozen Liberals voted with the Conservatives against the long-gun registry. Ignatieff took a lot of flak for that, in particular in Quebec; Layton increased his share of the vote in a downtown Montreal riding.

Finally, there was the NDP decision to use the purview of the Commons to wage war on the economic policies of Ontario and British Columbia. By campaigning aggressively against provincial plans for a harmonized sales tax, Layton is hoping to ride the wave of populist discontent that attends their upcoming advent.

In the last election, a similar move against Stéphane Dion's carbon tax paid off for the NDP. But it also indisposed a large significant section of Canada's environmental community.

The HST crusade is at least as questionable for it sends a troubling message as to Layton's rather elastic vision of federalism, in which it is apparently okay for the federal government to intervene in, even put a spoke into, the fiscal policies of its provincial partners.

Looking back on 2009, one can only marvel at Layton's ability to surf on the contrary waves that came his way.

He truly seemed to bask in the eternal sunshine of a spotless policy mind.




Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer. Her column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Manitoba NDP plan for leadership convention

There should be enough candidates to choose from to replace Doer but none will have as prominent a profile as Doer. Blaikie is probably the best known but as the article notes there are plenty of other potential contenders.
I find it strange that everyone in the Manitoba NDP is applauding Doer for accepting the appointment. Apparently it makes no difference that he will be serving under a Conservative right wing government whose policies in most cases are completely at odds with the NDP!


Man. NDP plan for leadership convention

CBC News
Premier Gary Doer meets with reporters on Parliament Hill Friday following his appointment as ambassador to the United States. (CBC)
Manitoba's New Democrats are meeting Monday to plan for a leadership convention to replace outgoing Premier Gary Doer.
Doer was introduced Friday in Ottawa as Canada's next ambassador to the United States, a day after surprising many political observers by announcing he was stepping down as premier.
No one in the party is tipping their hand as to who Doer's possible successor might be. Bill Blaikie, the popular former NDP MP who is now a provincial MLA, is widely viewed as an obvious choice.
Potential candidates also include high-profile MLAs such as Finance Minister Greg Selinger, Health Minister Theresa Oswald, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton and federal MP Pat Martin, among others.
When Ashton called a press conference Friday afternoon, there was speculation it was to announce he was throwing his hat into the leadership ring. Instead, Ashton told reporters the day belongs to Doer and that the entire cabinet is proud of his appointment.
When pressed on whether he would take a shot at the premier's chair, Ashton was non-committal but said he expects it to be a great race because there are several strong candidates.

Doer named Canadian Ambassador to Washington

This seemed to be a well kept secret even though the decision was made several weeks ago. Obviously Doer was being coy when he made no mention of what he was going to do when he said he would resign the other day.
Doer is certainly staid, safe, and middle of the road enough to serve as U.S. ambassador. Don't expect him to start spouting NDP policy about immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan. In fact don't expect him to do too much of anything, particularly anything radical or that would rock the boat. Perhaps Harper will not mind if he says something about Arctic sovereignty though! Just shut up about Khadr.
I am a bit surprised that Harper would chose Doer. I thought he would choose one of his own party as a reward for loyal service.


Doer named Canada's next U.S. ambassador

CBC News
Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with Gary Doer, Canada's new ambassador-designate to the United States, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Gary Doer was introduced Friday in Ottawa as Canada's next ambassador to the United States, a day after surprising many political observers by announcing he was stepping down as premier of Manitoba.
"I was really honoured to have the offer, and I really appreciate being the ambassador-designate," he told reporters shortly after a morning meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"So this will be the first time in my life I have to be diplomatic," said Doer, a 61-year-old Winnipegger.
Doer was cagey about when he was specifically asked to take on his new role, saying he had a conversation with Harper over the last couple months.
“It was a conversation about due diligence.”
CBC News learned, however, that the decision to name Doer to the Washington position was made a few weeks ago.
Doer said in 2007 he had also discussed with Harper about moving on after 10 years as premier, the precise length of time Doer has been in his job.
The Manitoba premier's appointment still has to be approved by the U.S. government, but that is considered a formality.
Questioned about how he can reconcile his NDP views with a Conservative prime minister, Doer said the public is not interested in partisan politics when politicians are working for the best interest of Canada.
“The public actually wants all of us from different political parties to compete when we’re in election campaigns and work together in the public interest after a campaign.”
He said he has a history of working with people from all political parties.
'Very important challenge'
Earlier, Harper congratulated Doer on the successful conclusion of his political career in Manitoba and hailed him as a "strong advocate" for good relationships with the United States.
"Look forward to seeing you in Washington," Harper said.
The longtime NDP premier thanked the prime minister, saying he recognized the position is a "very important challenge."
"I know I am part of a great Canadian team," he said during a photo opportunity with Harper.
Michael Wilson, the current ambassador and a former Conservative finance minister, has been in the post since March 2006.
'Not going to be watching soaps'
Doer was coy about his future plans when he announced his resignation as Manitoba's 20th premier.
"What am I going to next? Well, I'm not going to be watching soaps," he almost giddily told his news conference.
Doer did not provide the exact date of his resignation, saying only it would likely be in the fall after being decided in consultation with his party.
At his announcement Thursday, Doer said he wanted to go out on his own terms and felt it was a good time. Sources told CBC News that Doer wanted his resignation to be announced in his own city, in front of Manitobans, and not as part of a bigger announcement.
Doer is following the career path of former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna.
The Liberal politician also stepped down on his 10th anniversary of becoming premier, and then went on to represent Canada in the United States.
"It's a great job for a former politician," McKenna told CBC News. "They understand how politics works. Someone like Gary Doer has great diplomatic sense, and I think he'd be a great fit with the back channels and social scene down there."

Manitoba premier hints at dropping public funding for political parties.

No doubt Doer wants to show his conservative credentials and distance himself from radical parties such as the Federal Liberals and federal NDP. It seems that only people who are rich or can attract dollars are fit to be MLA's. That Doer should consider this when the Federal NDP is fighting the Conservatives who are attempting the same thing federally is outrageous. Perhaps the NDP should cancel his membership card assuming he has one.

Manitoba premier hints at dropping public funding for political parties
Last Updated: Friday, November 28, 2008 7:56 AM CT The Canadian Press
Manitoba Premier Gary Doer is hinting his government is set to backtrack on a controversial subsidy for political parties.
The province is looking at changing a law, passed October, that awards parties $1.25 a year for every vote they received in the most recent election.
The subsidy could cost taxpayers just over $500,000 a year, with almost half going to Doer's NDP.
"It's becoming a distraction," Doer said Thursday. "We have other things to be focused on with this economy."
Doer has been under fire from the Progressive Conservatives, who have promised not to collect their share of the subsidy.
"We just don't think it's necessary, we don't think it's right, to force people to contribute through their taxes to a party they might not support," Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen said.
Doer's pronouncement came the same day the federal Conservatives vowed to eliminate the $1.95-per-vote subsidy given to federal parties. He refused to go into detail when asked what changes he had in mind, telling reporters that everything is on the table.
"I do believe in the principle of banning union and corporate donations and supporting particularly other parties in a democracy with partial public financing," Doer said.
"Having said that, we recognize times will be tough in 2009 and we'll judge ourselves accordingly."
Changes before spring
The per-vote subsidy was introduced partly to make up for a ban on corporate and union donations that the NDP imposed eight years ago. But the idea ran into opposition from taxpayer groups and others who called it a tax grab.
Doer told reporters changes could come before the spring budget.
The subsidy was part of an omnibus elections law that also restricts legislature members from using partisan statements in publicly funded brochures and other items that are mailed to constituents.
That part of the bill led to accusations from the Opposition that the government was trying to censor free speech. The Tories put out the battle cry to party members, who signed up en masse to speak at public hearings that ran day and night earlier this year.
© The Canadian Press, 2008

The future of Manitoba Political leaders

Conservatives are typically hard on their leaders so it would not be too surprising if in time there is an attempt to replace McFadyen. Gerrard can hardly be faulted for the poor result of the Liberals. The political climate was simply against him and it is hard for a third party to break through. Next time if the public is fed up with both NDP and COnservatives they could come back big time but that is not too likely. If Doer tried for a fourth term it would probably result in a defeat unless his performance improves a great deal or the Conservatives are really bad! Let us hope that Doer goes for an early walk, maybe even before the snow comes!

On the Ledge
May 28, 2007
Doer’s walk in the snow
Filed under: Uncategorized — Mia Rabson @ 3:58 pm
Don’t worry. My title above has nothing to do with the weather. Which as an aside totally sucks right now.

I’ve just been thinking how odd it is that following the provincial election last week not one, not two, but all three leaders of Manitoba’s main political parties find themselves answering questions about their future.

For somewhat different reasons of course. Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen has to explain how the man brought in to save the party from the floundering it was doing with Stuart Murray, could fare worse than Murray did in seat count. I don’t think most Tories thought McFadyen could win this election, but I bet most of them thought he’d do better than 20 seats. So to come away with 19, two of which were won by the barest of margins, is an embarassment.

But young Mr. McFadyen - who turns 40 this week - isn’t likely going anywhere unless he wants to. There is no obvious successor waiting in the wings, and the party has time to lick its wounds, learn its lessons well and begin preparing for next time. Someone may take the fall for the Tory campaign but except for an ousted MLA (Jack Reimer) and an almost-ousted MLA who we know isn’t exactly the biggest McFadyen backer in the bunch (David Faurschou) the dump Hugh movement isn’t gathering steam.
Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard also will likely be able to stay on as long as he is willing or able. Some thought he would throw in the towel last Tuesday. That’s just not Jon’s style. Besides one of the reasons Gerrard’s run the party this long without any challenge is because there aren’t exactly a lot of people clamouring to be the leader of a caucus of two people. Names like Reg Alcock will be tossed around in the months to come as possible Gerrard successors but until the NDP lose Gary Doer and take a sharp turn left of centre, the Liberals are going to struggle to get a foothold in Manitoba. So Gerrard has nothing to worry about.

Then we come to Gary Doer. Who just won the biggest majority government in Manitoba in 40 years, and tied for the biggest ever. Is it ironic that of the three leaders right now he might be the least likely to still be the leader come 2011?

I think what we’re going to see from Gary Doer is that somewhere around 2010, as the fever pitch about his future breaks the thermometer, he will take his walk in the snow, Chretien style. He’ll announce he’s going to step down as NDP leader several months down the road. And a leadership convention will be set. And then a new leader will be elected and Doer will sit out the rest of his political career as a backbencher so he can represent Concordia without being hypocritical and resigning to become one of those “quitters” he loves to criticize.
As for who will succeed him? The list of possibilities is long, the list of who has a chance in heck far less so. But I will say this - I do not think it’s a coincidence that there was only one NDP MLA whose lawn signs in this last election bore a photo of someone other than Doer. His name is Greg Selinger. And it certainly wouldn’t be the first time in Canadian politics that a finance minister took over as party leader after that leader took a walk in the snow.

Manitoba Election: A view from the right!

Although I am at the opposite end of the political spectrum I thought this was an interesting take on the election and in many respects accurate from what I have observed. However, I was out of province over a week. McFadyen does not seem to be running that great a campaign but perhaps he is being under-estimated. Doer is a master at being nice and doing little. He may just squeak in again.

The Black Rod
The origin of the Usher of the Black Rod goes back to early fourteenth century England . Today, with no royal duties to perform, the Usher knocks on the doors of the House of Commons with the Black Rod at the start of Parliament to summon the members. The rod is a symbol for the authority of debate in the upper house. We of The Black Rod have adopted the symbol to knock some sense and the right questions into the heads of Legislators, pundits, and other opinion makers.

About Me
Name: The Black Rod Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
We are citizen journalists in Winnipeg who break stories ahead of MSM. We analyze news coverage by the mainstream media and highlight flawed logic, bias, missed angles and serve as the only overall monitors in the province of Manitoba. We do the same with politicians (who require even more monitoring.)Tuesday, May 15, 2007
An Election Pre-Mortem
It's all over but the counting. Why wait a week when you can read the post mortem of the 2007 election campaign here and now.

The NDP were running scared for the entire campaign, never more so than the final week. They knew they would have to fight an uphill battle and they loaded up with every dirty trick in the book.

The health care system is a shambles with doctor shortages, nurse shortages, annual emergency ward closures, rampant hallway medicine, deaths in emergency rooms, deaths on waiting lists, and a bureaucracy growing larger by the second. Kildonan candidate Dave Chomiak carries the stench of failure with him wherever he goes.

The justice system is a nightmare. Candidates Doug Martindale (Burrows), George Hickes (Point Douglas) and Gord Mackintosh (St. Johns) wear the blood of Phil Haiart, Thomas Roy Phillips, and Rachelle Leost on their hands. The title of Gang Capital of Canada, Murder Capital of Canada and Car Theft Capital of Canada are the NDP's legacy for Winnipeg.

The government coverup of the Crocus Fund scandal was laid open by leaks of cabinet documents that had been hidden from the Auditor General's investigation.

The new documents exposed the government manipulation of the Auditor General's office to hide the secret cooperation between the Crocus fund and the Finance Department -- as innocent investors were duped into buying overvalued shares.

The NDP could be defeated on any one of these issues. They expected an all-out assault on all three fronts and had to prepare accordingly.

The campaign would be as short as permitted by law, with the vote on the Tuesday after the Victoria Day long weekend.

Campaigning would effectively stop three days earlier on the Friday as nobody would be thinking politics over the first long weekend of the summer.

If the only election poll of the campaign ran on the Friday or Saturday, showing a close race or the NDP ahead, it would be too late to undo the damage to the Tory campaign.Gary Doer conducted an under-the-radar campaign.

No grand promises (especially not to eliminate hallway medicine in six months). More police, more firemen, more nurses, more doctors, more this and more that, but nothing controversial or challenging or even exciting. Steady as she goes and go slowly. Save your energies for the attacks to come. Leave the in-fighting to your allies:

* The Winnipeg Free Press published an eight-page re-imagination of the collapse of the Crocus Fund as a preemptive strike against the day when Crocus became an election issue.

* The nurses union aired weeks of advocacy ads to defend against attacks on the NDP's health care failures.

Imagine their surprise, then, when the attacks never came. The NDP spent weeks counterpunching at punches never thrown. They even went into high gear in the last week of the campaign, running their own television attack ads straight from the gutter.

And for good measure they dredged actor Sharon Bajer out of the shadows in a series of unfunny, Grade Z-production commercials mocking the Tories. (Bajer was last spotted in NDP testimonial ads in 1999 weeping about how she would have to leave Manitoba if the Tories got elected.
Note to the NDP: For a party that professes to value womens' roles in politics, why do you segregate them into a womens caucus and then highlight only Crybaby Erin Selby and Crybaby Sharon Bajer? Just asking - ed)

P.C. leader Hugh McFadyen had been taunting the NDP for months to call an election. His reputation was as a skilled election backroomer who had gotten Gary Filmon and Sam Katz into office. That should have been a clue.

As The Black Rod has revealed, Sam Katz's credibility as a self-professed crimefighter melted faster than a slurpee in August the first time it was put to the test. It turns out he only mobilizes police resources when he has to impress his South End friends. The rest of the city gets a map on the internet with a star whenever their cars are stolen or their friends are killed.

Hugh McFadyen was Katz's right hand man before going provincial and it shows.

After being elected Tory leader McFadyen promised to give people a distinct choice in the next election, a choice based on harnessing the economy to make Manitoba a 'have' province. And that was the last we heard about that.

When the election of '07 was called, McFadyen leaped out of the starting gate with bold promises of----more bicycle paths and soccer pitches. Week One down, four to go.

The Crocus Scandal which dominated weeks of Question Period? Never mentioned.

The desperate situation in health care that's evident to anyone who's been in a hospital or tried to see a doctor in the past four years? Not an issue.

Taxes? A promise to cut the provincial sales tax one percentage point sailed over the heads of voters who were busy enjoying the sunshine, working in their yards, and shopping for summer clothes.McFadyen adopted the federal Liberal campaign style of a promise a day and every one of them a priority.

Crime? The Tories ran ads attacking revolving door justice in the province. They were hokey, but grew on you with repeated viewing. And began to resonate when Rachelle Leost was killed by a stolen car whose occupants included a convicted car thief breaching probation.

But when asked on CJOB in week two of the campaign to tell the thousands of listeners about his crime agenda, McFadyen announced--- he would be making an annoucement later.
And when it came it showed only that the Tories had overthought the issue, losing the common-sense approach the voters expected.

The Tories had a literal flood of anti-crime proposals which ranged from the impracticle to the implausible to the impossible. The NDP were reduced to blaming their failure on the crime file on the federal government, especially the new Youth Justice Act.

They could never actually bring themselves to utter the words Jean Chretien, Paul Martin or Liberal, the parties responsible for the tepid laws that tied the hands of judges and prosecutors.

And it took weeks to get Gary Doer to say, ever so reluctantly, that federal NDP MP's like Pat Martin and Judy Wasylycia-Leis shared the blame for supporting the federal laws that put more criminals of the streets.

But McFadyen never once blamed the Liberal Party for the very laws he was attacking, in keeping with his long-term plan to turn the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party into a federal Liberal farm-team. His credibility in crimefighting began to rival Sam Katz's.

Then came the infamous Winnipeg Jets announcement. As explained in The Black Rod (http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2007/05/hughie-hughie-and-je-eh-ehts.html), this should have been the defining vision of the Tory campaign - a dare-to-dream challenge to Manitobans with a promise of a vital new government leading them into a bright new future.

Unveilled properly in the first week of a campaign, the Tories could have built on it over four weeks, creating a clearly defined choice for voters. A heavy-handed, scandal-ridden, union and bureaucracy-choked party on one side versus a shiny new party of hope and youthful drive and energy on the other.

Instead, the vision was so poorly communicated that it was reduced in the news stories to "Bring Back the Jets."

A hurricane of derision followed.

Gary Doer, already campaigning in as low a key as possible for a party leader, seized the moment to go lower still. The NDP shut down planned leaders "debates", events which themselves have become nothing more than watered down serial question sessions. But the NDP didn't want to run even that risk of stirring up an issue.

They agreed to a "debate" on radio.

The broadcast fell somewhere between the Louis-Schmeling fights and Roosevelt's fireside chats. More toward the latter.

Liberal leader Jon Gerrard had the best lines.
Doer was himself.
And McFadyen came across like a lawyer giving a lecture on tax law. He may have made some points, but his own words fell asleep and fell to the bottom of the radio.

A traditional leaders forum co-sponsored by the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce and the Winnipeg Realtors fell apart when the NDP insisted on controlling the questions to be asked. The Chamber pulled out as a sponsor and Winnipeg Sun reporter Tom Brodbeck quit as a questioner. A quickly revamped version was shown on the community access channel.

Oh, yes, we know there's been no mention of the Liberals. They've been busy sacrificing goats to the Election Gods and praying to steal two more seats so they can be an officially recognized party for the first time in 12 years. OOOOOWWWWMMMMMM.

In summary, then:
The NDP avoided the issues and tied their fortunes entirely to Gary Doer's popularity in the province.

The Tories didn't land a punch and went into the vote with no momentum. If we were sitting at ringside we would be wondering if new leader Hugh McFadyen was taking a dive. Do they do pee tests on politicians?

Success would depend completely on individual races, the wild card of angry Crocus voters, and the number of votes cast.

How does it turn out?

The answer - tomorrow.

posted by The Black Rod | 12:46 PM

Doer headed for a third term in Manitoba?

Paul Thomas seems to perhaps favor the NDP. I have found his comments usually quite vacuous but that is perhaps a requirement for being a successful expert sought out by the media. I have been searching for a site with seat predictions but haven't found one yet. If someone knows of one let me know and I will post it.

Tuesday » May 15 » 2007

Manitoba election outcome hangs on suburban Winnipeg voters

Steve Lambert
Canadian Press


Monday, May 14, 2007


WINNIPEG (CP) - If the pundits and columnists are right, Manitoba NDP Premier Gary Doer is on the verge of reaching a rare milestone in provincial politics - a third consecutive majority government.

Doer has run a cautious, low-key campaign for the May 22 election. If he wins, he will become the first Manitoba premier to score three majority victories since Duff Roblin, the respected Progressive Conservative leader who left office four decades ago.

Doer's personal popularity has consistently scored high with voters - recent polls suggest he is the second-most popular premier behind Danny Williams of Newfoundland and Labrador.

And while some voters are bound to feel it's time for a change after almost eight years, one analyst says the feeling has not spread.

"I don't sense any great undercurrent in that direction at all," said Paul Thomas, a political science professor at the University of Manitoba.

Doer's attempt to win hinges largely on suburban families, analysts say, and whether they feel the NDP has done enough to improve the economy, health care and Winnipeg's notoriously high crime rate.

For people such as Joy McKay, a mother of four in south Winnipeg, the answer is not clear.

"I think things have kind of come to a standstill and nothing's really going anywhere," she says.

McKay, who lists youth crime as her top issue, would normally be considered a prime target for the Conservatives.

She lives in the Seine River constituency, a former Tory stronghold won by the NDP in 2003, and appears dissatisfied with the status quo. The Tories have focused a large part of their campaign on her top issue, accusing the NDP of running a revolving-door justice system.

But she isn't enamoured with the opposition, saying she doesn't entirely believe Tory campaign promises to crack down on crime and lower taxes.

"I still haven't decided if I'm even going to vote."

Manitoba's political history means the suburbs are among the few areas the parties can really battle over.

The Conservatives have always had a virtual lock on most rural seats in southern Manitoba, while the NDP has owned most of Winnipeg's urban core and the province's north.

Party leaders have spent a lot of time promising suburban-friendly items, including soccer fields, rec centres and middle-class tax cuts.

Doer's efforts to extend his 7.5 years in office come at a time when other western provinces have seen their economies boom because of natural resources.

Critics point out that Manitoba's economy has lagged behind the rest of the West for most of the Doer era, and according to Statistics Canada, record numbers of people left Manitoba for Alberta and other provinces in 2005 and 2006.

Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen has tried to score points on the issue, promising to find ways to create jobs and keep young people from leaving the province.

But many voters may feel they aren't too badly off, according to Thomas.

Doer dismisses statistical arguments, and insists people are more than content.

"The best stat people have is their own feeling of net worth in their home," he said, pointing to property values that have risen after remaining flat for much of the 1990s.

"The wording I get is that Manitoba's on a roll, and there's a general sense of optimism out there."

Doer is also making the most of his personal popularity.

Many NDP lawns signs feature a picture of a smiling, affable Doer instead of the local candidate.

The signs also have Doer's name alongside the candidate's.

The premer's likability is a tough obstacle for the opposition to overcome, said Thomas. McFadyen, who has only been at the Tory helm for little more than a year, is not well known.

"He's up against a veteran campaigner," said Thomas.

When the election was called, the NDP had 35 seats in the legislature while the Tories had 18 and the Liberals had two. There was one independent member and one seat was vacant.


© The Canadian Press 2007

Manitoba Election:Doer promises more doctors.

Almost every election the NDP stresses medical care issues. Doer's record however is not all that stellar but probably better than portrayed by the Conservatives. The Liberals have several doctors as candidates but the race is basically between Conservatives and NDP. A lot of doctors in rural areas are from overseas but as the opposition notes getting accreditation often seems a problem. This is no doubt as much a problem because of regulations of the COllege of Physicians and Surgeons as the government. The decline in Federal funding for health care in the provinces is a continuing issue that provincial government cannot control.


May 1, 2007

Doer: 100 new MDsAdds $5-million campaign promise
By ROCHELLE SQUIRES, LEGISLATURE REPORTER



First-year medical student Jeremy Rose listens as Doer pledges to hire 100 new physicians. (BRIAN DONOGH/ SUN MEDIA)
Premier Gary Doer made a promise to hire 100 new doctors over the next four years if the New Democrats form government again after the May 22 election.

"It is over $5 million in new money that we are committing to doctor increases here in the province of Manitoba," said Doer. "A big part of delivering better care sooner is having more people helping people."

Doer said the trend of losing doctors in the province has been reversed since 1999 when his party formed government.

Doer said he'd create 10 new spaces at the University of Manitoba school of medicine and 10 new spaces to the International Medical Graduate program to help fill the gap.

"I believe the graduation rate and retention rate has gone from 54% in 1999 to just close to 90% in 2007," said Doer, adding the spaces in the school of medicine would grow to 110 this year, up from 70 in 1999.

The NDP would also dedicate $1 million towards filling rural and northern vacancies in order to provide doctors short-term relief and would also put $500,000 towards incentives to attract doctors to the province.

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard said the doctor shortage under the NDP is the result of eight years of failing to retain doctors and from not helping foreign doctors get accreditation.

"Gary Doer says that it takes nine years to train a specialist, but we've got foreign-trained specialists driving cabs," said Gerrard. "That needs to change, and it will change with the Liberal plan."

Gerrard also made a promise yesterday to shorten wait times for hip and knee surgeries.

A Liberal government would create a bone and joint health institute modelled after the one in Alberta that would report directly to the province. Its mandate would be to promote bone and joint health, set provincial standards and conduct research.

"Establishing a provincial specialist network in bone and joint health will provide for substantial improvements in delivering care," said Gerrard.

Manitoba NDP 7 point plan

Well its nice that in Manitoba at least privatising Manitoba Hydro can still be frightening! So Doer got the idea of a few priorities listed as a plan from Tony Blair! There is an election blog at this site.



April 24, 2007

NDP: 7 key pointsDoer unveils election platform
By ROCHELLE SQUIRES, LEGISLATURE REPORTER



.

Premier Gary Doer unveiled a platform that promised seven broad initiatives to improve the lives of Manitobans, but provided few specifics on how his party would deliver results if elected.

The seven-point action plan is up from Doer's traditional five-point plan used in past campaigns.

"We wanted the seven areas as priorities and we didn't want to eliminate any," said Doer, who initially used the strategy in 1999 that helped him win his first majority government.

"I want to give credit to where the idea originated. It originated with the 1997 campaign with (Prime Minister Tony) Blair in England and I used it in 1999. Some of our ideas are our own and some ideas we're attracted to and use," said Doer.

The NDP platform pledges to keep health care as its top priority, followed by a commitment to clean up the environment, keep young people in the province, improve safety, build better roads and infrastructure, keep government affordable and keep Manitoba Hydro as a Crown corporation.

Doer said some of the initiatives in the seven-point strategy would be in addition to promises already made during his last throne speech and recent provincial budget.

"There'll be announcements in this campaign that are going to be new but there'll be lots of announcements in this campaign that basically deal with services that people care about," said Doer.

As part of his strategy to improve health care, Doer promised to add 700 new nurses and nurse practitioners over the next four years.

"It's very simple, if you have more nurses on the front lines you'll have less patients on the waiting list," said Doer. "The cornerstone of any wait times strategy is a plan to hire, recruit, retain and educate nurses, doctors and other valued health-care professionals."

Paul Thomas, political science professor at the University of Manitoba, said it's a smart strategy to come out with a limited five- or seven-point action plan.

"It's now become a popular formula," said Thomas. "In a world of diminished expectations (of government), that seems to be the way things are done these days."

Thomas said it's better for politicians to promise only a few things they are certain they can deliver. The public has no appetite for grandiose promises from politicians, he added.

"When everything's a priority, nothing's a priority," Thomas added.

U of M political science professor Kim Speers said the NDP platform lacks depth and leaves many questions lingering.

"Every party wants to improve health care, but how? What is the plan they're proposing?" Speers asked.

"Are they going to keep the tuition freeze? And where's the economic development in the NDP platform? It's not there."

The last promise to preserve Manitoba Hydro is merely a scare tactic the NDP is using to make Opposition Tories appear frightening, she added.

Manitoba Election May 22

I have not been following Manitoba politics for some time. I used to be actively involved in the NDP during the Schreyer regime and later but the party is now so far to the right that I can't be bothered. All the parties are just slightly different shades and defenders of capitalism; although I guess there is green capital, blue capital, and perhaps the NDP is pink capital! Green capital doesn't even have a seat yet.
As the article mentions what should have been a very progressive investment fund turned into a disaster. Even I thought of investing in it except it turned out I didn't have any surplus funds to invest!
Doer has been very careful and moderate for the most part. The Conservatives have a new leader and the Liberals are far back in the polls. It is quite possible that Doer will be able to muster enough votes to stay in power but it could be thatj there are enough people tired of the NDP that they will opt for the Conservatives once again. The NDP came reasonably close last election in my constitutency but this time I am not sure they will have as good a candidate. The Conservatives capture most rural seats except in the north and sometimes in the interlake area. Most NDP seats are in poorer and ethnic areas of Winnipeg and two are held in Brandon. It may be difficult for the NDP to hold the west end seat.

Gary Doer calls May 22 election in Manitoba
Last Updated: Saturday, April 21, 2007 | 8:21 PM CT
CBC News
Manitoba NDP Leader Gary Doer has formally dissolved his majority government and called an election for May 22, the Tuesday after the Victoria Day long weekend.

"We have shown that Manitoba has changed," Doer told cheering supporters at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. "We have changed because we have become a can-do province, and we will continue to be a can-do province."

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer attends a funding announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Winnipeg on Friday afternoon before announcing in the evening that Manitobans will go to the polls May 22.
(John Woods/Canadian Press) Doer, who has led the province since 1999, is seeking his third term as premier. The NDP holds 35 of 57 seats in the legislature, while the Conservatives have 18 seats and the Liberals have two.

Denis Rocan, a Conservative MLA until he was kicked out of the caucus this week, is now sitting as an Independent. There is also vacant seat, Kirkfield Park, which had been held by the Conservatives until Stuart Murray, the party's former leader, resigned.

While making the election call, Doer touted major developments his government has brought to the province, from colleges to downtown office buildings.

"The endangered species of the building crane has been returned to Manitoba with some of our development," he said.

Continue Article

Doer's party won the 2003 election with almost half of the popular vote, the largest percentage since 1915. At the time, Doer campaigned hard on a health-care platform, and it is expected health will be a critical issue again in this election.

Critical about health care
The opposition parties have criticized the NDP for failing to provide enough beds in Manitoba hospitals. The NDP has argued throughout both of its mandates that the previous Conservative government was to blame for making cuts to health care that the party says created the problems in the first place.

Another hot issue in the election could be the government's role in the Crocus Investment Fund, which collapsed in 2005, resulting in a loss totalling millions of dollars for the 34,000 Manitobans who put money into the fund.

The election is expected to be a tight race between the Conservatives and the NDP, especially for crucial seats in the southern area of Winnipeg, such as Riel, St. Norbert and Seine River.

Those seats have been held by the Tories in the past, and party officials say they're much better organized this time around than they were three years ago.

Poll suggests close race
A Probe Research poll conducted in early March indicated the NDP and Conservatives are in a dead-heat race, although other recent polls suggest Doer is one of the most popular premiers in the country.

Winning a third term in Manitoba has proven elusive for other Manitoba premiers. Conservative Premier Gary Filmon and the NDP's Ed Schreyer both lost power after two terms.

This will be Hugh McFadyen's first election as leader of the Conservatives. The rookie MLA was first elected in December 2005, and took over the party leadership from Murray in April 2006.

"The economy has been growing across North America, and Manitoba has not been keeping up," said McFadyen, who argues that private-sector investment has lagged behind other provinces.

At the helm of the Liberal party is Jon Gerrard, the only Liberal in the legislature from 1999 to 2003, before he was joined by Liberal Kevin Lamoureux of Inkster.

Gerrard launched his campaign Friday evening in front of a hospital that has struggled to address a physician shortage.

"(The NDP) has not been able to fix the problems that existed under the Tories," Gerrard said.

Andrew Basham leads the Green party, which has never elected an MLA.

Both the Tories and the NDP say they expect to spend about $1 million on the campaign. The Liberals expect to spend a record amount of money for the provincial party: $400,000.

With files from the Canadian Press