Getting Things Done: Premier Stefanson’s First Year in Office
This past year, Premier Heather Stefanson has helped make life more affordable, made Manitoba more competitive, reduced the surgical and diagnostic backlog and helped make our communities safer. Our government has been working hard and getting results on behalf of Manitobans.
“We have been making real progress helping more Manitobans make ends meet. This year, we increased the education property tax rebate, now averaging over $580 per household. We also announced that child care will average $10/day in Manitoba by the fall of next year,” said Radisson MLA and Deputy PC Caucus Chair James Teitsma. “We implemented a competitive minimum wage that will reach $15 per hour by next fall, and we provided affordability cheques to those who need it most – $250 for families with one child and $200 for each additional child. Seniors with fixed incomes received $300 as well.”
Faced with the unprecedented challenge of a global pandemic, our government has been making strides on Manitoba’s recovery and we have been bolstering health care. We promised 400 new nurse training seats to address the worldwide nursing shortage, and we have since delivered on that promise.
We saw increased surgical and diagnostic capacity by finding new creative partnerships so that Manitobans can stop waiting and start living. We cut red tape so that more internationally educated nurses can enter the system immediately. We’ve invested in our rural hospitals, are expanding the operating room at Concordia Hospital, invested $50 million dollars into surgical excellence at HSC, and we’re expanding the St. Boniface ER to have triple its capacity.
Our PC government has also been working diligently to make Manitoba more competitive.
“The approval of the first-ever potash mine in Manitoba history will create more good jobs,” said Teitsma. “We got the second phase of the North End Water Treatment Centre started, and we fronted funds for CentrePort to expand – which will bring in more trade and high paying jobs, and confirms our place as an international trading hub. These initiatives make Manitoba more attractive to live and invest in.”
Our PC government also created the new $100 million Arts, Culture and Sports in Communities Fund, which will create and expand community spaces for Manitobans to use and enjoy – making our communities more attractive to live in.
“Looking back at this past year, we made progress on our government’s path to Truth and Reconciliation. We stood with Ukraine against Putin’s evil war and welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms. We took real action to address crime, homelessness and addictions to make our streets safer. And we repaired relationships with different levels of government and community groups all around this great province,” said Teitsma. “Under the leadership of Premier Stefanson, we’re getting real results for Manitobans.”