PCs Demand Transparency on Healthcare Ad Campaign Spending
WINNIPEG — Roblin MLA Kathleen Cook, PC Critic for Health, issued a forceful statement today calling out the Manitoba NDP for spending taxpayer dollars on a self-congratulatory ad campaign while Manitobans continue to suffer from a healthcare system in crisis.
The ad campaign, which airs radio spots claiming “progress” in healthcare, paints an overly boastful picture of a system overwhelmed by overcrowding, long wait times, and a shortage of resources.
“There’s no denying that healthcare in Manitoba is in crisis, yet the NDP are spending an unknown amount of taxpayer money on ads to pat themselves on the back,” said Cook. “This is a grotesque display of hubris. The NDP’s radio ad says, ‘there’s reason to hope,’ but what Manitobans really need is action, not more propaganda.”
“In the wake of a tragedy last week, where a patient died after waiting hours in the ER, these ads are not just misleading—they’re in incredibly poor taste.”
The reality in Manitoba’s hospitals tells a much different story than the one painted in the NDP’s ad campaign. Wait times at the Health Sciences Centre and across Winnipeg hospitals remain high, despite recent government claims of improvement. MRI wait times have skyrocketed to 52 weeks in Winnipeg, while wait times for hip and knee surgeries are at their highest in at least five years.
Last month, a board member of Prairie Mountain Health publicly resigned after the NDP attempted to force health regions to bear the blame for their own poor budgeting. Additionally, the Brandon Regional Health Centre was nearly forced to close its maternity ward just after the New Year due to staffing shortages, following dire warnings from doctors at the facility about the hospital’s staffing levels in late November.
Furthermore, a recent internal poll released by the Manitoba Nurses Union revealed that 65% of their members believe healthcare has either not improved or has gotten worse under the NDP over the past year.
“These ads do not reflect the painful reality patients face every day,” said Cook. “A man died in the ER last week after waiting hours for care, and the NDP are more concerned with spinning a narrative to make themselves look good. This is not just offensive, it’s irresponsible and dangerous. How can they justify spending taxpayer money on this ad campaign while so many Manitobans are struggling to access the care they need?”
Cook is demanding that the NDP release the details of how much taxpayer money has been spent on this ad campaign. She is calling for full transparency and for those funds to be redirected toward real, tangible improvements in healthcare that will address the ongoing crisis.
“In the midst of this healthcare disaster, the NDP are more interested in self-promotion than in fixing the system. Manitobans deserve better,” said Cook. “It’s time for the NDP to stop using taxpayer dollars on self-serving propaganda ads and start addressing the real issues plaguing our healthcare system.”
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