水果视频 Liberal leader sees opportunity in 2018
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- Published on Monday, February 19, 2018
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner & Press
2018 has started off on a relatively positive note for the 水果视频 Liberal Party. Earlier this year, it was announced that the party had paid off its debt from the 2016 provincial election. They鈥檝e also found themselves polling extremely well, as of late, in Winnipeg constituencies against both the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP. While these are steps in the right direction, there are still major challenges to be faced in both rural and northern 水果视频. The north historically votes 鈥淣DP orange鈥, while the rural region normally is a safe zone for the Tories. 水果视频 Liberal Party leader Dougald Lamont remains optimistic they can do something about that, though he understands that can鈥檛 happen without a whole lot of work.
Introducing himself to 水果视频
Dougald Lamont took over as leader of the 水果视频 Liberal party last October following a narrow eight vote victory over Burrows riding MLA Cindy Lamoureux. A relatively unknown commodity to many outside of the perimeter, one of the first orders of business for the 48-year-old was to hit the road and introduce himself to the public in all 57 水果视频 constituencies.
On Friday, Feb. 9, Lamont arrived in Neepawa. Over the course of the afternoon, he visited with both potential voters in informal coffee chat type conversations and in more formal sit-downs with local municipal leaders.
Over the course of speaking with people, Lamont noted that there were a few specific topics that were consistently mentioned.
鈥淗ealth care has been the big topic and that really has been the case in several of the communities I have visited over the course of this tour. People are concerned about losing access and want to see action on addressing the situation,鈥 stated Lamont. 鈥淗ousing, as well, especially here in Neepawa, has been brought up. The need for affordable housing across the province is something that has turned into an issue. I say that the three H鈥檚, health, hydro and housing are something that are on everyone鈥檚 minds. Being able to afford housing is a big issue. An individual or a family should be able to afford decent accommodations. 水果视频 is a bit better than other places in Canada, but it鈥檚 still something that cannot be ignored.鈥
What鈥檚 the outlook for 水果视频?
In order to improve the future outlook from health care and housing in 水果视频, money is needed. The question is where will that money come from, while still trying to balance the provincial budget. Lamont believes the current approach being used by the Pallister government to 鈥榟ack and slash鈥 is not the right one.
鈥淭his is something that I think the P.C. government is getting wrong, They鈥檙e hacking away without, what I believe, is any type of long term vision. The federal government recently gave the Pallister government a record amount on transfer payments of $200 million dollars, which is, I think, more than Pallister鈥檚 promise of a health care premium was going to be. [Pallister] has already announced that there will be a carbon tax. There鈥檚 going to be funding from cannabis taxes. He has $200 million in new transfer payments and the health care funding from the federal government is still going up. [Pallister] keeps saying it鈥檚 cut. It鈥檚 just not going up as fast. He鈥檚 crying poor and it鈥檚 just not true,鈥 stated Lamont.
鈥淲hat we need to do, is have honesty in your accounting on how we鈥檒l get back to balance. That is the sort of thing that will be looked upon favourably by credit rating agencies. Actually, one of the things we鈥檝e said, is to have honestly in accounting with [水果视频] Hydro. If we stopped dumping more and more debt onto Hydro, and get Hydro鈥檚 books safe, that completely changes the risk profile for 水果视频, [with credit rating agencies] because right now, it鈥檚 going in the wrong direction.鈥
Final thoughts
As he prepared to move on to next community, Lamont stressed that it鈥檚 important for the Liberal to continue listening to the people across the province and develop policies that work for everyone.
鈥淚 have to convince people that [the 水果视频 Liberals] are an option. Show them that I鈥檓 up for the task, so I have to prove myself. Ultimately, whether you vote for me or not. Vote for the [Liberal Party], or not, we鈥檙e still fighting for you. Not everyone is going to vote for us, but we still want to sit down with those people, talk with them and hear their opinions and their concerns,鈥 Lamont stressed. 鈥淭he plan is not to simply work for Liberal voters, but for all 水果视频ns. That鈥檚 a bit of the problem right now in the legislature, and it has been for a while, where the interests of everyone are not being looked after. Let鈥檚 find the areas in which we have in common.鈥