Annual state of the province speech in Manitoba takes on election campaign tone
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson delivered her annual state of the province speech Thursday with a bit more partisan messaging than usual.
The annual speech to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce traditionally involves a premier going over their accomplishments of the past year and focusing on economic development before a business crowd.
Stefanson touched on those, but also said the provincial election slated for next October will be a choice between two very different visions for Manitoba on issues such as crime.
"A decision between a party that has no plan to keep your family safer at home or at work, or a team with a clearly defined plan to reduce crime," Stefanson told the roughly 1,000 people in attendance.
Stefanson also accused the Opposition New Democrats of favouring tax hikes, the defunding of police and high debt loads at Crown-owned Manitoba Hydro.
She also said a NDP government would lead to longer wait times for surgeries because the NDP opposes using private health-care providers to cut waiting lists.
Stefanson later told reporters she felt the need to include some partisan contrasts.
"I think that it's time to show Manitobans the difference between the Opposition NDP and ourselves. I think maybe that message isn't getting out there enough."
NDP Leader Wab Kinew said Stefanson needs to look elsewhere to assess blame.
"The speech we heard today acknowledged that there is a crisis in health care, with crime, with the cost of living," Kinew said. "And all this has happened under (former premier) Brian Pallister and Heather Stefanson's watch."
Kinew also denied the accusations levelled against his party. He said it's not true, for example, that the NDP favours defunding police.
"The police have an important role to play," he said, while adding that more money for housing and other services could help address the root causes of crime.
Stefanson took over the Progressive Conservative leadership in the fall of 2021, and the Tories have continued to lag behind the NDP in opinion polls.
The Tories won two consecutive majority governments, but saw their poll numbers drop after the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Manitoba has recorded the second-highest per capita COVID-related death rate among provinces, data compiled by the federal government says.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.