Manitoba Greens kick off campaign

Manitoba Green Party leader Janine Gibson speaks in front of supporters at Vimy Ridge Park Saturday afternoon. (Source: Daniel Timmerman, CTV News)

The Green Party of Manitoba launched its provincial election campaign this weekend, outlining a platform with a focus on the saving the environment, improving health care, reforming democracy, and helping Manitoba's politicians work together.

"Green MLAs will be strong advocates in the following areas for whichever dominant party makes the most actions on these points - which we think are crucial," said party leader Janine Gibson in front of supporters at Vimy Ridge Park Saturday afternoon.

Gibson laid out the Green Party's four main campaign points. The party plans to fight the climate crisis by creating green jobs, take an "upstream approach" to health care, push for a basic income guarantee, and work to reform democracy in Manitoba.

Gibson is running for MLA in the Wolseley riding, one of 13 Green Party candidates across the province.

She is being realistic about the upcoming election results, not expecting to become Manitoba's next premier.

"We're not planning to make government, we are planning to work collegially with whoever does make government," Gibson said.

However, she does feel good about winning in Wolseley. Gibson says the party has done very well there in past provincial elections.

"The last two elections, the Green Party captured 36 per cent of the vote," Gibson said. "We were within 600 votes of winning in 2016, and within 1,100 in 2019."

Gibson said she just needs to win 10 more votes per poll this time around to win Wolseley. If the Green Party wins its first-ever seat in the Manitoba legislature next month, Gibson says it will be good for the province.

"We will have a Green MLA that I really think is needed to bring some mediation and some conciliatory atmosphere to our politics," she said.

Gibson feels there is too much conflict and partisan politics in Manitoba's government, and said she would work hard to bridge the gap.

"Let's bring all the parties to the table, like the kind of healing circles that our First Nations have. I feel like our government needs healing circles," said Gibson.

If elected, Gibson said her first priority would be the environment. She said Manitoba should start selling green bonds to invest in environmentally friendly industries like geothermal energy.

Gibson believes Manitobans want to invest in their province. "In my heart, I am fiscally conservative. I want to conserve our resources. So I know that we can find the folks that know the value of investing now for long-term saving, and improved quality of life in Manitoba," she said.

On the issue of searching the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Indigenous women believed to be there, Gibson feels should be done. She believes the search can be conducted safely. "A really good mask and a really good hazmat suit would do it," Gibson said. "I think the report has been influenced by institutionalized racism and sexism. If these were white men, they would be home with their families now."

Gibson said Manitoba's Green Party will continue to push for a basic income guarantee for Manitobans.

She said a universal basic income for those who need it will reduce homelessness and help people suffering from chronic health conditions.

Though the Green Party has not costed out any of its platform, Gibson said there is enough money in Manitoba for a universal basic income. "We can do this by not subsidizing profitable corporations to the tune of billions of dollars," said Gibson. "We don’t need to give the folks that already are making money more money."

She said the basic income would only go to those who need it. "If your income is such that you don't need it, then it's not paid out."

The Green Party would also like to see changes to Manitoba's electoral system, pushing for proportional representation over the current first-past-the-post system.

Manitobans head to the polls on Oct. 3, 2023.