NDP promise more paramedics, Liberals recommend ranked ballots

Manitoba's NDP say they will address the province's paramedic shortage if elected next month, while the Liberals would like to change the electoral system completely.

On Friday, NDP leader Wab Kinew announced his party, in its first four years in power, will hire 200 paramedicsif they win the Oct. 3 provincial election.

"Our plan is simple. We're going to hire more paramedics, so that when you dial 911 you're going to get a response more quickly," said Kinew, adding that Manitoba's paramedics are spending too much time on transfers and waiting in emergency rooms.

The plan would shift paramedics to being a full-time, salaried position to avoid overtime. Kinew said it won'tbe an added cost to taxpayers.

"This money's already in the budget. There are 200 paramedic positions sitting empty right now because of the cuts that the PCs have made," said Kinew.

The NDP said they would not be making changes to the paramdeic hiring process.

The Paramedic Association of Manitoba endorses the plan, and says there are many job vacancies across the province, particularly in the west and north.

Meanwhile, Manitoba Liberals are pledging to change how we vote for future provincial governments.

Leader Dougald Lamont is proposing the ranked ballot system for provincial elections going forward.

"If we want lasting change in Manitoba, we need to change the way we vote," said Lamont.

The system requires winning candidates to receive 50 per cent of the vote, plus one.

It's already used within political parties to elect leaders, as well as to elect government officials in other countries such as Australia.

Lamont said ranked ballots would allows Manitobans to vote for the person which best represents their values, and encourage candidates to appeal to their opponent's supporters.

"The current system in Manitoba, first past-the-post, has led to dysfunctional governments like the one we've seen for the last four years, and election campaigns where the main goal is stampeding voters to a particular outcome with fear and panic," Lamont said.

Lamont favours ranked ballots over proportional representation because he says it's more straightforward, and is based on community consensus instead of division.

Manitoba PC Leader Heather Stefanson did not make any campaign announcements Friday.