NDP promises new CancerCare building, Liberals talk tuition rebate

It was another day of campaigning for Manitoba's NDP and Liberal parties, as both made platform announcements Sunday ahead of next month's provincial election.

Liberal leader Dougald Lamont was in King's Park near the University of Manitoba talking about tuition relief for post-secondary students.

"Manitoba Liberals are committing to providing graduates in Manitoba with debt relief when they stay (in Manitoba) by reinstating the Tuition Rebate Program," Lamont said.

The Liberals' plan would provide a rebate of up to 60 per cent of eligible tuition fees when students start working in Manitoba after graduation. Lamont said the Liberals would also reinstate health coverage for international students.

"They are Manitobans too, and they should be entitled to Medicare. Especially since they are the largest pool of future permanent residents and immigrants to Manitoba," Lamont said.

He also took an opportunity to appeal to NDP voters, telling them they don't have to vote the same way every time.

"Every election, the NDP says everyone has to vote for them because only they can beat the PCs," said Lamont.

"Take a leap of faith and vote Liberal. Take a leap of faith and actually vote for a party that is representing your values," he said. "Because the other parties aren't."

NDP leader Wab Kinew was outside the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Sunday promising to build a new CancerCare facility.

"The Manitoba NDP will build a brand new state-of-the-art CancerCare headquarters here on the campus of HSC," said Kinew.

He said CancerCare Manitoba has been due for a new building for a while, but the PCs cut funding for it in 2017.

"The PCs not only cut this CancerCare headquarters and cancelled the plans to build it, they also cut funding to CancerCare by $2.5 million," Kinew said.

He added CancerCare currently uses its own operating funds to rent space from other HSC buildings in order to care for patients.

Kinew said the new CancerCare building would allow for more cancer screenings and better early detection. It would also expand capacity for clinical trials and reduce the amount of Manitobans sent out of province for treatment.

"The goal of this is to ensure more people get care close to home," said Kinew.

Manitobans will elect a new provincial government on Oct. 3.