Manitoba premier renews call for carbon tax relief

Manitoba's NDP premier Wab Kinew, who has previously called for a carbon tax exemption on all forms of home heating, has again called on the Canadian government to provide his province with carbon tax relief. 

Manitoba wants carbon tax carve out as it suspends gasoline taxes | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer:

January 10, 2024 - "The newly-elected NDP premier of Manitoba is calling on Ottawa to provide his province with carbon tax relief even as his government moves to suspend provincial fuel taxes. In an interview with Global News on the weekend, Wab Kinew said Manitoba deserves a break owing to its 'credible path' to net-zero. 

“'I think that there’s an argument that Manitoba is maybe one of the strongest cases you could make, that the price on carbon should be revisited in our jurisdiction,” Kinew told The West Block host Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired on January 7. Although 97% of the province’s electricity comes from hydroelectricity, about 60% of its home heating is with natural gas.... 

"It comes after the federal government in October suspended the carbon tax on home heating oil, which mainly benefits Atlantic Canada. Since then, others including Alberta, Saskatchewan and even Ontario and the Northwest Territories have called for the tax to be eliminated from heating bills even though Ottawa has declined to allow more exemptions. 

[In November all Canadian provincial premiers, including Kinew, unanimoursly called on the federal government to remove the carbon tax on all forms of home heating (see video).]

"Saskatchewan has even gone as far as to stop collecting the tax via its SaskEnergy subsidiary even at the the treat of being criminally charged.

"Manitoba is only one of three jurisdictions in Canada where the federal carbon tax applies to both consumers and industry, along with the Yukon and Nunavut. Manitoba is also the latest to implement a six-month fuel tax holiday which came into effect January 1 that is expected to save drivers about 14 cents per litre at the pumps. Ironically, it comes as the Alberta government reinstated its own fuel tax.

“'I think our province has a really strong case to make that during this time where we’re dealing with inflation, we’re dealing with the cost of living, that we should get some consideration, we should get a little bit of help,' Kinew told Stephenson."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/business/manitoba-wants-carbon-tax-carve-out-as-it-suspends-gasoline-taxes/51559

Kinew makes it explicit, asks Ottawa to remove carbon tax from natural gas home heating | CBC Manitoba | November 7, 2023:

 

Parents should be told if minors switch gender, say provincial governments

Education Ministers in four Canadian provincial governments are changing school policies, requiring parents to be informed when minor-age children change gender identity at school. 

Saskatchewan mandates parental consent for name and pronoun changes at school | True North | Elie Cantin-Nantel:

August 22, 2023 - "The Saskatchewan government is requiring children under the age of 16 to obtain parental consent before they change their name or pronouns at school. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is the third premier to stand up for parental rights in the face of rampant gender ideology in public schools. The two others who have taken a pro-parent position on the issue are New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson....

"'Parents must be included in all important decisions involving their children,' said Moe. 'Our government has heard the concerns raised by Saskatchewan parents about needing to be notified and included in their children’s education,' said Education Minister Dustin Duncan in a news release.... The Saskatchewan government is also mandating that schools disclose information about sex-ed teachings to parents and provide them with the option to opt-out.... 

"Speaking to True North [video], Don’t Delete Parents founder Faytene Grasseschi said it’s 'becoming very clear across Canada that parents are voicing common-sense concerns'.... 'What is happening in New Brunswick, Manitoba and now Saskatchewan is waking up the nation, and I expect it will have an impact in other provinces as well.' added Grasseschi. 'Parents are just now waking up to the fact that some schools have been keeping things from them, and they frankly aren’t ok with it.'

"Not everyone in Saskatchewan is, however, on board with the government’s new parental rights policies. Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck accused Moe and Duncan of 'outing vulnerable kids' while NDP MLA Aleana Young accused them of being 'f***king cowards.'"

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/08/22/sask-parental-consent-school/

New Brunswick’s fight for parental rights (feat. Faytene Grasseschi) | True North | July 2, 3023:

Canadian politicians stampeding away from policy of concealing gender transitions from parents | National Post | Tristin Hopper:

August 30, 2023 - "Canadian politicians are now stampeding away from a policy of public schools unquestionably affirming the self-described gender identity of children without informing their parents.... [T]he standing policy is that staff must immediately affirm the self-described gender identity of students ... and also withhold this information from parents upon request. 'Do not talk to anyone about (a student’s) identity, including parents/caregivers, to whom they have not already disclosed their gender identity,' reads the official guidelines on 'gender identity in schools' published by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

• "In a surprise move last June, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs amended Policy 713 — a document governing gender expression in public schools — to require parental consent before a student could socially transition.... 
• Last week, Saskatchewan also announced that parental consent would henceforth be required for a student under 16 to assume new pronouns or a new name (students over 16 can do it without parental consent).... 
• Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson announced plans earlier this month to amend the province’s Public Schools Act to broaden 'parental rights' surrounding gender identity. 'Parents want to know what’s going on in the day-to-day lives of their children,” Stefanson told reporters on Aug. 17....
•  And just on Monday, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce told a news conference that 'parents must be fully involved' in circumstances when a child decides to go by different pronouns at school.

"According to polls, Canadians are wildly in favour of this new tack. Even before Higgs went public with changes to Policy 713, a May Leger poll found that 57 per cent of Canadians favoured some form of parental notification in cases where a student was changing their gender identity. Only 18 per cent supported the status quo.... The results of an Angus Reid Institute poll released Monday were even more decisive. Of respondents, 78 per cent said that schools should inform parents if a student changes their pronouns, and 43 per cent said it shouldn’t be done without explicit parental consent. Only 14 per cent agreed with the statement 'parents should neither be informed nor have a say — it’s up to the child.'

"Progressive politicians and LGBT rights groups have been quick to call the proposed changes transphobic or even hateful. In a column for CTV, former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair said the likes of Higgs and Moe were 'promoting discrimination and intolerance' in a cynical bid for votes. Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne accused Lecce of using parental rights to 'cover their trans and homophobia.'"

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/canadian-politicians-transitions-policy

Bernier to run in Manitoba byelection

BERNIER: Elect me to 'restore sanity in this country' | Western Standard - Linda Slobodian: 

May 12, 2023 - "People’s Party of Canada (PPC) Leader Maxine Bernier ... announced Friday he’ll run in Manitoba’s Portage-Lisgar by-election ...  at a press conference in Portage la Prairie. Bernier said it will be a 'two-horse' race between him and Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) opponent Brenden Leslie. The seat was previously held since 2008 by Candice Bergen, CPC’s interim leader in 2022.... Bernier urged constituents to join the political revolution and compared the PPC to the old Reform Party....

"Bernier cited inflation 'eating away at our standard of living,' skyrocketing government and household debt, and a 'hopelessly broken' health care system.... 'But even worse than the state of our economy is the state of our culture. We are living in highly immoral times'.... 'We are living in a completely different society, one overtaken by evil'....

"'Radical cultural Marxists seized control of our educational system, the mainstream media, and governments. They push a program of anti-life, anti-family, and anti-Canadian values. Gender ideology and the trans movement are promoting confusion and the mutilation of children. It is useless to debate with these extremists. There is no common ground. They seek only one objective — to destroy Canadian society as we know it and upend the traditional structures of life which have underpinned our civilization. Their insanity is undermining our traditions, our history, and our nation'....

"He accused the Conservative Party of Canada of 'giving up.' 'Whether it's gender ideology, mass immigration, climate hysteria, the cult of diversity, or abortion, the CPC has refused to fight the necessary cultural battles. They are too scared of negative coverage from the mainstream media and being called bigots. They have sat on their hands as the radical left has taken over our society' [he said.] 'I am ready to fight. The PPC is ready to fight. That is why I am proud to announce I am putting my name forward in the upcoming by-election to be your representative, you the people of Portage-Lisgar, in the House of Commons. Because families deserve a strong voice.'

"In 2021, the PPC earned 5.1% of the vote [nationwide]. In 21 ridings the size of the PPC vote was higher than the number of votes Conservative candidates lost by....Bernier ran and lost in Beauce in 2019 and 2021 after he quit the Conservative Party in 2018 — after losing the leadership contest to Andrew Scheer — and formed the PPC. Bernier held several positions in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.... 

"The riding has been held by Conservatives since it was created in 1997. In 2021, the PPC won 22% of the vote.

"His opponent, Brendan Leslie, served as Bergen’s campaign manager. 'If Maxime Bernier does decide to leave his home province of Quebec in an attempt to boost his profile and raise money for his party, I think it will only further prove to the residents of Portage-Lisgar, and all Canadians, that Mr. Bernier is an opportunist who will go anywhere and say anything he thinks will get him the most attention,' said Leslie in [a] written statement." 

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/bernier-elect-me-to-restore-sanity-in-this-country/article_cc2569aa-f0fb-11ed-9615-0707c56d4372.html

UNCUT VIDEO: Maxime Bernier says race for byelection is between him & fake conservative | CBC Manitoba | May 12, 2023:

UPDATE: 4 federal byelections set for June in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba | Global News - Eric Stober:  

May 14, 2023 - "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday that four byelections will happen in June. The byelections will be held on June 19 in four districts:

• Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, Quebec
• Oxford, Ontario
• Portage—Lisgar, Manitoba
• Winnipeg South Centre, Manitoba"

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9697428/canada-federal-byelections/ 

World Unity Convoy rolls into Winnipeg

Manitoba's got itself a convoy | Western Standard - Linda Slobodian:

February 15, 2023 - "Two large convoys — one coming from the west, the other from the east — will roll into Manitoba Thursday. Patriots from Victoria, BC to the heart of New Brunswick, with vehicles falling in line along the way, are headed to the February 17-20 World Unity Convoy event. It aims to address a myriad of problems Canadians face, and to promote a united front just like the logo says: We Move As One, We Stand As One. RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service will be on hand to monitor traffic and ensure the convoys arrive safely at their destination — Camp Hope in Dugald, five-km east of Winnipeg.

"World Unity Convoy, packed with events and guest speakers, comes on the heels of the one-year [anniversary of] Freedom Convoy 2022 ... when truckers, cheered on by the world, descended on Parliament Hill to peacefully protest COVID-19 mandates and the Liberal government’s shocking assault on rights and freedoms. Our truckers played a paramount role in getting the feds and the provinces to lift crippling, sometimes senseless, COVID-19 restrictions. But, as popular Unity Convoy participant Ron Clark said on a Facebook post Wednesday, 'There’s still a lot of work to do.'

"Canadians know their freedoms — held in the palms of globalists and at the mercy of bad government decisions — are still at risk, So, they're again lining up on roads and overpasses to cheer the convoys on. Not many rigs rolling down the highways this time, it’s mostly private vehicles with people from different walks of life. But once again, so many glorious Canadian flags waving in the wind to behold!

"How many will show up at Camp Hope isn’t known, since registration wasn’t required. Organizers anticipate anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 and possibly more."

"'The purpose of the event is to bring people together and work towards unity,' said Westlock AB’s Benita Pederson, who's helping with program coordination.... 'In order for us to have unity we do not need to agree on all things. We just need to agree on one or more things,' said Pederson, a freedom advocate since February 2021. She runs All Fired Up For Freedom, an organization that promotes and organizes events that work towards the protection and restoration of individual rights and freedoms....

"Meanwhile, organizers have been working closely with the RCMP and WPS. 'The law enforcement agencies are well aware of our plans and in some ways they’ll be supporting us. They may even have a presence close to Camp Hope over the weekend and we think that’s terrific'.... Organizers don’t want distractions from their agenda — to promote unity, freedom, hope, love and find solutions."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/slobodian-manitobas-got-itself-a-convoy/article_209393d8-ad84-11ed-a70a-1719ef49f3ad.html

"World Unity Convoy 2023" with Serena Freedom Bear, Maverick News, January 3, 2023:

Unity Convoy still scheduled for Winnipeg

Unity Convoy still going to Winnipeg | Western Standard - Linda Slobodian:

January 3, 2023 - "Start packing those bouncy castles and barbeques, horns will still be honking in Winnipeg, February 17-21. World Unity Convoy 2023 is still on. 'The Winnipeg convoy is still proceeding,' participant Ron Clark told the Western Standard.

"Confusion stemmed from a recent press release issued by Team Canada Unity’s James Bauder. He said the Freedom Convoy 2023 reunion was cancelled due to 'several security breaches.' 'Convoy organizer says plans to stage a 2023 protest in Winnipeg are off,' read one media headline, No, they aren’t. Only plans for a February 17-20 Ottawa reunion were cancelled....

"'Let’s make that very clear. The convoy 2.0 is cancelled. But the World Unity Convoy 2023 is still proceeding as planned,' said Clark on Facebook. 'James Bauder’s statement stated that he had a security breach amongst his team on Canada Unity and he is stepping back for security reasons. And so, James Bauder is stepping back. That's it'....

"Bauder told the Western Standard his team will not be Winnipeg-bound. 'No, we won’t. As far as the group goes, the James Bauder Canada Unity Foundation, which is the architect behind the Freedom Convoy, no'.... But members representing about 400 groups will be in Winnipeg or carrying out plans to peacefully assemble at events across Canada. Many won’t be travelling to Winnipeg because they’re still paying off debt accumulated when they went to Ottawa last February — to fight for all Canadians. 

"In the meantime, expect every World Unity 2023 move to be dissected, mocked, and criticized, and twisted in the same way Freedom Convoy 2022 was. The problem is some within are giving critics ammo to level accusations about disunity and disorganization. Egos have got to be parked in neutral. Stop already with the power struggle and bickering about the Unity Convoy being held in the centre of Canada, not in Ottawa. It deflects attention from the convoy well into the planning stages. Speakers, including doctors, have been lined up, DJs booked, Winnipeg police consulted, and invites extended to everybody including politicians to speak to, and listen to, concerns of Canadians they’re paid to represent....

"So far, the Liberal government has gotten away with what it inflicted on Canadians during COVID-19. It hasn’t been held accountable. Not much hope is being placed in the report on the inquiry into whether the Trudeau government was justified in invoking the Emergencies (War Measures) Act.... 

"Yes, most of the mandates have been lifted, but the need to press forward is critical. The damage lingers.... Life hasn’t improved.... The assault on freedoms hasn’t stopped. Instead they press ahead with more clampdowns — Bill C-11, Bill C-18, Bill C-21. Unity Convoy is the fight for accountability and transparency, a show that Canadians won’t stand for what the Liberal government is dealing us.

"Hull-Alymer Liberal MP Greg Fergus said it best, according to a text revealed by Blacklock’s Reporter. Fergus, parliamentary secretary to Trudeau, said cabinet “pissed away our credibility” with the way it mishandled the COVID-19 crisis and the Freedom Convoy."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/slobodian-unity-convoy-still-going-to-winnipeg/article_62ced0ba-8b9b-11ed-9969-6b7a7ae60a85.html

"World Unity Convoy 2023" with Serena Freedom Bear, Maverick News, January 3, 2023:

4 provinces oppose federal gun buyback program

Four Canadian provinces have issued a joint statement opposing the Trudeau government's plans to use 'scarce RCMP and municipal police resources to confiscate more than 100,000 legally acquired firearms from Canadians.'

New Brunswick Joins Prairies in Opposing Use of Police for Ottawa’s Gun Confiscation Program | Epoch Times - Isaac Teo:

October 15, 2022 - "New Brunswick has joined forces with Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to oppose the federal government’s gun buyback program. The Yukon Legislature also recently passed a motion against the measures. In a joint statement on Oct. 14, New Brunswick, together with the Prairie provinces, called on the Liberal government to halt plans to use 'scarce RCMP and municipal police resources to confiscate more than 100,000 legally acquired firearms from Canadians.' 

"The joint statement was issued following a discussion on Ottawa’s firearms buyback program at the “Federal, Provincial and Territorial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety” in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, from Oct. 12 to Oct. 14. The Prairie provinces had already written to their respective RCMP divisions, indicating that no provincial funding should be used to confiscate legal firearms.... The Epoch Times sought comment from Public Safety Canada, which replied that it had forwarded the request to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s office. No response was received by publication time.

"The government’s buyback program comes on the heels of 2020 legislation banning more than 1,500 models of what it termed 'assault-style weapons, including AR-15s. Ottawa has said the buyback program 'will be mandatory' and will require anyone who owns guns banned under the new legislation to sell them to the government at prices determined by the feds, or else have them 'lawfully disposed' of.

"Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro said the Liberal government contradicted its earlier claim that it would not have law enforcement administer the program due to high costs.... 'Make no mistake, the federal firearms confiscation program will cost us billions and will not improve public safety,' Shandro said, adding that the Alberta government is 'not legally obligated' to provide the resources and 'will not do so.' Alberta was the first province to announce its opposition to the buyback on Sep. 26. Following Shandro’s announcement, Mendicino said on CTV’s Question Period that Alberta’s attempt to challenge the constitutionality of the federal firearms prohibition is a 'political stunt'....

"Saskatchewan adopted Alberta’s position on Sept. 28. In the joint Oct. 14 statement, Christine Tell, the province’s minister of corrections, policing, and public safety, and Bronwyn Eyre, minister of justice and attorney general, said they are supportive of going after illegal guns, but not guns from law-abiding owners....

"On Oct. 13, the Yukon Legislative Assembly adopted a similar position as the Prairie provinces by passing a motion that 'urges the Yukon government to ensure that territorial policing resources are not diverted to assist in the implementation of the Government of Canada’s gun "buy-back" program.'

"Manitoba, which joined in pushing back on the feds’ buyback program on Sept. 28, said in the statement that the confiscation will have 'little impact' on criminals but will 'further erode' policing resources in the province....

"New Brunswick’s Public Safety Minister Kris Austin wants the RCMP to focus on policing instead of using their 'limited resources' to participate in the buyback program. 'New Brunswick’s bottom line is this: RCMP resources are spread thin as it is. We have made it clear to the Government of Canada that we cannot condone any use of those limited resources, at all, in their planned buyback program,' Austin said."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/new-brunswick-joins-prairies-in-opposing-use-of-police-for-ottawas-gun-confiscation-program_4798553.html

Alberta government ends all Covid restrictions

Alberta to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions | CBC News:

Scary headline, AlbertaPolitics.ca, April 2021.

June 13, 2022 - "As of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the Alberta government will lift the province's remaining COVID-19 restrictions, meaning mandatory masking on public transit will come to an end, as will mandatory isolation. 'We need to live with COVID-19 while accepting that it will continue to be present. We'll continue to work to keep Albertans safe by ensuring access to vaccines, antivirals and rapid tests, through ongoing COVID-19 surveillance and by enhancing health-care system capacity,' Health Minister Jason Copping said in a statement Monday. 

"Though not required, isolation will remain recommended for those who have COVID symptoms or a positive test result. Other provinces like Saskatchewan and Manitoba have already lifted self-isolation requirements. 

"The province will still keep some health measures in health-care settings, such as masking. Alberta Health Services confirmed that masking will still be required at all acute care, continuing care and community locations, including immunization and lab collection sites. 

"The chief medical officer of health order affecting continuing care is expected to be lifted by June 30, the province said in a news release. Some measures in continuing care settings will remain in place through standards and policy, such as isolation of symptomatic residents, outbreak protocols and masking.... 

"'Learning to live with COVID-19 does not mean forgetting about it,' Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Monday in a news release. 'As we bring COVID-19 management in line with other respiratory diseases, it will continue to be vital that we receive our primary vaccine series and any additional booster doses we are eligible for, and continue good habits like washing our hands regularly and avoiding being around others if we feel sick.'"

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-lifts-remaining-covid-restrictions-1.6487506

Manitoba announces plan to end Covid restrictions

Manitoba to drop capacity limits next week, eliminate mask mandates by mid-March | CBC News - Darren Bernhardt:

February 11, 2022 - "Manitoba will eliminate capacity limits for many businesses and other venues starting Tuesday as the province aims to abolish all restrictions, including mask mandates, on March 15. The province also intends to remove all proof of vaccination requirements on March 1, which means vaccination cards will no longer be needed. All restrictions will end March 15, Premier Heather Stefanson said at a Friday morning news conference....

"'Today we offer hope to those who have been waiting for a long time to see that light at the end of the tunnel,' she said. 'The restrictions have placed many burdens on Manitobans, and now that we see the pressure of our hospital systems starting to ease, it's our responsibility of government to ease those restrictions on Manitobans.' Stefanson, who has stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, toned that message down on Friday. While she said she and her family are fully vaccinated, she added that 'the choice to get vaccinated is yours'.... 

• On Tuesday, pandemic capacity limits will be dropped for restaurants, licensed premises, entertainment venues, indoor and outdoor sporting events and casinos and gatherings at private residences. 
• They will also be removed for outdoor public gatherings.
• Indoor public gathering limits will be removed if proof of vaccination is required to enter. If not, the limit will be 50 people.
• Anyone age 12 to 17 who is participating in indoor sports and recreation will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination or recent testing.
• There are no changes to retail and personal services until March.
• Public health continues to recommend self-isolation for people who live in a household with someone who has symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, but it will no longer be required.
• Self-isolation requirements for people entering the province will also be discontinued. However, anyone travelling from international destinations will continue to be required to meet requirements under the federal Quarantine Act.
• Public health orders restricting travel to northern Manitoba remain in place....
• Masks are required indoors for staff and students but will not be required during physical education classes. Medical masks will be recommended but no longer required for school staff.
• Schools will continue to send out community notification letters if public health officials have identified increased transmission or recommended remote learning for a class, cohort or entire school. As well, Manitoba's online dashboard will continue to post this information but will no longer include case numbers, the province said in a release.
• Children, school staff and child-care staff will only be eligible for PCR testing if medically indicated, in line with eligibility criteria for all Manitobans.
• In some settings, such as personal care homes, shelters and health-care facilities, public health officials have continued to work with facilities to notify close contacts of people who test positive, but that will end on March 8, the province said in a news release.

"The Manitoba Health Coalition, a non-profit health-care advocacy group, released a statement on Friday expressing its disappointment with the changes. It suggested the province is responding to the anti-restrictions convoy set up outside the legislative building and international border."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-covid-19-pandemic-restrictions-1.6347862

Province-wide lockdown in Manitoba

Manitoba moves into 'critical' COVID territory, imposes strict lockdowns to take effect on Thursday | National Post:

November 10, 2020: "Manitoba goes into lockdown Thursday, escalating from 'restricted' to 'critical' on its pandemic severity scale, as it bans social gatherings and restricts travel.... Schools will remain open, but religious services will be closed, and non-essential businesses will be restricted to curbside pick up or delivery. Essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies can operate only at 25 per cent capacity.

"Gyms, restaurants, sports facilities, libraries, casinos, museums and movie theatres will be shuttered in the lockdown that will be in place at least four weeks, or two incubation periods. Non-essential travel is discouraged and will be restricted in the north....

"'We are at a critical point in our fight against COVID-19, and we must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable Manitobans and ensure our health-care system is there for Manitobans, when they need it,' said Premier Brian Pallister. 'This is a team effort, and we all have a role to play in protecting ourselves, our loved ones and our community. By taking these measures seriously, we are going to save lives'....

"Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin said the new level of lockdown involves a “short, sharp set of restrictions.” Pallister called it a “circuit breaker.”

"The short, sharp lockdowns have been used in European countries to control surges of COVID and were proposed by a group of doctors in Alberta to control the virus in that province. British Columbia has also adopted a form of circuit-breaker lockdowns in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health regions in recent days to control COVID surges. There, people may only socialize with those in their 'core bubble.'"

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/manitoba-moves-into-critical-covid-territory-imposes-strict-lockdowns-to-take-effect-on-thursday

New Manitoba Party calling for big tax cuts

Taz Stuart named interim leader of new Manitoba Party - Manitoba - CBC News - Steve Lambert, Canadian Press:

January 21, 2016 - "A new political party focusing on extensive tax cuts is aiming to be in place for the April 19 Manitoba election.

"The Manitoba Party's platform includes a promise to cut the provincial sales tax to five per cent from eight. The party also says it would institute a flat income tax of 10 per cent to replace current progressive tax brackets that top out at 17.4 per cent.

"The party also says it would scrap the province's business payroll tax, which brings in hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

"The aim, the party's president says, would be to leave taxpayers and businesses with more money to boost the economy and create jobs. 'I think everybody knows that taxation is a fine, a penalty, a deterrent," Gary Marshall said Thursday. 'If you alleviate that punishment ... people will be far more inclined to produce, to be productive, to work harder.'

"Marshall said just look west for proof of that.  'This is copying Saskatchewan. The NDP in 2006 instituted very big tax cuts which shocked everybody and that place has been booming ever since. Yes, they had some help with the oil revenues. But it's their tax policies that have kept that province head and shoulders above everybody else."

"Marshall, a dialysis technologist with an interest in government economics, believes his group offers voters a right-leaning alternative to the province's three main parties. It has started filing paperwork with Elections Manitoba, including the 2,500 signatures required to form an official party.

"Marshall said he's not worried about splitting the vote on the right.

"'They failed on that four times now. Sixteen years they haven't adopted any conservative policies. So if they're chasing NDP policies that's fine. We'll open it up and we'll offer tax cuts,' he said.  'We don't think the people of this province are being served very well. In the last election in this province 42 per cent of people did not vote. … So we think the current three parties, that they're all kind of congregated on the left side of the spectrum, all trying to outdo the NDP, are missing out on a large market here in Manitoba.'

"The party is lining up candidates and has an interim leader in Taz Stuart, who used to head the City of Winnipeg's mosquito-fighting program. Stuart finished second in a run for a seat on city council in 2014....

"The Manitoba Party is hoping to gain official status with Elections Manitoba by the end of the month and field candidates in at least half of the province's 57 constituencies."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-party-taz-stuart-1.3414019
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Canadian died after 34-hr ER wait; can family sue?

Appeal Court hears family’s argument over Brian Sinclair ER death - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca - Chinta Puxley, Canadian Press:

September 22, 2014 - "The family of a man who died during a 34-hour wait in a Winnipeg emergency room is asking Manitoba’s highest court to reinstate its lawsuit against a health authority.

"Lawyer Murray Trachtenberg told three Appeal Court justices Monday that Brian Sinclair’s charter rights were violated when he died in a hospital waiting room in 2008.

"Lower court judges struck down the heart of the family’s lawsuit against the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, saying Sinclair’s charter rights died with him.

"But Trachtenberg said it’s absurd that a man who died because he didn’t receive the care due him under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms isn’t allowed to sue because he’s dead.

"'The breaches in question took place while Mr. Sinclair was alive,' Trachtenberg told the court.

"'The alleged breaches are the very actions and inactions which caused his death and necessitate his personal representative to bring forward the claim as he is obviously incapable of doing so'....

"Although Sinclair spoke to a triage aide when he first arrived at the emergency room, he was never formally entered into the hospital’s system. He languished in the waiting room for hours, growing sicker and vomiting several times, but was never asked if he was okay or awaiting care.

"By the time Sinclair was discovered dead, rigor mortis had set in."

Read more: http://globalnews.ca/news/1575854/appeal-court-hears-familys-argument-over-brian-sinclair-er-death/
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Frank Godon is Libertarian candidate in Manitoba by-election

Godon enters byelection as Libertarian - Brandon Sun:

October 29, 2013 - "Former United States marine and current Boissevain resident Frank Godon will be the Libertarian candidate in the upcoming Brandon-Souris byelection.

"Godon, 52, is of Metis heritage and was born and raised in the Turtle Mountain area. Godon said he decided to throw his hat back in the ring to 'give the people of Brandon-Souris another option.'

"In September, Godon declared his intention to seek the Liberal nomination, however withdrew from the race a few weeks later due to family concerns.

"The vision of the Libertarian Party of Canada is 'less government, lower taxes, more freedom.'
The Brandon-Souris byelection will take place Nov. 25."

http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/Godon-enters-byelection-as-Libertarian-229774421.html?thx=y
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