When you want to know how people are doing, the logical thing to do is ask them.
That is exactly what the Manitoba Progressive Conservative caucus did during a three-day visit to Dauphin last week.
“Anytime we can get out and meet the great people of Manitoba, it’s well worth it and Dauphin, with all the stuff they’ve gone through in this last year here with the flood and the hospital, it’s great to get the caucus out . . . and hear from them what their concerns are,” said party leader Obby Khan.
“When you get 20 MLAs up here and all of the staff, it’s a great time to get out and meet people in Manitoba. So, I take full advantage of it as a leader and I’m really enjoying our time up here.”
Following a meeting with area municipal councils and community organizations, as well as some good old fashioned door knocking, Khan said it was clear what is forefront in the minds of community residents.
“The issues, they cover a wide range, but they’re all focused on the same thing. They’re all on the flood and what this government is doing to help, the delay in response and action from this government when the premier promised that he will help every Manitoban,” Khan said.
“So people are really concerned about that, that the premier said he’ll leave no Manitoban behind and they feel like they’re being left behind.”
Public safety and crime was another major theme, the same as it is across the province.
“I was actually shocked to hear from the chamber and a few other organizations that that was their number one concern after dealing with the floods, crime and safety in Dauphin and surrounding communities,” he said, which ties in with uncertainty around the future of Dauphin Regional Health Centre.
“People are tired of announcements. They want action. So, although the ER is opened, they want to know when surgeries could be back online, when people will be able to receive chemotherapy, when the MRI machine will be operating. People want answers, they don’t want empty announcements. That’s the overarching message I take away, dealing with the floods and just empty announcements.
“When are they going to build the jail like they promised? When are they going to tackle the real problems that they’re having in the community? So that’s been the reoccurring theme is that people don’t want announcements, they want action.”
Information like that gathered in Dauphin last week, informs the PC strategy as it goes forward in attempting to find practical solutions to the challenges Manitobans are facing, Khan said.
And the challenges are the same across the province, Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt said.
“No matter where you go, cost of living is a big thing, affordability. People are having trouble putting groceries on the table, saving money, things like that. Young people are having trouble saving money to make down payments on houses and things like that,” he said.
“So, we’ve got to get the economy moving, that’s what we’ve got to do. The economy has been stagnant under Wab Kinew, nothing’s been happening.”
Manitoba has so much untapped potential, Khan added, but the NDP government doesn’t seem to support development.
“What has our premier done in the last year and a half? He said no to a pipeline in the south that Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta said yes to. He said no to a $4 billion investment in the province of Manitoba. He has said no to every major project. There’s not one major project in this province happening right now,” Khan said.
“And there’s nothing on the horizon in real terms other than the talk of Churchill, which, although I think most Manitobans and we agree is an amazing aspiration to work towards, but it’s not going to help people today put food on the table. That’s the reality of the world we live in and the premier doesn’t live in that world.”
And while effecting change can be difficult from the opposition side of the Legislature, Khan promised he will continue to hold the premier and the government to account on the issues which matter most - the economy, health care, public safety and more.
“What I can hopefully get him to do is admit the truth to Manitobans, that he has failed them on every single one of his promises,” Khan said, adding he hopes last week’s caucus retreat in Dauphin sends the message that his party is looking out for them.
“The Parkland plays a key role in Manitoba’s growth and economic success. But it’s not enough to just say that. We have to make sure that local communities actually see themselves as partners in Manitoba’s prosperity, and that no one is getting left behind.
“Dauphin families have been hit from all angles over the past few months - a shuttered hospital, devastating flooding, tariffs, and so on. Our Progressive Conservative team wants to show these families that we are here for them every step of the way.”