The Manitoba Legislature recessed last week following its fall session. The most recent session saw the NDP government attempt to convince Manitobans that all of the things that they failed to do in the past sixteen years, they can be trusted to do in the next few years if they are re-elected as a government.
That was highlighted by a number of pieces of legislation that the NDP brought forward which were sold as things that could fix past failings. Even as reports continue to show that, after sixteen years in government, healthcare waits are at unacceptable levels, the shortage of personal care home beds has reached a crisis and the family services system sees far too many children fall through the cracks, the NDP want Manitobans to believe that this time they really intend to address these problems.
It has become clear that Greg Selinger is leading a broken government that has lost the trust of Manitobans. It is hard to know from day to day just what the priorities of the current government are. During the past three weeks, the NDP have been introducing legislation saying that each of them are critical and important pieces of law. Shortly after the Legislature recessed for the holidays, the NDP House Leader said that he hoped that all of the legislation would pass in February and March when the Legislature is scheduled to resume for a sitting just prior to the election.
Yet, on the same day that the NDP House Leader was proclaiming the need to pass these pieces of legislation at the next sitting, Premier Greg Selinger’s Chief of Staff was telling the media that the NDP may not want to have another sitting of the Legislature before the election, which would mean all of the legislation would fail to pass prior to the election. On the one hand the NDP are telling people that legislation that they have ignored for 16 years is now a priority, and on the other hand they are telling Manitobans that they may prevent them from passing before for the election. It truly is a broken government.
With the Manitoba Legislature currently in recess certain daily activities such as Question Period do not take place. However, there are many committees which are scheduled and taking place at the Legislature between now and Christmas. These include committees that will examine issues related to Family Services, poverty reduction strategies, the conduct of elections and public accounts. And the Legislature is scheduled to return in session in February prior to the April 2016 provincial election where Manitobans will have their say on the future direction and leadership of the province.
