View From the Legislature

It is with great gratitude that my family and I say thank you to the residents of the Steinbach Constituency for placing their trust in us and again electing me on September 10 as their Member of the Legislative Assembly.

It has been a true honour to represent the residents of Steinbach since 2003 and I look forward to continuing in that role. During the election campaign, I had the opportunity to meet with many residents of Steinbach, Mitchell and Blumenort in the community and at their door. I appreciated the many questions and comments about the work that our government has been doing over our first term.

It is the sign of a strong and healthy democracy that residents can engage with candidates who are running for election and have meaningful conversation on issues that matter to them most. Whether hearing comments of support or questions about decisions that were made, I appreciated being able to hear directly from residents during the campaign.

I was also encouraged to see the Progressive Conservative Party be returned to government with a renewed mandate to govern. Winning 36 seats in the Manitoba Legislature provides our government with one of the strongest majority mandates ever achieved in Manitoba history. This is a very strong indication from Manitobans that they understand that the financial mess that our government inherited in 2016 needs to continue to be cleaned up and that we need to continue to work toward a balanced budget and lower taxes.

Despite the strong mandate, I was disappointed to see some of my colleagues not returned to the Manitoba Legislature. St. Vital MLA Colleen Mayer, Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle and Transcona MLA Blair Yakimoski worked tremendously hard to represent their constituencies and I appreciated having the opportunity to serve with them.

As well, I would also like to thank the residents of Kleefeld and New Bothwell which were previously in the Steinbach Constituency but, because of changes to the electoral map, are no longer communities I represent. My family and I have greatly enjoyed making new friends and attending events in these communities and while I no longer represent these areas, we look forward to maintaining these connections.

I would also like to thank those candidates from other political parties who let their names stand for election in the Steinbach Constituency and across the province. It is never an easy task to run for elected office and, regardless of the outcome, every candidate is to be congratulated.

On behalf of my wife Kim and my son Malachi thank you again for your words of encouragement and advise through the election campaign. I am honoured by your support and look forward to representing you in the Manitoba Legislature during this next term.