Often Canadians feel that the only time they get to have their say in the direction of our country or the province that they live in is at election time. Being able to have your say only every four years doesn’t encourage a democratic discussion and it doesn’t result in the best decisions being made by political leaders.
My experience as an elected official is that the best ideas that have been put into place have come from individual Manitobans. Personally, I have benefited from the suggestions of many individual constituents. Some of their ideas have become policy or law in the province of Manitoba.
Democracy works best when there is an ongoing dialogue about the needs and the priorities of a province or the country. But it can be difficult to find ways to properly engage in that discussion. Because we feel that it is important to hear the priorities and views of Manitobans, the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Caucus has launched a new process to hear from Manitobans.
While this process is being spearheaded by the Manitoba P.C. Caucus, we want to hear from all Manitobans, regardless of which political party they support. It is intended to be a process inclusive of all Manitobans.
To begin the dialogue, a policy document entitled, “Building a Prosperity Blueprint:Real Targets- Measurable Results” was released last week and it contains discussion points on which feedback can be provided. The six policy areas which are discussed and on which we are seeking feedback are; bright futures for our children; strong, stable economy; smarter government; responsible resource development; patient-first healthcare; and safe and secure communities
The policy document and a means for interactive feedback are available at the website policyblueprint.ca
In addition to the website, we will be hosting a series of town hall meetings across the province to get direct feedback on the ideas that Manitobans have to build a better province.
Democracy isn’t intended to be a one-way street and it doesn’t work best when the input that citizens have is limited to only every four years. We look forward to hearing your ideas and your priorities as we work together to build a better province.
