View From the Legislature

This past week the federal Conservative government followed through on a promise made in 2011 to establish the Office of Religious Freedom.

In 2003 Mavis Taillieu and I were both rookie MLAs. She was the MLA for Morris and I was the MLA for Steinbach.

Residents of southeastern Manitoba know a thing or two about huts attached to schools. Many of our schools are overcrowded and in need of portable classrooms.

February is I Love To Read Month which is an annual month long celebration and promotion of reading.

Last week an article appeared in the Steinbach Carillon regarding Bill 18. This is legislation that has been brought forward in the Manitoba Legislature by the NDP government.

This past week marked an unfortunate occasion. It was the week that it became official that the NDP government has doubled the debt of the province since they came to office.

Last year when the NDP government racked up a record $1 billion deficit, Premier Greg Selinger went on a media tour saying over and over again that the massive deficit was simply the result of the 2011 spring flood.

Last month Premier Greg Selinger was ranked last among all Premiers in the country on financial management ability. No doubt that was a bit embarrassing for Manitoba’s former finance minister.

About a year after I was first elected, I remember hearing from a constituent who commented that it seemed to him that the only time he ever heard about issues in politics was when there was public backlash or controversy around an idea.

Many people who have looked at the rate of voter participation in Canadian elections have expressed concern that there is a problem.