Candidates debate aboriginal issues

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This article was published 31/03/2016 (3780 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The six candidates hoping to represent the Wheat City at the Manitoba legislature traded barbs and talking points before an audience of about 30 people at an aboriginal issues debate at the Mahkaday Ginew Memorial Centre on Wednesday.

Brandon Friendship Centre adult education co-ordinator Lyndon Bournon said the debate was a chance for First Nation’s people in particular to put the candidates on the hot seat.

Linda Ross, flying the NDP banner in Brandon West, set the tone in her opening remarks, thanking the friendship centre for hosting the debate and providing its education and housing services.

“I would just quietly remind you that funding to some of these programs was previously cut when the Tories formed government last,” she said.

The man she’s hoping to unseat, Progressive Conservative incumbent Reg Helwer, told the crowd the election boils down to a referendum on Greg Selinger.

“He and all his candidates promised they would not raise taxes…after the election they raised taxes and fees every year,” he said during his opening.

“Now they are promising just about everything and anything to everyone."

That spurred Helwer’s Brandon East counterpart, NDP incumbent Drew Caldwell to respond in his opening statement.

“I wasn’t going to be too partisan until I heard Reg’s remarks,” he said before returning to Ross’s Friendship Centre remarks and calling the PC decision a“grievouswrong.”

“Thecompositionand makeup of our party is reflective of our communities,” he said, listing off the First Nations andMétis NDP members.

The first of six questions asked had to do with the candidates’ plans on implementing aboriginal history, culture and tradition in the provincialeducationsystem.

“We need to ensure that when we look at educational opportunities, that we meet with the parties that are involved. We need to be inclusive. We need to make sure that the programs and services that the government comes up with are effective where they need to be effective,” said Brandon East PC candidate Len Isleifson, who previously said he takes two days to prepare for debates.

Brandon West Liberal candidate Billy Moore, the only aboriginal candidate in Brandon, said his‘Love and harmony’ platform plank can be applied to the question.

“How can an aboriginal go to school and be looked down upon by their fellow students? I’d rather see them come out hand-in-hand,” he said.

Brandon city Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser), a health and wellness co-ordinator withManitoba Métis Federation, told candidates the MMF wants to see an“integrated health approach,” and asked if the candidates would commit to a“core funding” for an MMF health strategy.

Ross said the NDP would supply funding, butHelwer said the PCs couldn’t commit because “how deep the hole is in there, that the NDP have created.”

“Income and poverty is the main determinant of health so we can reconfigure a health-care system over and over again, we can make it smaller, we can make it bigger, we can make it a health authority — make it whatever. If we don’t address the main, root cause of ill health, we’re going to be getting the same results,”Brandon East Liberal hopeful Vanessa Hamilton responded.

MMF vice-president Leah LaPlante asked how each proposed government will foster relationships between aboriginal people and businesses.

Both Isleifson and Hamilton said key is forming community partnerships.

“I worked in community development since 2004, so that is the key to success — we shouldn’t be working in silos,” Hamilton said.

Jason Gobeil, aboriginal community co-ordinator for the Brandon Urban Aboriginal People’s Council, asked what the candidates would do to support aboriginal economic development, specifically in southwestern Manitoba and Brandon.

“We want to focus on sustainabledevelopment, we want to focus on growing the economizes and we do that by promoting economic opportunities," said Isleifson.

Ross noted the NDP has overseen the creation of three First Nations-run casinos that see all revenues, in excess of $50 million, go back to the First Nations.

The fifth question dealt with the candidates’ intentions on addressing mental health.

“I think the single greatest thing we can do is continue to invest in our justice institutions, our schools …often times mental health issues start in our school years. the more support we can give toprofessionalsin our public school system, we’re going to be able toidentifyissues before they get full-blown,” Caldwell said.

The final question, to which all candidates had few answers, touched on dental care.

Moore, who whose candidacy was confirmed by Elections Manitoba less than a day before the debate, admitted on severaloccasionshe didn’t have answers to some of the questions asked.

“I’m very green right now but I assure you I will have more answers as I go along,” Moore said.

DebateorganizerLyndon Bournon noted that he had been contact by a representative from the Manitoba Party, asking if they could send a representative, but no one from the party showed up to the debate.Riel Langlois moderated the forum.

It’s far from the last time the candidates will square off: four debates or forums remain on the books for Brandon candidates. The next isTuesday, April 5, when theBrandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is hosting a debate on housing and poverty issuesat The Town Centre food court at 2 p.m.

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