Area Conservative MP Robert Sopuck needs to come clean with the people he represents — and even more so, he needs to start standing up for the families in his own back yard.
The truth is, through the recent federal budget, the federal Conservative government has frozen federal funding for key services like health care, for the third straight year, despite the growing need for care.
This means, provinces like ours are left on our own to deal with the increasing costs and demands in our health-care system, like hiring more doctors and nurses, reducing wait times and paying for rising drug costs.
Mr. Sopuck makes my point, that the federal government is giving us $3.4 billion in transfer payments, just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. He points to the reality that Manitoba’s transfers have flatlined. And under the current program, we do not anticipate any increases next year.
On top of flatlining transfers, they continue to offload the costs for First Nations health care onto the provinces, and they’re now offloading responsibilities for low income seniors with their changes to Old Age Security.
Our government knows there is nothing more important than having health care when you need it, a strong economy and educational opportunities for all. We’ll continue to make the investments that matter most to families while at the same time looking for creative ways to reduce spending to put more money into our schools and hospitals.
Manitobans can expect our government to put their family’s priorities first. I encourage Mr. Sopuck to start doing the same.
Stan Struthers
Manitoba Finance Minister
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition April 18, 2012
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Posted by:Deborah Boschman
April 19, 2012 at 12:20 PM
I believe that IF Finance Minister, Mr. Stan Struthers also REALLY truly WANTED to put families FIRST that he would NOT extend the province`s Sunday shopping hours.
The Lord`s Day Act was enacted as a day of REST for families.
The Lord`s Day Act was a day in which families had the opportunity and the time to INDEED put families first.
This was a day in which families had the OPPORTUNITY, the time and the ability to get together as a family, reconnect, rest their souls, their minds, their spirits, their bodies.
Germany is a country that is rapidly rising as a SUPER POWER across our world.
Not only is Germany environmentally becoming almost self-sufficient and independent upon it`s own green energy resources but Germany BANS MOST Sunday shopping!
I think that we are moving in a WRONG direction as a province by thinking that extending Sunday shopping hours is the panacea for all of our financial woes as a province and for getting us out of debt as a province.
I think that this decision is misguided and ill-thought out.
I think that IF Finance Minister, Stan Struthers TRULY PRACTICED what he is now preaching to the Federal Conservatives, that he would SCRAP the province`s idea/plan to extend Sunday shopping hours within our province.
Mr. Struthers, IF you also wish to stand up for families in your OWN backyard, I would strongly encourage you to SCRAP this idea by our province to extend Sunday shopping hours.
I`d personally like to see the Lord`s Day Act reinstated.