NDP calls for emergency session in legislature

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This article was published 07/01/2022 (1535 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The NDP is requesting the provincial government recall the legislative assembly in light of the surge of COVID-19 cases being reported in Manitoba every day.

On Thursday, Opposition house leader Nahanni Fontaine of the Manitoba NDP issued a statement directed at Premier Heather Stefanson asking for an emergency session of the legislature to be called ahead of the next scheduled session in March.

Speaking to the Sun by phone from Winnipeg, Fontaine said in the “extraordinarily uncertain and unfriendly times” Manitobans are in, the premier and the government should spend more time addressing the public’s concerns and being transparent about their decisions.

“It is in these moments of uncertainty and crisis that leadership should step up and assure citizens that they are 1) working, 2) making the best decisions to protect the lives of Manitobans and health-care infrastructure and 3) answer for the decisions or lack thereof they’ve been making,” Fontaine said.

Clarity around decision-making is especially important, she said, because of record case counts that are still underreporting the true number of new COVID-19 cases and because the health-care system is once again being stretched thin.

At one point during the pandemic, members of the government were briefing the public almost every day about COVID-19 developments until a lull after the last wave of the pandemic led to the number of briefings tapering off.

“We don’t see a premier going before the media every single day to answer, in a comprehensive and robust manner, the questions that the media/public are asking of their government,” Fontaine said.

“In fact, we’ve seen a premier that likes to ‘work behind the scenes.’ You can’t have leadership working behind the scenes in a time of crisis. That’s not what this moment in our collective history calls for. That’s why we’re calling for the government today to recall the house so that we can ask those questions that Manitobans are asking and wanting and needing answers to.”

Asked what the potential negative impacts of not recalling the legislature right now could be, Fontaine said Manitobans would continue to not get any of the answers they need to navigate the pandemic’s fourth wave and would continue living in uncertainty.

If the government decided not to recall the legislature, Fontaine said, Stefanson should be addressing the public day-in and day-out and provide support to emergency services workers, transit workers and health-care workers.

The Sun received a response from Government House Leader Kelvin Goertzen by email regarding the NDP’s demand.

“Government MLAs continue working, every day, on matters related to the pandemic as well as the many other issues important to Manitobans,” Goertzen stated.

“The Premier, members of her Cabinet, and health officials hold regular availabilities to keep the public informed about a variety of pandemic and non-pandemic related topics. Several Legislative committees are scheduled for next week and the work of Legislative Assembly itself continues. It is our hope that opposition members are committed to engaging in this important work as well.”

A spokesperson from Goertzen’s office added that over the holidays, representatives from the government spoke on Dec. 24, 27 and 29 and the premier had a media availability earlier this week.

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