Glover says she will ‘not settle for status quo’

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This article was published 29/10/2021 (1617 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the Progressive Conservative leadership race speeds toward the finish line, Shelly Glover wants the public to know that she is the candidate representing change.

Talking to the Sun Thursday morning, the former Conservative MP of Saint Boniface (now Saint Boniface-Saint Vital) and Winnipeg Police Service officer did not hesitate when describing how she would reshape and retool the provincial government as Manitoba’s first woman premier.

Throughout the campaign trail, Glover has said she’s taken to heart a lot of the comments that residents have thrown her way about what they see as dysfunction, which has plagued this current government and past administrations.

During her tour of the Westman region last month, the PC leadership hopeful encountered the same sentiment over and over again — that residents of rural communities felt completely abandoned by the province.

“I think about Cromer waiting for a pipeline to be put in. They can’t get any answers and they’ve talked about it for years now,” Glover said. “And I think about Russell. They’ve got a potash development plan and all they’re waiting for is signatures, and no one seems to be able to give them feedback as to why [those are] taking so long.”

If elected premier, Glover vows to not only tighten the lines of communication between the province and these municipalities but also make sure these various projects actually get off the ground.

“When I use the word ‘collaborate’ … it isn’t just about talking with people,” she said. “It’s about talking to people, hearing people and then actually doing something. It’s action. Collaboration does not exist without action. And that’s what’s been missing.”

Another major focus of Glover’s platform involves recognizing the importance of agriculture, both as a key element of Canada’s economy and as the lifeblood of many rural communities across Manitoba.

In fact, the 54-year-old believes agriculture should split off from resource development and become its own separate ministry with an increased focus on decentralizing these types of services.

“How many offices have closed in our rural communities?” Glover said. “If we continue along the path of centralization, we will [harm] our rural communities.”

The issue of vaccine mandates has generated a lot of controversy during Glover’s campaign. When asked about her first action as premier, Glover said she would talk to chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin and his team directly, hoping to provide public-sector workers with more options beyond the current health orders.

Right now, any public-sector employee dealing with vulnerable populations must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to rapid testing roughly three times a week.

While Glover is fully immunized and believes in the science behind the vaccine, she is also of the opinion that the parameters of the health orders should be expanded to accommodate workers who aren’t comfortable with this choice.

“Why can’t we also have a conversation about treatments, about the antibody tests, about making sure that our employees get their rapid test in private?” she said.

“Every time I’ve tried to have this conversation I’m called an ‘anti-vaxxer.’

“I do not believe in vaccine mandates that cost people jobs when we have other options that we could be looking at first.”

Having recently worked as an uncertified health-care aide, Glover said she knows the sacrifices these workers have made during the COVID-19 pandemic and doesn’t want to see them sidelined now that Manitoba is undergoing its fourth wave.

“For those who have dug their feet in, let’s find some answers, let’s find some solutions, let’s work with them,” she said.

Glover’s opponent in the leadership race, Heather Stefanson, has gained extensive experience in the realm of provincial politics since she was elected to the legislature in 2000, having spent time as deputy premier, minister of justice, minister of families, and most recently, minister of health.

However, Glover said her experience as a federal MP would translate to her role as Manitoba premier since she shouldered a lot of different responsibilities as the minister of Canadian heritage and official languages.

This included serving as a speaker for multiple ministers who were not fully bilingual and needed to make public announcements in both English and French.

“So I’m used to studying and being put on the spot and crunching. In crunch time, I’m a quick study,” Glover said. “I do expect a learning curve, but I know my abilities, and I’ve been very successful in the past.”

But more than anything, Glover wanted to tell Manitobans that things will not stay the same under her leadership, which she views as a necessity after watching the province’s various institutions buckle under the strain of the ongoing pandemic.

“I will not settle for the status quo,” she said. “The status quo has not worked, is not working, and the interest of Manitobans … that’s the priority.”

The Progressive Conservative election event is taking place from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at the Victoria Inn on Wellington Street in Winnipeg Saturday, though the times are subject to change depending on how the final vote count goes.

The event will be live-streamed on the party’s website at pcmanitoba.com/leadership.

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