If they’re re-elected, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives (PC) promised on Monday (Sept 18) to spend $120-million over the next four years to recruit health-care workers – and $10-million for a new First Nations-operated addiction centre.
The New Democrats (NDP) pledged to add more beds at Grace Hospital in Winnipeg to reduce emergency room wait times, and promised to tackle the surgical backlog by consulting with
surgeons and implementing their ideas.
During a radio debate earlier on Monday, PC leader Heather Stefanson, NDP leader Wab Kinew and Liberal leader Dougald Lamont all said they were not in favour of including mandatory addiction treatment in their platforms.
Stefanson said her party is looking at a preventive model and doesn’t support sending drug users to treatment without their consent – Kinew said supervised consumption sites should be considered – while Lamont said involuntary drug treatment doesn’t work in the long run.
Manitobans head to the polls on October 3rd.
(With files from The Canadian Press)
