Provincial Politics in Manitoba

[jdobbin]

I heard the plan was to provide the local unemployed native population with jobs, however, they could not find enough that were willing to give up welfare for work in a hog barn.

Maple Leaf has a fair sized population of native workers as part of their workforce. They employ 1,300 people.

The problem is turnover due to injuries. These injuries plague every every meat plant in the world.

Brandon, at 45,000 people, has pretty much employed every Brandon person that wanted a job there. Now, the plant, like plants in Alberta, has to go to Mexico to attract workers.

[Riverwind]

The problem is turnover due to injuries. These injuries plague every every meat plant in the world.

That would actually explain why a reasonable person might turn down a job in meat packing plant.

[blueblood]

The problem is turnover due to injuries. These injuries plague every every meat plant in the world.

That would actually explain why a reasonable person might turn down a job in meat packing plant.

They might have to offer higher wages to attract people. Heaven forbid a person not educated at a university get a decent wage!

[jdobbin]

That would actually explain why a reasonable person might turn down a job in meat packing plant.

It certainly isn't a job for everyone. I think within six months the plant turned over 1300 staff. It continues to turn over people due to physical injuries as cuts, dislocated shoulders and elbows but it also loses people to Winnipeg and other major cities in the west where a larger variety of jobs exist.

Meat packing plants have always required a willing immigrant population working them. It has only been in recent years that major companies have located plants to smaller cities. It was a poor strategy that saved start-up costs but left them with the steady stream of workers that a large city has.

[jdobbin]

They might have to offer higher wages to attract people. Heaven forbid a person not educated at a university get a decent wage!

I can't disagree about wages. It still wouldn't be a job that everyone wanted or could handle for thirty years of their life.

[blueblood]

They might have to offer higher wages to attract people. Heaven forbid a person not educated at a university get a decent wage!

I can't disagree about wages. It still wouldn't be a job that everyone wanted or could handle for thirty years of their life.

neither are the oil rigs, if they are taking jobs away, the jobs here have to compete

[jdobbin]

There has been a flurry of announcements by the NDP government the last several days. You can smell an election in the air. The Tories have been nominating candidate after candidate (lots of women recruited recently).

The Blue Bombers know when to strike while the iron is hot. They've got two credible new stadium proposals from Canad Inns and from CanWest and David Asper.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=190695

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/20...dium-study.html

For every positive piece of news in Manitoba there has been a step back in the last year. Provincial immigration is way up because of the federal nominee program. However, Class A space in the downtown has a rising vacancy rate because there are no businesses to replace the ones leaving.

The NDP is spending madly but there are just so many areas that have been neglected over the years such as highways. Winnipeg itself is starved for cash and is increasing water and sewer rates twice this year because of the crumbling infrastructure and need for treatment plants.

The NDP government support has fallen and might have fallen more if not for a sub-par performance by the Conservative opposition.

Beyond Gary Doer's leadership and charisma, it is hard to see what the future ahead is for the NDP. It is uncertain whether he will run again. Doer probably recollects that former PC Premier Gary Filmon went one time to many to the well trying to win a third majority. Most Manitoba governments last two terms.

The next election in Manitoba needs to chart out some goals. It is unfortunate that every business prospect in Manitoba seems to need provincial loans or investment to guarantee it goes ahead. Hopefully, a new government will establish a new confidence and attract business investment and growth opportunities.

[madmax]

The next election in Manitoba needs to chart out some goals. It is unfortunate that every business prospect in Manitoba seems to need provincial loans or investment to guarantee it goes ahead. Hopefully, a new government will establish a new confidence and attract business investment and growth opportunities.

I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge that it takes courage to lay it on the line like you did in 1988.

(x)Maureen Hemphill (NDP) 2646

John Dobbin (L) 1660

Linda Thomson (PC) 1085

Barry Marchand (Ind) 81

Frank Goldspink (Comm) 46

I read in Wiki, that this was the Year the NDP plummetted and the Liberals took up the slack. Great gains for the party that year even if the PCs won the government.

So what's your take, time to run again

[jdobbin]

I thought I would take a moment to acknowledge that it takes courage to lay it on the line like you did in 1988.

I read in Wiki, that this was the Year the NDP plummetted and the Liberals took up the slack. Great gains for the party that year even if the PCs won the government.

So what's your take, time to run again

Thanks.

Probably not this year. My wife and I both returned to school for retraining. She is done, I still have a year to go. I'll be helping out for sure though in the election.

Gary Doer's personal charisma has kept the the NDP from falling further. This past year has seen many of his supporters get quite upset about the losses from the Crocus labour fund. It is still unresolved and union people and others are steamed. Infrastructure has emerged as a huge issue and the government has kicked in millions this year. A lot of that construction is still another season away from happening and there is so much to do that people will still see broken bridges, awful roads and the like for some time to come.

I don't know how the new Tory leader is doing personally. Manitoba's legislature sits so little and the media coverage is tiny.

The Liberals have a leader who is not super charismatic nor a huge organizer. The Liberals have only two seats and I don't see any big gains for them. It will all come down to Winnipeg suburbs and how angry some of the residents are going to get about crumbling roads and services. This is where the Tories could make gains.

[Melanie_]

The problem is that the politicians here are stagnant. Doer hasn't done a stellar job, but there is no one really to challenge him. Hugh McFayden (Conservative leader) is my MLA, but he still seems like a non entity to me. I've lost money on Crocus, and I'm pi$$ed about that, but I just don't see a viable option in the Tories, and of course the provincial Liberals aren't even on the radar.

[geoffrey]

What, may I ask, is Crocus?

[Melanie_]

Crocus is an RRSP mutual fund set up to promote investment in Manitoba. Investments were mismanaged, scandal ensued, people lost lots of money, bitterness abounds, nothing is settled yet. I'm one of those trusting people who put money into it.

[jdobbin]

What, may I ask, is Crocus?

It is the Crocus Labour Investment Fund. It went belly-up. The Tories had warned two years before that there might be problems with it but the NDP dismissed it.

I lost $2000 in the fund. Lots of Manitobans have lost money and may lose it all. The NDP is hoping to go into the next election before the fund is wound up.

[jdobbin]

The problem is that the politicians here are stagnant. Doer hasn't done a stellar job, but there is no one really to challenge him. Hugh McFayden (Conservative leader) is my MLA, but he still seems like a non entity to me. I've lost money on Crocus, and I'm pi$$ed about that, but I just don't see a viable option in the Tories, and of course the provincial Liberals aren't even on the radar.

The Liberals just lost a high profile candidate to the Tories in Kirkfield Park.

I think Jon Gerrard is a decent man. He just isn't strong enough to breakthrough to Manitobans.

[geoffrey]

What, may I ask, is Crocus?

It is the Crocus Labour Investment Fund. It went belly-up. The Tories had warned two years before that there might be problems with it but the NDP dismissed it.

I lost $2000 in the fund. Lots of Manitobans have lost money and may lose it all. The NDP is hoping to go into the next election before the fund is wound up.

Is this a mandatory CPP type deal? Or does one choose to invest in it?

There is really no detail on the web about it... just that it's in receivership and that is managed by Deloitte.

How is this blamed on the government? I'm assuming it was a Crown managed type dealy?

So many questions, I'm suprised I haven't heard of this before. Could be some prime case material for school... especially since it seems so unique.

[jdobbin]

Is this a mandatory CPP type deal? Or does one choose to invest in it?

There is really no detail on the web about it... just that it's in receivership and that is managed by Deloitte.

How is this blamed on the government? I'm assuming it was a Crown managed type dealy?

So many questions, I'm suprised I haven't heard of this before. Could be some prime case material for school... especially since it seems so unique.

Labour funds exist all over the country and they are regulated by the provinces. You get a double tax credit from the feds and the province. It is not a Crown.

John Loewen, formerly of the PCs, brought up concerns that the fund was not being properly managed and was basically shot down by the NDP and to an extent, his own party. The NDP did nothing to investigate and even more investors got taken to the cleaners.

The NDP has done everything it can to stop an investigation of who is responsible. Many, many NDP supporters lost money in this. Many investors in general have lost money. The provincial government was responsible for oversight.

[BubberMiley]

John Loewen, formerly of the PCs, brought up concerns that the fund was not being properly managed and was basically shot down by the NDP and to an extent, his own party.

By "to an extent," don't you mean "primarily?" After meeting with Crocus Tory supporters, Stuart Murray publicly chastized Loewen, saying the accusations were completely unfounded, and stripped him of his critic responsibilities.

[jdobbin]

By "to an extent," don't you mean "primarily?" After meeting with Crocus Tory supporters, Stuart Murray publicly chastized Loewen, saying the accusations were completely unfounded, and stripped him of his critic responsibilities.

The NDP and the Crocus piled on first with accusations of libel although he brought it up in the Legislature and is protected in what he says there.

The PCs did completely pull the rug out from under him when prominent Tories at Wellington West and elsewhere told Murray to sack him.

I do blame both parties for the loss of my money. I blame the NDP first though because they were the government and did have oversight of Crocus.

Stuart Murray is gone. Gary Doer, if for no other reason, should take his lumps on Crocus but he won't. He won't even investigate. Many NDP have lost money and are close to retirement or retired and want to know if they will ever get money back. They could take their revenge in the election.