Skip to main content

Manitoba government needs to better support local organizations and local professionals on the front-lines of the battle against Covid-19


Today, Manitoba Liberals put out a press release calling for the provincial government to better support local organizations in Manitoba in the effort to address the Covid-19 pandemic.  Our press release is below. 

More Half-Measures: PCs Ignoring Local Mental Health Providers in COVID-19 Crisis
WINNIPEG - The Pallister Government is making a mistake by offering $4.5-million to an Ontario based HR company to provide mental health services to Manitobans instead of funding qualified mental health providers in Manitoba. 
Today at a press conference, Premier Brian Pallister announced the Manitoba Government will spend $4.5-million to Morneau Shepell, an Ontario-based HR company, for a hotline that won’t be ready for weeks.  
“That $4.5-million would be better spent to fund community mental health supports - like Aulneau Centre, KLINIC, MATC, St. Boniface Street Links, and other Manitoba service providers. They could be providing mental health services by phone in days, not weeks,” said Lamont. 
Lamont said the mental health announcement is just the latest in a series of half-measures announced by a PC government that has to date done nothing to reassure workers and businesses that the Manitoba Government will act to spare them from economic devastation.  
Every other province has announced significant measures to help workers and businesses alike. The Pallister Government has done nothing. 
Lamont said the Manitoba Government needs to step up and address the issues that are making Manitobans anxious and depressed: lost income, lost jobs and lost business.  
“Let’s be clear: one of the reasons that people are feeling stressed and anxious is that they are facing losing their jobs and their businesses. The government needs to step up and say ‘we are going to make sure you get through this.’ Pallister is the only Premier in Canada who hasn’t done that,” said Lamont.
Manitoba Liberals have called for the PCs to release an economic update; called for a suspension of evictions; called for a return to 90-day prescriptions to keep Manitobans out of pharmacy line-ups; called for the Province to support small business and Early Childhood Education workers. 
To date, the PCs have suspended evictions, but little else. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March.  South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory.   The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions.   This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14.  Manitoba ( red line )  started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then.   South Dakota ( blue line )   has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4.  Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations

Pushing for safe consumption sites and safe supply to reduce overdose deaths

  On Monday June 20th, Thomas Linner of the Manitoba Health Coalition, Arlene Last-Kolb Regional Director of Moms Stop the Harm and Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins were at the Manitoba Legislature to advocate for better measures to reduce deaths from drug overdoses, most particularly for safe consumption sites and for a safe supply, measures which can reduce overdose deaths.  

Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

  Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020   (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: ·          We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. ·            We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted.  ·          We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to   improve ventilati...