The recent meeting of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in Nelson House at the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the election of Grand Chief Arlen Dumas has created an opportunity for action on Churchill.
The residents of Churchill are waiting for action. The people of Manitoba are waiting for action. Yet, the Premier of Manitoba, Mr. Pallister, instead of acting says he wants to wait when it comes to Churchill.
Mr. Pallister’s government has been characterized by waiting
and delays. The brain, mental health and
addictions initiative so touted during the election, will not even see a first
report on what the government might do until almost half way through the
government’s mandate in December 2017. The piecemeal, thousands of cuts approach, to
health care has created much uncertainty and poor morale within health
care. Even where announcements have
been made, like the badly thought out closing of the Misericordia Urgent Care
Centre, the physicians have waited months for clarification on how the
wonderful eye care team at the Misericordia Health Centre will be supported. The Premier campaigned to bring in a carbon tax,
but his statements to date have only created uncertainty. Furthermore, the Premier’s inability to work
cooperatively with the federal government has delayed funding for Manitoba for
mental health, for home care and in other areas.
Now, with the election of Arlen Dumas as the new Grand Chief
of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, there is a golden opportunity to act
quickly to resolve the impasse over the future of the Churchill rail line and
the Port of Churchill. I was at the recent
meeting of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in Nelson House at the
Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and had a chance to talk with many chiefs including
our new Grand Chief Arlen Dumas. He has
already spent a great deal of time on the situation of the Churchill rail line
and port. He is ready for action. But, he needs the province and the federal
government as partners. Mr. Pallister
was not at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs meeting. It is one of the most important political
forum’s in our province. People asked me
“Where is Mr. Pallister?” His absence
was noted.
Instead of delaying and waiting, Mr. Pallister needs to
act. Even federal Conservative MP,
Candice Bergen notes the vacuum created over the future of the port of
Churchill and the rail line to Churchill.
That vacuum is there in considerable measure because we have a Premier
who has done a great deal to create poor relations with the federal government
and is the only Premier who has not even been able to sign the Health Accord
and bring money for mental health and home care to Manitoba. It is time for Mr. Pallister to stop
waiting and starting working with others who want to make progress, others who want
a solution to the current waiting and delays over the future of Churchill, and who want to help, as quickly as possible, the residents of Churchill,
Jon, Railways are federally regulated and run. Jean Chretien sold the Churchill line to Omnitracks. Finally, the PM comes to MB. We expected him to take action, to benefit northern Manitobans. Instead of forcing the owner to fix the line, he announces a garden we do not need. The $35m which Justin announced for this garden could have fixed most of the rail line. How can you defend Ottawa doing nothing to help northern voters? Do you really care about Churchill?
ReplyDelete