Liberal Platform (2008)

8/7/2019 Liberal Platform (2008)

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Liberal Party o Canada

Platorm 2008

ACTION PLAN FOR

MANITOBA


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Letter rom Liberal Leader Stphane DionIn this election, Manitobans and Canadians havea choice between two very dierent visions or

Canada. Our priorities as Liberals are clear:

We want to ensure that Canadians are treated

airly and equally so that we can all share in

the wealth o our great country.

We want to improve Canadians standard o

living with education and training programs

to better provide or themselves and their

amilies, as well as build on Manitobas exist-ing strengths and key industries.

We are committed to building new and saer

communities by helping municipalities und

their inrastructure needs, and by strengthen-

ing and reorming the Youth Justice System

while investing in social development, and

We are committed to bringing Canadians into

greater harmony with our environment - with

real action on climate change and on clean

water or Lake Winnipeg.

On every one o these issues, we dier rom

the Conservatives not just in ideology, but in

practice.

As Liberals, we are committed to solutions that

work. And we are also the only party that can

bring these solutions to bear or the good o thecountry.

We hope that you will show your support or

our vision or Manitoba by supporting your local

Liberal candidate. Together, we will build a more

prosperous and greener Manitoba.

Stphane Dion

Page - Liberal Party of Canada Manitoba Platform 2008

Letter rom Manitoba Liberal Candidates and Caucus

With the Action Plan or Manitoba, we have setout what we as candidates want to accomplish

in Ottawa on behal o our constituents ater

the next election.

This is an important election. There are sharp

dierences between the plans Liberals and

Conservatives have or Canadians. To our con-

stituents, we want to emphasize that your vote

will make a dierence not just or your amily,

or Winnipeg and or Manitoba, but or uture

generations. To Manitobans, we say:

I you want armers, (and not Stephen Harper)

to decide the uture o the Canadian Wheat

Board

I you want new aordable child care spaces

I you want action on Climate Change now,

instead o never

I you want action on cleaning up Lake Win-

nipeg now, instead o never

I you want to ensure that First Nations, Mtisand Inuit children get the same chance at

education and training as the other Canadi-

ans

I you want ederal unding to x our streets

and bridges and build community recreation

centres

I you want real action to prevent crime and

crack down on violent and repeat young o-

enders

I you want a national government that willkeep the ood supply sae

There is only one way to make it happen: to

vote Liberal, because Stphane Dion is the only

person who can replace Stephen Harper as

Prime Minister.


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Liberal Platform 2008

Action Plan or ManitobaTable of Contents

Government That Makes A Diference

Delivering On Afordable Child Care & Accessible Health Care

and Promoting Equality For Women 4

New Investments In Aboriginal Communities

Education, Training, Health Care And Housing 5

Building Manitobas Economy

Enhancing Training, Education, Immigration And Innovation 6

Supporting Key Manitoba Industries

And Pursuing A Prudent Fiscal Policy 7

Supporting Agriculture, Agri-Business & Rural Manitoba 8

Deending Manitobas Role As A Player

In The Global Grain Market 9

Service & Growth For The North 10

Community Renewal: Cities And Towns

Crack Down on Guns And Gangs and

A Renewed Focus On Prevention And Policing 11

Making Communities Saer & Stronger With Afordable Housing;

Fixing And Building Urban Inrastructure 12

Action On The Environment

Enhancing Manitobas Role In Combating Climate Change 13

Protecting Our Lakes And Rivers & Expanding

And Exporting Manitobas Green Energy 14

Liberal Candidates or Member o Parliament 15

Liberal Party of Canada Manitoba Platform 2008 - Page


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GOVERNMENT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCEDELIVERING ON AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE & ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE

PROMOTING EQUALITY FOR WOMEN

Providing Support for Families

Aordable early childhood education is a win-win or children, amilies and the community.

It provides children with a sae and nurturing

environment, rees up parents to work and

earn more money or their amily.

A Liberal government will:

Cut personal income taxes by up to 10%under the Green Shit

Create 165,000 aordable child care spaces

across Canada, with a minimum o 6,600

spaces in Manitoba over the next our years

Provide the option o extending parental

leave up to 18 months

Implement a national 30/50 poverty re-

duction strategy to reduce the number o

people living in poverty by 30% and thenumber o children living in poverty by 50%

in ve years

Introduce a new universal child tax credit or

every child under 18 that wont be clawed

back and maintain the $100 a month child

benet.

Create a new Guaranteed Family Supple-

ment or the poorest amilies with children,

worth $1,225 a year

HEALTHCARE

The Liberal Party is dedicated to saeguarding

quality, aordable and accessible healthcare

or everyone.

Manitoba Liberal Members o Parliament will:

Ensure support or hospitals and researchunding at major teaching centres such as

the St. Boniace Hospital and the Health Sci-

ences Centre

Shorten wait times and improve access to

amily doctors through the Doctors and

Nurses und, that could be worth$16.8-million to Manitoba. The und willund training, reward medical proessionals

who practise in areas where there are short-

ages as well as speeding up the process

or recognizing oreign credentials o new

Canadians

Provide $36-million or a Catastrophic Drug

Fund or Canadians suering rom cancer,

diabetes, and arthritis

Make the Disability Tax Credit reundable

Promoting Equality for Women

The Liberal Party o Canada is the only politi-

cal party to commit to elding and supporting

a minimum o one third emale candidates

in this election the baseline to ensuring

more women are successul in representing

Canadians in the House o Commons, and we

surpassed this goal. Fully 50% o the Liberal

candidates in Manitoba are women.

Manitoba Liberal MPs will ensure equal access

to resources and services in every region o thecountry. They will:

Fund regional services provided by the

Status o Women

Fund the Court Challenges Program

Establish programs that provide real eco-nomic security or women, especially those

with children and the elderly

Enhance support or training, education and

entrepreneurship through Womens Enter-prise Centres, Community Futures and other

organizations

Equality, and a commitment to airness

is a core Liberal value

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:

The Conservatives

Cancelled an exist-

ing afordable Child

Care agreement to

provide $176 million

to the province oManitoba.

Slashed spending

by $1-billion - includ-ing cutting pro-grams to promote

adult literacy, equal-

ity or women, and

smoking cessation

programs or First

Nations .

Eliminated the

Canadian Court

Challenges Pro-

gram, headquar-

tered in Winnipeg,

which helps ensure

that Canadians are

being treated airly

and equally by theFederal Government

under the Charter o

Rights.

The program makes

it aordable or

individuals and

groups - includingthe disabled - to chal-

lenge the govern-

ment in court to ulll

its obligations to allCanadians.


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The Aboriginal population in Manitoba is large,

young, and growing. They deserve equal ac-

cess to educational and employment opportu-

nities enjoyed by all Canadians.

Currently, spending per student in on-reserveSchools in Manitoba is much less than it is or

students in provincially-unded schools. In

order to improve high school graduation rates

- which are major indicator o uture earning

power - this and other inequities must be ad-

dressed.

There is also a pressing need to address access

to services or urban aboriginal populations.

A Liberal government will:

Bring back the Kelowna Accord, investing

$2-billion over our years

Provide a $150 per person Green Rural

Credit

Sign and Ratiy the UN Declaration o the

Risgts o Indigenous Peoples

Manitoba Liberal MPs will work to:

Expand the Aboriginal Head-start Program

Move quickly to move orward with the

renewal o the Aboriginal Human Resource

Development Agreement (AHRDA) pro-

gram or skills training and developmentor aboriginal Canadians with additional

ocus on training or women

Ensure that the reinstated Early Education

& Child Care Agreements provide equitableunding or on-reserve programming

Ensure that education unding or students

on-reserve is comparable to educational

unding or students in the Manitoba edu-

cation system

Make housing a priority - both on and o-

reserve

Improve unding or Aboriginal post-

secondary students in order to meet the

needs o the growing population

Provide skills training and development,

apprenticeship programs and access to dis-

tance learning post-secondary programs

Establish, in partnership with First Nations:

A Northern Aboriginal Resource

Benets Strategy through consulta-

tions with aboriginal communities on

national resource and other develop-

ments. This would include the alloca-

tion o the necessary resources toprovide or meaningul and eective

consultation.

A Northern Manitoba Development

and Training Initiative

A Northern Transportation System

Plan to address rail and road system

requirements o northern and remote

communities

A Northern Healthy Foods Guaran-

tee that ensures that milk and other

healthy oods are aordable

A Northern Energy Strategy that will

identiy and invest in a comprehensive

package o energy conservation, re-

newable energy supplies and transmis-

sion systems or northern and remotecommunities

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:Although the

Aboriginal popula-

tion o Manitoba has

been steadily increas-ing, the Conservative

government cut

unding to Aborigi-

nals in Manitoba,

who ace some o the

greatest social and

economic challenges

in Canada.

The Kelowna Accord

was a $5-billion

agreement between

the Federal Govern-

ment, provinces and

territories that would

have increased und-ing to First Nations

in key areas: educa-

tion, health care, and

housing.

The Accord would

have had a signi-

cant positive impact

in Manitoba - and anestimated $750-mil-

lion in unding - but

it was scrapped by

the Conservatives

as soon as they took

oce.

New Investments in Aboriginal Social& Economic DevelopmentEducation, Training, Health Care and Housing

GOVERNMENT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCENEW INVESTMENTS IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES


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Improving Immigration

to ManitobaManitoba Liberal MPs will:

Work with the Province o Manitoba and

Business Council to increase the number

o new immigrants to Winnipeg rom

10,000 to 20,000 a year.

Provide additional unding to increase

the number o skilled workers coming to

Manitoba through the Provincial Nominee

program.

Review consular services abroad to improve

wait times and to reduce the incidence oraud

Review the Temporary Foreign Workers

program to improve fexibility, transparency

and eciency and work with the province

to implement saeguards so that workers

cannot be exploited by potential employers

once they are in Canada

Petition the U.S. to open a visa oce closer

to Winnipeg

Create a stronger, more timely and ecient

amily reunication system

Work with the provinces to speed the recog-

nition o the credentials o oreign-trained

proessionals

A Liberal Government will spend $800-million

to streamline and clear backlogs in the immi-gration process:

$400 million to process applications more

eciently and support the admission o

signicantly more permanent residents toCanada.

$200 million in New Beginnings Canada to

help newcomers master the language nec-

essary to get jobs that match their qualica-tions

$200 million or Bridge to Work- a new initia-

tive that will better prepare newcomers or

the workplace through the use o intern-ships, mentorship and work placement

opportunities, and that will provide direct

nancial support to assist oreign-trained

doctors and other proessionals in obtaining

their Canadian qualications

Implement an expeditious reugee determi-

nation system

Education and YouthManitoba Liberals will:

Replace tax credits with an Education

Grant payable to each student every three

months. When combined with the GST

rebate renewed by most students will get

$1,000

Improve access or low-income studentswith 8,000 bursaries o $3,500 a year

Improve access or students rom underrep-

resented groups with 4,000 grants o up to$4,000 a year

Assure every student is eligible or a loan o

$5,000

Guarantee lower interest rates on student

loans, extend the grace period on loans and

make it interest-ree, and extend the repay-

ment period. Assist universities with inrastructure costs

Promoting Innovation

Innovation is the key to economic growth in

Manitoba, Canada and around the world. A

Liberal Government will

Create tax initiatives or research, develop-

ment and innovation

Increase support or university research

chairs in the elds o both applied and pure

research.

Provide greater support or higher educa-

tion, including the University o Manitoba,

the University o Winnipeg, Brandon Univer-sity, Collge universitaire de Saint-Boniace,

and Red River College

Fiscal Policy

BUILDING MANITOBAS ECONOMYENHANCING TRAINING, EDUCATION, IMMIGRATION AND INNOVATION

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:Manitobas unem-

ployment rate is

going up.

The Conservatives

have hurt Manitoba

by cancelling training

and education pro-grams that helped

workers upgrade

their skills and

incomes, and helpedaddress a labour

shortage acing so

many Manitoba busi-nesses.

They also chose

Canadian literacy

week to announce

they had slashed

unding or commu-

nity-based literacy

programs


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Support for Key Industries

in ManitobaLiberals will create a $1-billion Advanced

Manuacturing Fund, to help manuacturers

modernize and go green. Manitoba Liberal

MPs will support key growth industries inManitoba, including:

The Life Sciences industry, by building uponthe critical mass established in Manitoba un-

der previous Liberal governments. We will:

Develop Bio-Med City by oering sup-

port or growth in the key research acili-ties, including the St. Boniace Hospital and

the U o M Health Sciences Centre cam-

puses

Enhance unding or a new pod and o-

ce building at the Virology Lab

Support the growth and approve the

designation o the Public Health Agency o

Canada in Winnipeg

Agribusiness and Agriculture, by buildingon Winnipegs role as a centre or producing

and marketing agricultural products, as wellas encouraging the development o value-

added industry.

The Aerospace Industry, by encouraging in-

vestment in technology and human resources

and by promoting the development o aneducated and highly skilled workorce, and

ensuring the ederal government respects

the Canada Labour Code.

The Transportation Industry, by workingto establish Winnipeg as a centre or logis-tics and transportation on the North-South

and East-West axes and by supporting the

improvement o transportation and commu-

nications inrastructure, and work with the

Province o Manitoba to designate Winnipeg

as an Inland Port.

Liberals oppose Air Canadas recent decision

to close its Winnipeg Flight Attendants base.Manitoba Liberals will ght to keep transpor-

tation jobs in the province

The arts and culture sector, by assuringsupport or the Canada Arts Council and our

national broadcaster and by providing stable

industry support or other local cultural insti-

tutions and activities, such as our museums,

art galleries and estivals and the Royal Winni-peg Ballet. We will also work to complete the

vision o the Canadian Museum or HumanRights that began with Israel Asper, and was

launched with unding provided by a Liberal

government.

Sound scal management or Canadians,

including uture generations, is a cornerstone

o Liberal policy. New programming will be -nanced through shared economic growth and

prosperity, not new taxes. A Liberal Govern-

ment is committed to:

Using the Green Shit to levy a tax-revenue

neutral carbon tax on polluters, and usingthat revenue to:

Lower personal income taxes by up to 10%

Reduce the small business tax rom 10% to

11% and

Shrink the corporate tax rate to 14% by 2013.

In order to secure Canadas scal stability,we will restore the $3-billion contingency

reserve that was eliminated by the Conser-

vatives

Reduce corporate taxes to enhance interna-

tional competitiveness and uel the Cana-dian economic engine

Encourage Manitoba to harmonize its sales

tax.

Liberals recognize that in order to deliver strong

social programs, we need to support a strong

and growing market economy

- Stphane Dion

BUILDING MANITOBAS ECONOMYSUPPORTING KEY MANITOBA INDUSTRIES

AND PURSUING A PRUDENT FISCAL POLICY

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:

The Conservatives

promised not to tax

income trusts, then

broke their word,

wiping out

$25 billion rom theretirement and in-

vestment portolios

o Canadians.

The Finance Minis-

ter told internation-al investors to avoid

Ontario, which to-

gether with Quebec

has lost hundreds othousands o jobs

in manuacturing

since the Conserva-

tives took over.


8/16


Agriculture, Food Safety and Food Security

Manitobas economy and its heritage beginswith our agricultural communities. We pro-

duce some o the best quality ood and have

some o the most ecient producers in the

world. Our armers are increasingly diversiy-

ing into non-ood products and niche markets.

We must ensure that Canada retains control

over the security o its ood supply and that

our arm amilies are given air compensationor their contribution to our economy.

We will also strengthen the Government o

Canadas ood saety inspection regime soamilies know the ood they serve their ami-

lies is sae to eat.

A New Centre of Excellence for

the Grain Industry

Agriculture is not only important to rural Mani-

toba but also to the City o Winnipeg. As the

home o many o Canadas major grain com-

panies, Winnipeg is the hub o the westernCanadian grain industry. The Manitoba Liberal

Team is committed to establishing a Centre or

Excellence or the Canadian grain industry. Thenew Centre will:

Bring together a number o research groups

that are currently supported by the Govern-

ment o Canada e.g., The Canadian Grain

Commission, the Canadian International

Grain Institute, the Canadian Malt Barley

Technical Centre, the Cereal Research Centre

and the Canadian Wheat Board

Serve as a customer-centred research and

resource organization that will address the

needs o the Canadian grain industry

Complement the ood and health research

being done at both the ederally unded

Richardson Centre or Functional Foods and

Nutraceuticals and the National Centre or

Agri-Food Research in Medicine at St. Boni-

ace Hospital.

Support for FarmersImproving and expanding arm saety net

programs to meet the needs o agriculture

producers in raising income levels and provide

a reasonable return or investment and labour

WORKING WITH PRIMARY PRODUCERS TO

COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Reducing the agricultural production o meth-

ane and nitrous oxide can make a tremendouscontribution to the reduction o Greenhouse

Gases (GHGs). Manitoba Liberal MPs will work

towards:

Maintaining/reinstating the climate changeprograms within Agriculture Canada

Enhance these programs with an imple-

mentation and compliance strategy that

provides a measure o greenhouse gasreductions associated with new agricultural

initiatives

Incorporate climate change adaptation

strategies into the Canadian Adaptation and

Rural Development und ramework

Provide support or undergraduate and

graduate programs that provide practical

training or site-specic problems, including

erosion control, adaptive land use strategies

BUILDING MANITOBAS ECONOMYSUPPORTING AGRICULTURE, AGRI-BUSINESS & RURAL MANITOBA

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:The attempt to dis-

mantle the Canadian

Wheat Board posesa serious threat to

grain armers, espe-

cially small arms and

or producers who

live ar rom the U.S.

Border.

The elimination

o climate changeprograms rom

Agriculture Canada

means the loss o a

tremendous tool to

work collaboratively

with primary produc-

ers to combat climatechange.

While announcing

public recalls o prod-

ucts deemed threats

to public health, theConservatives were

quietly dismantling

Canadas ood saetyand inspection sys-

tem by taking inspec-

tor o the foor. Since

this occurred, there

have been two major

outbreaks o listerio-

ises in both meat andcheeses.


9/16


The Canadian Wheat BoardLiberals strongly support the retention o the

single desk authority o the Canadian Wheat

Board unless and until farmers choose

otherwise, under a fair and transparent

process.

The Wheat Board creates some our hun-

dred jobs in Manitoba and xes Winnipeg

as the centre o the Canadian grain industry

through its numerous spin-os.

The success o the Wheat Board is also instru-

mental to the success o the Port o Churchilland the Hudson Bay Rail Line, both o which

are highly dependent upon grain movement

by the Board.

Manitoba Liberal MPs will:

Strengthen legislation to protect the Cana-

dian Wheat Board and protect its democrati-

cally elected directors rom political interer-

ence.

Improve and expand the Canadian Agricul-

ture Income Stability (CAIS) program to meetthe needs o agriculture producers in raising

income levels and providing a reasonable

return or investment and labour.

The Canadian Grain Commission

Recent Conservative changes to the Cana-

dian Grain Commission will result in a loss

o over 200 high-salary head-oce jobs inManitoba.

These losses, combined with the attempts

to gut the Canadian Wheat Board, have put

the status o Winnipeg as a North American

grain centre and a hub or the grain industry

in jeopardy.

Manitoba Liberal MPs will act to preserve

the status and role o the Commission in

Winnipeg and enhance Winnipegs positionin Agri-business.

LOSING THE CWB: WHATS AT RISK FOR MANITOBA

The Conservatives handling o the Canadian

Wheat Board and the Canadian Grains Com-

mission is putting one o Manitobas key eco-

nomic clusters - the grain industry - at risk.

The Winnipeg Chamber o Commerce has

been quite clear about their concerns:

The CWB employs 460 people and each

year pays out $66-million in wages

The CWBs spino impact is estimated at

1,834 ull-time equivalent jobs.

The collapse o the Wheat Board, whichmany reputable, independent analysts have

predicted should marketing choice be

introduced, could result in a job loss o over

2,200 people in Winnipeg, and the loss o

a powerul instrument or Manitoba arm-

ers to market their grain to international

customers.

The negative eects also include the pos-

sible decommissioning o the northern

rail line, which serves tens o thousands

o Manitobans in remote communities, as

well as a devastating impact on the Port o

Churchill.Considering the impacts, the armers who

elect members to the Wheat Board deserve

acts and open, honest debate. This is

something that the Conservative govern-

ment has not been willing to deliver.

BUILDING MANITOBAS ECONOMYDEFENDING MANITOBAS ROLE AS A PLAYER

IN THE GLOBAL GRAIN MARKET

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:In the 90s, Liberals

democratized the

Canadian WheatBoard by handing

control over to board

members elected by

armers.

Since being elected

in 2006, Conserva-tives have sought to

strip armers o their

control by stacking

the CWB board with

anti-single-desk gov-

ernment appointees,

imposing gag ordersand expecting the

Board to take orders

rom Ottawa.

The Conservatives

set up a commission

to assess the Wheat

Boards role thatwas stacked with sixlong-time opponents

o the CWB, including

the Alberta govern-

ment. The Govern-

ments o Manitoba

and Saskatchewanwere invited only as

observers, thereby

excluded rom infu-

encing the outcome.

Since then, the gov-ernment has red the

Wheat Board CEO,

run a plebiscite thatused numbered bal-

lots, and is currently

trying to disenran-

chise grain armers

rom voting.


10/16

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:

The CWB and the North

The Conservatives

assault on the Wheat

Board does more

than put the liveli-hood o northern

armers at risk. It puts

the whole Northern

Rail line and the Port

o Churchill at risk as

well.

Neglecting Churchill

They have pledged

billions in spending

or deep-water ports

or Nunavut while

ignoring the existingport o Churchill.

Neglecting First

Nations

When they ripped upthe Kelowna accord,

the Conservatives

scrapped an estimat-

ed $750-million inspending on health,

education, clean

water and housing

or First Nations in

Manitoba, much o

which would have

been spent in theNorth.

The Conserva-

tives also scrapped

smoking cessation

programs and adult

literacy programs or

Aboriginals.

THE NORTHLiberals are committed to the sustainable

development o Northern Manitoba, ensuring

that Northern Communities share in the re-

source wealth and that we continue to expand

new opportunities or improvements in health

and education services, as well as transporta-

tion and communications inrastructure.A ederal presence in the North is the best way

to protect Canadian sovereignty. Manitoba

MPs will

Work to bolster support and invesment orthe Town o Churchill and the transporta-

tion inrastructure serving the town to makeit a viable, sustainable, Northern deep water

port

Enhance support or winter road construc-

tion and the development o alternative

modes o transportation in anticipation o

urther climate change

Restore literacy programs in order to ensureNortherners have the tools they need to

succeed

Reject a proposal to allow Canadian navy

ships to dump waste into the Arctic Ocean

Work with Northern communities to nd

ways to mitigate the eects o climate

change and to und centres or research and

development in the North

Work to improve the capability o Fixed-

Wing Search and Rescue aircrat in the

North by basing our o them north o 60 tomake the region saer or Northerners andthe people who travel there

Re-establish the Ambassador or Circumpo-

lar Aairs position created by the previous

Liberal government in 1994

Ensure the completion o seabed mapping

to better protect Canadian sovereignty; and

Increase the Northern Residents Deduction

to better refect the rising cost o living.

Provide a new Green Rural Credit worth$150 per year or every person who lives inrural areas or the North

The Doctors and Nurses Fund will reward

health care providers who practise in areas

where there are currently shortages, includ-ing rural and Northern Manitoba

Page 10 - Liberal Party of Canada Manitoba Platform 2008

BUILDING MANITOBAS ECONOMYSERVICE & GROWTH FOR NORTHERN MANITOBA

CONTAMINATION IN THE NORTHManitoba Liberal MPs will work with the mining industry, other industries and the

Province to help those industries meet their environmental obligations or existingoperations and to clean up closed and abandoned sites.


11/16

JUSTICEA Liberal government wants ewer criminals,

not more convicts.

This means a coordinated crime prevention,

anti-poverty and education, recreation, and

employment strategy that will reduce crime

and not just deal with its ater-eects.

Crime rates declined signicantly under theprevious Liberal government, but more work

needs to be done to address specic areas o

concern, gangs and other criminal organiza-

tions, gun crime and drug tracking.

A Liberal Governments justice plan meansmore than just building new prisons. Your

Liberal Manitoba MPs will:

Promote legislation that deals seriously withrepeat and violent young oenders.

Work with the Provinces to combat youth

crime, to promote collaborative, communi-

ty-based, and community-driven strategies

that work

Review the Youth Criminal Justice Act to

ensure the right balance between crime

prevention and appropriate deterrence.

Develop a crime strategy that engages the

causes o youth criminal behaviour includ-

ing crime prevention, anti-gang, youth

recreation and training

Implement a comprehensive strategy to

deal with the severe issues caused by Fetal

Alcohol Syndrome and related disorders.

Make car thet an indictable oence and

implement the Criminal Code amendments

recommended by the Province o Manitoba.

Support for Local Police ForcesA Liberal Government will provide $80-mil-

lion in unding support to local governments

to enhance community police resources,

especially unds targeted to deal with guns

and gang activity, organized crime and drug

tracking

Giving the RCMP the tools necessary to pursue

new crimes, including a Bill to allow CSIS and

police to adapt to new communications tech-

nologies, legislation to prevent internet luring

o children, and tougher laws on identity thet

Upholding the Constitution, the Rule of

Law, and our Systems of Justice:

A Liberal government will :

Respect the independence o the Courts

and court process and Canadas administra-tive tribunals and permit them to perorm

their public unctions without political

intererence

Funding or the Winnipeg-based Court

Challenges Program, which ensures that Ca-nadians are all treated airly by the Federal

Government

COMMUNITY RENEWAL: CITIES AND TOWNSSTIFFER PENALTIES FOR GUNS, GANGS AND CAR THIEVES

RENEWED FOCUS ON PREVENTION AND POLICING

Liberal Party of Canada Manitoba Platform 2008 - Page 11

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:Conservative MPs

have been stall-

ing the passage oanti-crime legislation

through the House o

Commons, but have

been blaming it on

the opposition.

Prime Minister

Stephen Harper

announced legisla-tion that he claimed

would combat car

thet in Winnipeg,

but the law ocused

almost entirely on

organized crime and

car thet rings, whichare a problem in

Montreal, Vancouver

and Toronto, but not

in Winnipeg. It was a

clear demonstration

that the Conserva-

tives are out o touchwith the needs o

Winnipeggers when

it comes to car thet

and public saety.

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:Conservative MPs

have been stall-

ing the passage oanti-crime legislation

through the House o

Commons, but have

been blaming it on

the opposition.

Prime Minister

Stephen Harper

announced legisla-tion that he claimed

would combat car

thet in Winnipeg,

but the law ocused

almost entirely on

organized crime and

car thet rings, whichare a problem in

Montreal, Vancouver

and Toronto, but not

in Winnipeg. It was a

clear demonstration

that the Conserva-

tives are out o touchwith the needs o

Winnipeggers when

it comes to car thet

and public saety.


12/16

Support for Municipalities

and Local GovernmentsThe Liberal Party is committed to building

inrastructure in Manitoba to enhance the

provinces economic development.

A Liberal government will invest $70-billion

over the next ten years to address Canadas

inrastructure decit. This will include $3-bil-

lion or a dedicated small communities undand an additional $3-billion or sports and

recreation centres

This und would include $2.8 billion or inra-

structure in Manitoba: $1-billion or Municipalities through the gas

tax

$400-million or Water and Waste upgrades,

which can help municipalities reduce pollu-

tion in Manitobas lakes and rivers

$300-million or Small Communities that

have small tax bases

$120-million or Sports and Recreation

Centres, which will und community sports

and recreation centres and could play a rolein unding a new or renovated WinnipegStadium

Manitoba Liberal MP will work to:

Ensure the ederal government meets its

obligations to support Winnipeg Floodway

construction

Fund Rapid Transit in Winnipeg and make

the extension o the line rom Jubilee to the

University o Manitoba a reality.

Participate with the other levels o govern-ment and the private sector in the unding

o projects such as the unding o the Win-

nipeg Stadium redevelopment

Honour all commitments to the establish-

ment and unding o the Canadian Museum

or Human Rights that started with theoriginal $100 million commitment under thelast Liberal government.

Encourage Canadian municipalities to par-

take in the Clinton Climate Initiative, which

was launched in August, 2006, to establishmeasures that curb greenhouse gas emis-

sions

Encourage smart growth to promote sus-

tainable development in cities by promot-ing growth in city centres, in contrast to

urban sprawl.

Stronger Communities and Neighbourhoods

Provide support or low-income and social

housing:

Create 30,000 new social housing units

across Canada - 1,200 in Manitoba

Reurbish another 30,000 existing unitsacross Canada - 1,200 in Manitoba

Introduce a $140-million Low-Income

Homes Retrot Partnership Fund

Build upon the results o the Centennial

Project initiated by the Winnipeg Founda-

tion and unded through the Moat amily

donation.


COMMUNITY RENEWALMAKING COMMUNITIES SAFER AND STRONGER WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING;

FIXING AND BUILDING URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:STALLING ON

FUNDING FOR THE

RED RIVER FLOODWAY

EXPANSION

Because o the

importance o pro-tecting Winnipeg in

the event o a food

equal to or worse

than 1997, the previ-

ous Liberal govern-

ment designated theRed River Floodway

expansion as a

project o national

signicance.

That meant that it

was unded sepa-

rately rom other

ederal inrastructureprojects in Manitoba.

The Conservatives

reneged on thatposition, announc-

ing a new unding

agreement two days

beore the election

call.

The unding - whichstretches over six

years - still leaves

much to be desired,

since most o it is

consumed by two

projects initiatedby the Liberals - theRed River Floodway

expansion and the

City o Winnipeg wa-

ter treatment plant,

and nothing or the

clean-up o Lake

Winnipeg.


13/16

CLIMATE CHANGE

The Green Shit is the most aordable and

efcient means o transorming our econ-

omy and reducing greenhouse gas emis-

sions. A carbon tax means that polluters cant

use the atmosphere as a ree garbage dump

or pollution.

A Liberal Government will act immediately to

restore Canadas lost international credibility

by taking quick action to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions and joining with the community

o conscientious nations in addressing climate

change.

Manitoba Liberal MPs will work with the

Manitoba Government and other provinces

to ensure that Canada meets the next round

o Kyoto Protocol targets. Our goal is to make

Manitoba a leader in climate change adapta-tion and mitigation initiatives.

These initiatives include:

Working with provincial and municipal

governments to establish GHG reductiontargets within an international ramework

Highlighting the importance o inclusion o

the agricultural sector in a comprehensive

climate change strategy or Canada

Recognizing Winnipeg as a domestic emis-

sions trading centre in the Carbon market,

and

Providing hope and opportunity to the

most vulnerable o society through invest-

ment in pilot projects that encourage sel-

suciency in northern and remote commu-nities, in keeping with the Kelowna Accord.

WORKING WITH PROVINCES TO COMBAT

CLIMATE CHANGEProtection o the environment requires coop-

eration among all levels o government.

A ederal Liberal government would:

Promote partnerships with the provincial

governments in such international initiatives

as the Western Climate Initiative to reduceemissions to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020,

with our states and our Canadian prov-

inces as members

Alternative Energy andEnergy Conservation:

A Liberal Government will help Manitobans

with the rising cost o home heating and ossil

uels by:

Enhancing the ederal tax incentives, initi-

ated by Liberals, or the development o

wind power and other sources o clean,

renewable energy

Providing grants o up to $10,000 to home-owners or retrots that improve their home

energy eciency

Create $10,000 interest-ree green mortgag-

es or more major energy-saving retrots,

such as geothermal or solar heating

Examine the establishment o a new role

or the AECL Pinawa acility, including the

establishment o a back-up medical isotope

reactor.


ACTION ON THE ENVIRONMENTENHANCING MANITOBAS ROLE IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:RENEGING ON

KYOTO

The Conserva-

tive government

has abandoned

Canadas leadership

on Climate Change

by abandoning

the Kyoto Protocoland undermining

international eorts

or action on ClimateChange.

As examples, the

Conservative govern-

ment cancelled many

programs to improveenergy eciency and

reduce greenhouse

gas emissions that

had been initiated

by Liberals. These in-

cluded the Energuide

program, programsthat helped pay Ca-

nadians or improv-

ing the energy e-

ciency o their homes

and a program

that encouraged

the constructiono environmentally

riendly commercial

buildings.

The Conservativesemissions targets

are not ully enorce-

able until 2050.


14/16

EAST-WEST POWER GRID

The National Liberal Inrastructure plan speci-cally mentions unding the construction o the

East-West Power grid, which will help secure

Manitobas uture as a green energy power-

house.

The development o a national energy security

plan that uses renewable sources o energy is

central to Canadas objective to meet Kyoto

targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Manitoba Hydro is one o the largest exporterso electricity to the United States, and since

1970 has oset 150,000,000 tons o carbon

dioxide that would otherwise be generated by

coal-uelled plants in the U.S. Many other ju-

risdictions also rely on coal, and an East-West

Power grid would allow Canadian provinces to

reduce their reliance on coal and use emis-sions-ree Hydro power instead.

Manitoba Liberal MPs will:

Work with the provinces and aected com-

munities to develop an east-west Hydro grid

Establish a regulatory and economic rame-

work (through community consultations,environmental assessments) that initiates

east-west grid implementation

Develop a national policy on Canadas en-

ergy inrastructure requirements, as is noted

in the Chamber o Commerce Report on

Energy

Work with provinces to create an interpro-

vincial electricity market and policy

Work with First Nations communities and

the provincial government to select one o

three routes or the power grid, based onthorough consultations, with the purpose

o selecting the most economically viable

option that meets the needs o those living

in northern and remote communities

Remove barriers to encourage and acilitate

interprovincial trade in electricity.

MANITOBAS WATER and LAKE WINNIPEG

Manitoba Liberal MPs will develop a compre-hensive water strategy or Canada that will

include Lake Winnipeg protection as one o

its pillars. Building on plans initiated in 2005, a

Liberal government will:

Commit $120M over ten years to ensure im-mediate action is taken to reduce nutrient

loading to Lake Winnipeg and Lake Mani-

toba

Develop and implement recommenda-tions rom provincial and ederal task orce

reports requesting ederal leadership ineorts to save Lake Winnipeg

Recognize the importance o Lake Winnipegas one o Canadas Great Lakes

Create the Lake Winnipeg Council to ensure

that stakeholders and scientists can work

collaboratively together to reverse the con-

ditions that are harming the lake

Increase unding or research and action

plans at the Freshwater Institute in Winni-

peg

Augment research and planning or Lake

Winnipeg protection

Work immediately and aggressively with ouAmerican counterparts to ensure that the

2005 agreement on the Devils Lake outlet is

respected and that the protective measures

are ully implemented

Disallow transers rom the Missouri River

basin into the Red River basin unless any

risks o contamination rom oreign biota or

chemical contaminants are dealt with.

While in oce, the

Conservatives pro-posed to cut envi-

ronmental programs

within Agriculture

Canada by 50%, witha loss o 400 ull time

jobs.

The 2006 Liberal

platorm called or

$120-million to be

dedicated to research

and clean-up o Lake

Winnipeg.In 2007, the Conser-vatives promised

$18-million, but

none o the money

has fowed to the

province.


ACTION ON THE ENVIRONMENTPROTECTING OUR LAKES AND RIVERS

& EXPANDING AND EXPORTING MANITOBAS GREEN ENERGY

THE CONSERVATIVE

RECORD:In 2006, Liberals

pledged $120-mil-

lion to the clean up

o Lake Winnipeg

- one o the biggest

lakes in the world

and natural resourceupon which thou-

sands o Manitobans

depend.

The Conservatives,

in turn, pledged$18-million. Virtually

none o the money

has actually fowed.There has been so

little movement that

the government re-

announced

$1-million or the

Lake.


15/16


Lesley Hughes

Kildonan-St. Paul

Bob Friesen

Charleswood - St. James- Assiniboia

Shirley Hiebert

Provencher

Ted Klassen

Portage - Lisgar

M.J. Willard

Brandon-Souris

Tina Keeper, MP

Churchill

Dan Hurley

Winnipeg Centre

John Loewen

Winnipeg South

Anita Neville, MP

Winnipeg South Centre

Ray Simard, MP

St. Boniface

Marcelle Marion

Winnipeg North

Wendy Menzies

Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette

Wes Penner

Elmwood-Transcona

Kevin Walsh

Selkirk - Interlake

LIBERAL CANDIDATES IN MANITOBA


16/16

www.liberalpartyocanada-mb.ca

Documents

Liberal Platform (2008)