Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 8, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A3 THRONE SPEECH ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR: STACEY THIDRICKSON 204-697-7292 ● CITY.DESK@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM A3 THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 2020 I F anyone was hoping for clarity from the Pallister government on long-term plans for the Manitoba economy should caseloads, hospitaliza- tions and deaths from COVID-19 con- tinue to escalate... they didn’t find it in Wednesday’s speech from the throne. Manitoba MLAs kicked off the third session of the 42nd legislative assembly without the usual pomp and ceremony, normally marked by a heavy military presence in the halls of the legislature and the cacophony of a 15-gun artillery salute outdoors. The dozens of invited guests who usually witness the speech inside the chamber, including members of Mani- toba’s judiciary in formal attire, were conspicuous in their absence. Only a limited number of MLAs took their seats, spaced apart to respect social- distancing rules. The speech contained a few new nuggets, including a pledge to elimi- nate the “pandemic deficit” within two terms, and a plan to crack down on “illegal” protests. But on a day when three new COVID-19 deaths were announced in the province, and a week where further constraints were imposed on bars and restaurants, there was no indication what the long-term plan is beyond a vague commitment to “protect Manitobans.” That’s problematic, considering what’s at stake: the future of entire in- dustries such as the hospitality sector and retail businesses, as well as tens of thousands of jobs. Will the recent spread of the novel coronavirus, mostly among the young- er demographic, cause government to order the closure of some industries again? If so, which ones? How would those decisions be made? As the number of local COVID-19 deaths rises and hospitalization rates climb, what would it take for the prov- ince to shut down the economy again to the extent it did early in the pandemic? When asked that question Wednes- day, Premier Brian Pallister didn’t directly answer. Instead, he said it’s up to Manitobans to do their part to help slow the spread of the virus and to look out for each other. That’s not a plan, it’s a plea to the masses to do a better job of following public health orders. What if that doesn’t happen? What contingencies are in place if the test positivity rate climbs past five per cent and hospitalization numbers exceed 50 or 100 in Winnipeg, or in any other region under the province’s pandemic response system? If there is a blueprint, the govern- ment isn’t sharing it. That’s troubling for businesses and employees who work in vulnerable sectors. There was little that directly ad- dressed the pandemic. There were no new strategies on how to ramp up testing, to better protect the elderly and other vulnerable groups, or to help businesses on the verge of bankruptcy. It’s not that the government has done a poor job of managing the pandemic. With the exception of failing to prop- erly support businesses and not-for- profit groups that have suffered during the recession, the province has done as well as can be expected. The problem is how to proceed to the next stage. It may be a year or more before a vaccine is available. In the meantime, what is the plan be- yond muddling through the pandemic from week to week? Manitoba can’t withstand another shutdown. Which means Manitobans need to learn to live with this virus, including doing a better job of protect- ing the vulnerable. The throne speech would have been the appropriate time to lay out that vision, to give Manitobans some sense of what scenarios lie ahead and what options government is considering. This should have been a pandemic throne speech. Instead, it was little more than a rehash of past announce- ments and a repackaging of pre-pan- demic agendas. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca Muddling through pandemic Pallister’s strategy TOM BRODBECK OPINION BUSINESS The Canadian Federation of Independent Busi- ness welcomed the government’s decision to begin phasing out edu- cation property taxes, saying that farmers and businesses pay a disproportionate amount of such levies (60 per cent of the provincial total, by its calculation). “I think this is help that is very, very needed and can’t come soon enough,” said Jonathan Alward, director of provincial affairs for the CFIB in Manitoba. The organization was alarmed at first that the throne speech referred only to reducing property taxes paid by individuals, but government offi- cials confirmed that it would also apply to farms and businesses. The Manitoba Chambers of Com- merce applauded a plan to estab- lish a new, independent private-sector- led economic development agency to attract new investment to the province and promote international trade. “I was intrigued by that,” said president Chuck Davidson, adding that eliminat- ing the education property tax and promising to balance the provincial budget within the next two terms was good news for business. “The throne speech was missing a sector-specific program to help busi- nesses in tourism and hospitality hit hardest by the pandemic, and a plan to provide better connectivity to rural Manitobans learning and working from home. In rural Manitoba, there’s a need for increased investment in digital infrastructure,” Davidson said. LABOUR Manitoba Fed- eration of Labour president Kevin Rebeck said he expected to see more attention paid to the gov- ernment’s plan to keep the public safe and people working during the pandemic. Manitobans are concerned about their jobs, about their future and about long lineups to get screened for CO- VID-19, he said. “I learned a whole lot more about the 4-H (youth development organization) than I did about what this province is doing for COVID-19 testing, and that’s wrong,” he said, referring to a section in the speech that promises to establish a 4-H endowment strategy. Rebeck did commend the govern- ment, however, for its role in encourag- ing Ottawa to introduce paid sick leave for workers who need to take time off due to COVID-19, and for vowing to take action on the provincial end to make it happen. CHILD CARE The throne speech promised to develop “a modern child-care system and funding model that will enable and support the child-care sector to grow in line with demand from Manitoba families.” The executive director of the Manitoba Child Care Association says before it can grow, the long-underfund- ed sector needs some major repairs to its foundation. Executive director Jodie Kehl said the province needs to in- crease operating grants to facilities by at least 15 per cent to make up for the past four years of frozen funding lev- els and the increased cost of operating safely during the pandemic. “We know the frozen funding has wreaked havoc on the system and the strains that were there pre-COVID are more so today,” Kehl said. One in seven programs that operated prior to the pandemic, for in- stance, has not yet been able to reopen. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE Announcing a plan to change the Manitoba Assistance Act and move people off welfare and into jobs during a pandemic and a recession was met with deri- sion by the Cana- dian Centre for Policy Alterna- tives. “This pro- vincial govern- ment is attacking the poor when they are down,” said Molly Mc- Cracken, Mani- toba director. “Social assistance is atrocious, single adults can’t get their heads above water with $800 a month. Thousands are joining provincial welfare rolls due to job losses and the end of (Canada Emergency Response Benefit).... They just ended the eviction moratorium without a plan, which will push, po- tentially, thousands into homelessness right before winter.” RECONCILIATION AND BLOCKADES Plans to erect a monument to Chief Pe- guis on the grounds of the legislature to commemorate the 200th anniver- sary of the Selkirk Treaty and the con- tributions of Saulteaux Chief Peguis was welcomed by Manitoba Keewatinowi Oki- makanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee. Recogni- tion of the need to expedite Treaty Land Entitlement was also appre- ciated, he said. Settee objected to legislation that would prevent blockades, noting it was a blockade by four northern First Nations that made sure COVID-19 didn’t arrive with workers at the Keeyask dam construction site and Manitoba Hydro addressed their concerns. “It is abso- lutely our democratic right to protest,” he said. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas also objected to the legislation. “I am very concerned by the proposed ‘blockades’ legislation… If this proposed legislation is passed, First Nations in Manitoba will not tol- erate this attack on our civil liberties.” EDUCATION REFORM Making up for the revenue lost by phasing out the education property tax beginning next year worries the presi- dent of the Manitoba School Board Association. “We continue to have questions around what funding looks like in a world where over 40 per cent, which is a big number, is going to be phased out,” Alan Campbell said. “The commitment to boost education fund- ing by $1.6 billion is welcome news, but with the balance of phasing out property-tax funding… what comes out in the wash will remain to be seen.” The Manitoba Teachers’ Society is waiting to see how a “blended learn- ing strategy” with remote and in-class learning options would work. “We cer- tainly are very interested in what that might look like,” said president James Bedford. “We can’t have a classroom teacher doing two jobs at the same time.” The province’s plan to “align” post- secondary education with “labour mar- ket needs” is “unacceptable,” says the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Fed- eration of Students’ chairman Brenden Gali. “In the throne speech today, we heard that this government not only wants to control how our post- secondary institutions are funded, but also threatens student choices in what they study. This is unacceptable and this government is telling students and faculty that they don’t respect their environments of learning.” — Carol Sanders, Larry Kusch and Maggie Macintosh Grading the government Biz, labour, educators, chiefs and advocates weigh in MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sergeant-at-Arms Dave Shuttleworth passes beneath scaffolding in the legislature rotunda, which is being renovated, ahead of the throne speech Wednesday. Métis insulted by speech THE Manitoba Metis Federation said it is offended the provincial government failed to acknowledge Métis leader Louis Riel, considered the father of Manitoba, in its throne speech, as Manitoba marks its 150th anniversary this year. Federation president David Chartrand called it an insult to the Métis people. “Failing to mention us and the founder of Manitoba, Riel, en- tirely in the throne speech after mentioning Manitoba 150 is unjustifiable,” he said. The Métis leader and Premier Brian Pal- lister have had a contentious relationship since Pallister took office in 2016; they’ve butted heads over a hydro compensation plan that Pallister cancelled, and have sparred over moose hunting. Chartrand said Manitobans should be appalled Pallister has allowed a personal vendetta to sleight the Métis nation. The throne speech did acknowledge that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the legislative building, and included an announcement that a statue of Chief Peguis is to be erected on the legisla- ture grounds to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Selkirk Treaty. Jonathan Alward Kevin Rebeck Garrison Settee Molly McCracken David Chartrand A_05_Oct-08-20_FP_01.indd A3 2020-10-07 10:16 PM ;