A Third NDP Term for Manitoba Workers!
- Darlene Dziewit, MFL President
On May 22, Manitoba's voters gave Gary Doer and the NDP a ringing endorsement by electing them to an unprecedented third term majority government. The Party picked up two additional seats in Southdale and Kirkfield Park, while losing Brandon West by the slimmest of margins, for a total of 36 seats, which ties the record for the most seats won by any party in modern times. Everyone who worked on the NDP campaign should be rightfully happy with the results.
In contrast, Hugh McFayden and the Conservatives limped past the finish line with 19 seats, one less than they won in 2003. The Liberals, despite predictions of a number of seat pickups coming from the all-knowing mainstream media, only managed to maintain their two seats. Their relevance is in tatters.
What is especially gratifying to long time New Democrats, is the make-up of the new NDP caucus. There are 13 women in Gary Doer's new caucus, four aboriginal members, three people of colour (including Flor Marcelino, the first elected woman of colour in Manitoba) and a number of bright, young, new MLA's. This is a refreshed caucus that looks more like the face of Manitoba than any in history. We should all be proud.
On election night I heard one of the 'business-type' talking heads say that he wished Manitobans had sent Gary Doer a clearer message. I responded by saying that I thought they had! It is very clear to me - Manitobans like Gary Doer, and they like progressive governments that move carefully forward with good, well planned, worker friendly legislation. Legislation like improved Health and Safety and Workers Compensation Acts.
How about the new Employment Standards legislation, and minimum wage going up every single year since 1999? What about the announced 20 new Health and Safety inspectors? Working Manitobans like this kind of an agenda. They know who is on their side.
Following the election, it seemed to me that all the right wingers out there were singing from the same handbook. They were wringing their hands and saying that Manitoba was a province divided.
'Oh my', they cried, 'we have a rural/urban split, with the NDP representing urban Manitobans and the Conservatives the party of rural folk'. What bunk! Manitobans right across this province elected New Democrats, and not just in cities. What about Swan River, Gimli, Interlake, LaVerendrye, Dauphin Roblin and Selkirk? These are largely rural ridings.
And what about the North, where all four seats went NDP, as they have for so many years? It appears to me that the NDP is the only party that has strong roots throughout the entire province. What's more, increasingly it seems that the Conservatives are becoming irrelevant.
Manitobans remember the past, and they don't want to go back to the 'bad old days' of privatization and health care cuts. They are also leery about what today's Conservatives have to offer, which seems to be the same old right wing ideas - tax cuts and no vision.
So what does a third term NDP majority government mean for working Manitobans? It means more progressive, fair and worker friendly legislation. It also means that public sector workers will not feel the harsh bite of a mean spirited and ungrateful employer who has no regard for the wonderful work done by our civil servants and other public sector folk.
It means that all workers will be able to exercise their right to join a union and bargain in an environment that recognizes their right to do so. And it means that those who are disadvantaged will be given help, not blame, for their predicament.
The weekend after the Manitoba election, I was in Ottawa, attending a Canadian Labour Congress Executive Council meeting. We should be proud that all of our brothers and sisters across Canada congratulated us and shared in our victory. We are truly envied. After all, our government respects workers and their unions, a circumstance which has become increasingly rare in this country.
Yes, Gary Doer and his NDP government deserve our congratulations. They also need to celebrate this great, historic victory. But then, they need to get back to the job of governing. We will be waiting for their continued support for working Manitobans and their families.
I look forward to the next four years.