Goertzen optimistic about future

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This article was published 06/01/2023 (1101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen reflected on an unusual year that began in the grips of COVID restrictions and ended with what he sensed was new hope for the future.

“I don’t know that people had a strong sense of how it would end,” he said in a pre-Christmas interview. “Now, almost a year later there is a much greater sense of optimism as we go into this holiday season with people being able to celebrate it in the way that they want to.”

That optimism was also reflected in the 2022-23 mid-year fiscal and economic report, released by the province on Dec. 20.

It forecasted a deficit of $193 million, a $355 million improvement compared to the $548 million deficit predicted in the budget.

Revenue is forecast at $20.5 billion, an increase of $1.1 billion over budget estimates.

The provincial unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent, among the lowest in the country.

While Goertzen said this is great news, he cautioned on reading too much into it at this time.

“There was a hope that things would come back pretty quickly, but hope isn’t a plan and hope isn’t necessarily proven out,” he said. “While people are seeing strong economic growth, are seeing a strong job market, they are clearly feeling it at the grocery store, they are feeling it when they’re filling up their vehicles and when they’re buying other things.”

Inflation and rising interest rates bring challenges to Manitobans.

“We know there are a lot of clouds on the horizon that we’re not sure what kind of a storm they might produce,” he said.

But has the province done enough to ease the pain felt by Manitobans?

Goertzen said the answer to that would depend on who’s being asked.

“You’re trying to get people through a difficult situation, to get them to the other side,” he said. “I think we’ve done a significant amount and probably as much as most other provinces given the economic means within Manitoba, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s reviewed in the new year to see if there’s more opportunity to offer more support.”

Goertzen said they’ve tried different ways to help Manitobans including providing funding for seniors and families.

Legislation expanding the sale of hard liquor to businesses outside of MLC locations was also introduced this year, and Goertzen said it was in response to consumer demand.

In many cases he said new legislation is about making it simpler to accomplish things that are already happening, albeit being hampered by red tape.

“The world’s changing in terms of how people want to access products including liquor,” he said.

Health

Funding surgeries outside the borders of Manitoba to address the lengthy waiting list was born out of necessity according to Goertzen.

“Everybody in Canada had the same problem, everybody was sort of looking for the same solution,” he said.

While this approach attracted the ire of opposition politicians who claim it’s the first step towards privatization, Goertzen said it’s government’s responsibility to find a way to address the backlog.

He added the idea isn’t entirely new.

“I remember as health minister we often sent people out of country for procedures that weren’t available in Canada,” he said. “We’ve had these relationships with other health care providers in other provinces and other countries for a very long time.”

In fact, some are reciprocal, with Manitoba hospitals treating others from places like Nunavut.

“What responsible government wouldn’t take that option?” he asked.

Goertzen said this is not a long term solution adding they are continuing to invest in Manitoba healthcare to meet the needs of Manitobans.

Some of that change will be felt close to home with the expansion of Bethesda Regional Health Centre and the addition of a dialysis unit currently underway.

Investment in the Rest Haven Personal Care Home was also realized this year, while funding for a new elementary school in Steinbach and for the Southeast Event Centre was announced.

Goertzen calls those “transformational projects”.

He said Rest Haven has been in the plans for years.

“That was a generational project that I remember Albert Driedger talking about when he was the MLA and he advocated for it and Jim Penner after him.”

Election coming

A Probe Research poll in September showed that only 37 percent of Manitobans plan to vote PC while 44 percent plan to vote NDP. Meanwhile an Angus Reid Institute study in December revealed Heather Stefanson was the least popular premier in Canada.

But Goertzen said polls also suggested that the PC Party should not have won the last two byelections, which they did. He said an election campaign is different than polling done at other times.

“Obviously we will have to talk about the things we want to do for another term, but the opposition parties will need to do the same,” he said.

Goertzen is proud of the PC team.

“We’ve got a great group of women and men who are experienced in government, who have shown the ability to go through tough times and to come out the other side. I think that matters as well,” he said. “And the NDP are going to have to speak to not only their aspirations but their past record as well.”

Kelvin Goertzen will be looking to get the PC nomination in the Steinbach constituency at a February meeting.

He said despite the challenges facing Manitobans, he continues to be optimistic.

“We’ve come through, I think, a lot as a society in the last two years. I think we’re in a better place than we were, and I think we’ll be in a better place (in 2023),” he said. “I continue to be bullish and optimistic of the future of this area and Manitoba generally.”