MANITOBA VOTES 2023 – STEINBACH: Steinbach PC incumbent campaigns on ‘proven track record’

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This article was published 15/09/2023 (932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PC incumbent Kelvin Goertzen admits he doesn’t have the typical back story for a politician.

He didn’t come from a wealthy family, lost his father when he was young and had no political lineage.

Yet he became the third MLA to represent the electoral district of Steinbach, and was elected to office for the first time in 2003 with 74.6 percent of the vote.

That percentage turned out to be the lowest in his career as he ran and was elected four more times, in 2007, 2011, 2016 and 2019, earning between 81.6 and 89.2 percent of the vote in those four cases.

Goertzen is looking for a sixth term as the MLA representing Steinbach.

A lifelong resident of Steinbach, Goertzen said both he and the community have grown. He said as he’s spent time in the legislature, he’s become more concerned with the future of democracy.

“I worry about where democracy is going,” he said. “I worry about divisiveness. I worry about toxicity in the legislature.”

But he also knew he wanted to be part of the solution, deciding to seek another term after consulting with family and supporters.

On the campaign trail, Goertzen said affordability is one of the biggest concerns, with people expressing concern with the costs of food, gas, and growing interest rates.

“I hear that from people in all different walks of life,” he said.

The PC Party has announced several initiatives to tackle that including increasing the charitable tax credit, eliminating the land transfer tax for first-time home buyers, and cutting the tax rate on the lowest provincial income tax bracket in half over the next four years.

Public safety is another concern Goertzen has heard, though he said the details are different in rural and urban centres.

“In Steinbach it’s more property crime, and also a growing concern about personal safety,” he said.

Parental rights in schools is also a concern Goertzen said has been expressed.

Unsure why the announcement to enshrine new parental rights in the Public Schools Act is controversial, Goertzen said they’re simply ensuring parents have the rights that in many cases have already been in the Act for 25 to 30 years.

“I’m glad it’s happening to some extent but it’s not consistent,” he said. “If people believe we should be listening to outside experts over parents, that’s concerning to me.”

Health care is something Goertzen describes as a “constant issue”, one that has been a concern for voters for as long as he’s been involved in politics.

But he said this isn’t just a Manitoba issue, or even a Canada issue, but one that is felt worldwide.

“I think we’ve demonstrated a pretty clear plan coming out of COVID, about how we’re going to rebuild the human resources,” he said.

He cited their plan to recruit 2,000 health professionals, saying they have achieved that or “come pretty close to achieving that”.

However in March of 2023, a government claim that they had hired 900 new health workers was called in to question by the union representing paramedics, who showed that with retirements and those leaving for other provinces, there was actually a net decrease.

Goertzen said as they build new facilities, such as the dialysis unit set to open this fall in Steinbach, health professionals will come.

“To some extent these larger facilities will attract people to the area, medical professionals as well,” he said.

The PC Party has announced they will eliminate the deficit by 2026.

Goertzen said they have been criticized for saying they’ll cut taxes and reduce the deficit.

“The NDP increased taxes and increased the deficit,” he said. “But we’ve demonstrated that we’ve hit our targets.”

The provincial deficit is estimated to be $363 million at the end of the fiscal year in March, 2024.

Goertzen said they’ve found a balance in how they approach it.

“Even though we’ve been reducing taxes in the last few years, we continue to drive our deficit down because at the end of the day we have to be competitive, and we’re drawing a lot of new businesses in,” he said. “You have to grow yourself through this and I think we’re growing the economy well.”

Goertzen said the process must be followed when it comes to the decision to approve Sio Silica’s plan to extract silica sand from the aquifer that provides water for southeast Manitoba.

“We all want to make sure we have quality water,” he said. “Where you get into real trouble is when politicians start to inject themselves as experts into situations, to try to override processes.”

A highlight this campaign for Goertzen has been to host a campaign announcement in Steinbach along with Morden-Winkler PC candidate Carrie Hiebert.

In that announcement, the PC Party promised to increase the rebate on the first $200 in charitable giving from 10.8 percent to 20 percent and contributions over $200 from 17.4 percent to 25 percent.

“It’s not about tax deductions necessarily for those who give,” he said. “It’s about trying to ensure those charities who are working can get more.”

As he seeks his sixth term, he admits his campaigning is not so much about name recognition, but of assuring people there is a person behind the title.

“The longer you’re in a position, people sometimes see you more as a position and less of a person,” he said. “I would like to be seen as a person, whether they vote for me or not, whether they think that I’m a good representative or not, I would rather people have some perspective on who I am as a person.”

Despite his strong finishes in the past, Goertzen continues to advertise, have signs, and go door to door.

“I always campaign like we’re three votes behind, but gaining,” he said.

Goertzen is confident in his track record, which includes having a hand in bringing to Steinbach a new personal care home, dialysis, elementary school, event centre and HVAC system for the operating rooms.

“I think it’s a proven track record,” he said. “Ultimately people will decide but it’s an exciting time to be in Steinbach.”

The role of MLA is one he takes seriously, saying the other positions he’s held in government aren’t the same.

“I never ran for deputy premier, premier, education minister, health minister, justice minister. I’ve never ran for any of those roles,” he said. “I’ve only ever ran for one position and that’s MLA for Steinbach and that’s been my focus.”

The election takes place Oct. 3.