MANITOBA VOTES 2023 – BORDERLAND: PC incumbent wants to fight for parental rights

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This article was published 25/09/2023 (636 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He is not quite 30, but Josh Guenter is now the Progressive Conservative incumbent MLA for Borderland with political experience in the treasury board and as legislative assistant to now-Premier Heather Stefanson while she was Health and Seniors Care minister.

But when asked what his focus is on for the next term, Guenter turned to education. Specifically, he wants to pass legislation on parental rights that would force schools to share all that is happening with their children.

While he said specifics would come out after a PC election win and consultation with parents across the province, Guenter did not see an issue with sharing sensitive information like sexual orientation or gender identity.

“We would be inviting feedback from parents, and want to make sure that this is something that everyone gets the opportunity to have their say and feel as though they’ve been heard and have their input incorporated into this legislation because as I said, the family unit is the building block of society, and we’ve got to do everything we can to ensure that if the state is going to be educating children, that parents feel that they have the confidence that they need to send their children to these schools.

“If we don’t have that, the system breaks down,” said Guenter, who has a young son himself.

He explained his thoughts on the idea some kids may not want to share everything with their parents.

“The schools have to send home forms to get parental sign off for things like field trips and various presentations in schools, for different things like that. Obviously I understand there’s liability there, and need to get that parental sign-off. So I think as long as that’s the case, it’s not too much to ask that for some of these more substantial issues that parents be informed as to what’s going on and have the right to raise their children,” said Guenter, describing the parents’ right to know as fundamental.

He said his other main focus is to lower income taxes.

“Which we have done in the last four years, and we’ve pledged to further reduce the overall tax burden on Manitobans. We’re one of the most heavily taxed provinces in Canada. Certainly the heaviest taxed province this side of Quebec, so we have room for improvement there,” said Guenter.

He also know better health care is top of mind for voters. Guenter wants better health care closer to where his constituents live.

“More services in our local area, more family doctors which we need, more nurses, those kinds of things,” said Guenter.

He admitted there was a distance to go on improving the health care system.

“But folks know that work is underway. The diagnostic and surgical backlog has been significantly reduced, I believe by over half,” said Guenter.

The Province has been sending patients to Ontario and the U.S. to help with those backlogs.

“We’re seeing things slowly turn around, but we’re not out of the woods in terms of trying to eliminate those wait times, and strengthen our system so it’s what Manitobans expect it to be,” he added.

After getting the Altona ER back open, Guenter said the focus is now on getting family doctors and nurses to rural areas like Borderland. He pointed to more seats at university for training doctors and nurses, premiums for doctors who keep clinics open evenings and weekends, bonuses to nurses who put off retirement, and his party’s $400-million health human resources plan.

Guenter said taxes can go down while government service spending goes up by growing the economy, which he believes can only be done with lower taxes.

“You reduce taxes and actually incentivize work, and incentivize investment, incentivize people taking risks and set up businesses. That in turn generates higher revenues, not lower revenues, for government. Even though the percentage of tax is lower, you’re collecting more revenues as a government and that’s what we’ve seen historically,” said Guenter.

He said other governments that raise taxes see a loss of revenue.

“Because wealthy people have no problem hiring accountants, lobbyists and lawyers,” said Guenter.

He also pointed to his government, which has been in power for seven years, balancing the budget in 2019. The pandemic changed the balance sheets, but Guenter wants to get back to a balanced budget by 2025.

He said he felt heard on the treasury board, and was glad to bring his voice to call for lower taxes.

“What happens at treasury board stays at treasury board,” laughed Guenter.

“But I do appreciate the opportunity to look at the books and have my say. And of course you sit around a table with others,” he said, adding he had an immense respect for the staff who do the work of researching and tracking the numbers.

On the environment, Guenter said infrastructure to protect from floods and safeguarding water during droughts have already started in places like Altona and the Letellier water treatment plant that serves 14 municipalities. He said this allows population and entrepreneurial growth in the area.

Advance voting starts Sept. 23. Election day is Oct. 3.

“It’s been an honour to serve these last four years. It’s been a journey for my family and I, but I’m so proud of the people who live here and should they give the honour of serving another term I look forward to that and want to honour the trust they repose in me,” said Guenter.