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Jonathon Naylor Editor The battle for Flin Flon's MLA seat heated up Monday as the three major candidates squared off at a sometimes-intense public forum. About 60 people packed the City Hall Council Chambers as New Democrat Clarence Pettersen, Progressive Conservative Darcy Linklater and Liberal Thomas Heine fielded a range of queries. While the evening started out calm, tensions escalated when questions turned to controversy surrounding the NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority. Candidates were asked how they would retain present health care employees and attract new ones. Pettersen agreed the NRHA had issues but said the NDP government "dealt with them" and will follow 44 recommendations made by an independent review panel. Stressing the importance of cooperation, and admitting "it's not an easy fix," Pettersen suggested the other parties would cut health funding while the NDP is committed to improvements. Heckle But Pettersen faced a heckle from the crowd when he mentioned his party's pledge to spend $10 million on upgrading the emergency room at the Flin Flon General Hospital. "You don't even have a surgeon, what are you going to use the ER for," one woman shouted, referring to the fact the hospital does not have a permanent surgeon and must rely on locums, surgeons who travel in to temporarily cover shifts. Heine, whose campaign has focused largely on health care, said the government has not in fact followed up on all 44 recommendations for the NRHA. Asked by Pettersen whether problems in the NRHA work environment had been dealt with, Heine, his voice rising, insisted they had not. Front-line health care, the Liberal candidate said, "remains in crisis." Staying out of the NRHA debate, Linklater said we live in a "technological world" where equipment should be upgraded to better connect health care professionals in southern Manitoba with patients in the North. Linklater said this approach would save money and allow more patients to remain with their families while receiving care. Another uneasy moment came when Heine gave his closing statement, taking issue with an earlier claim by Pettersen that the NDP's Greg Selinger was the only party leader to have visited Flin Flon. "Excuse me, (Liberal leader Jon Gerrard) was here a couple of weeks ago," said Heine. "Not during an election (period)," Pettersen replied. Visibly upset, Heine pointed out Gerrard attended a public forum on health care in Flin Flon late last year, which was "much more important." "Your leader did not. Even your minister of health sent up her minions," Heine told Pettersen. "That cheeses me off. Don't lie to us, Clarence. (Gerrard has) been up here three times, not for photo-ops, either." But most of the evening was hardly so antagonistic. Funding When the candidates were asked about infrastructure funding for municipalities, Linklater emphasized the value of cooperation and of opening more recreational centres to keep young people healthy and out of trouble. Although the question specified the community of Flin Flon, Linklater said he wants to represent the Flin Flon riding as a whole, adding the most dire infrastructure challenges are on northern reserves like Tadoule Lake. See 'Forum...' on pg. 7 Continued from pg. 1 Heine suggested a system whereby municipalities receive the same amount back in infrastructure funding as they pay to provincial coffers through taxes. Calling infrastructure funding "a big problem," Heine said the community of Flin Flon "was saddled" with the high cost of a new water treatment plant "by the South." For his part, Pettersen said infrastructure is "very important" for all communities. In the case of the community of Flin Flon, he said, infrastructure is old and meant for more than twice the number of residents now using it. Predicting Flin Flon will benefit from the Lalor mine in Snow Lake, Pettersen said the government will have to make infrastructure investments more feasible. In terms of job creation, Pettersen said Manitoba survived the last recession "on a fairly good note" and touted the NDP's elimination of the small-business tax as a positive step. The NDP candidate spoke also of the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy, which will educate northerners for mining-related careers, and of the importance of incentives for mining companies to search for ore. Heine took direct aim at the NDP for removing six well-paying government jobs from the Barrow Provincial Building, where the Liberal candidate works. Job creation should start at home, Heine said, calling the NDP's record on this file "less than stellar" in the community. As far as Linklater was concerned, more jobs should be available in the riding given its hydro and mineral resources. The PC candidate spoke on the significance of ecotourism and the need to educate people for jobs in the riding, as future projects will require workers. Another query on health care saw the candidates offer solutions to the shortage of professionals in the field. Heine said the province's health care system presently imports foreign-trained doctors who are "fast-tracked" through an evaluation in Winnipeg before being "parachuted" into remote centres. More time These doctors need more time in Winnipeg to learn from mentors about Canadian culture and health care, Heine said. And instead of having the physicians commit to two years in the North, he favours five years so they can develop roots and hopefully stay for the long term. In his response, Linklater pointed to the PC plan to hire 1,700 more nurses and 250 additional doctors while striving to end "hallway medicine." More professionals are needed to speed up health services, Linklater said, calling health care a major issue for everyone. Pettersen stressed the need to recruit doctors who want to come to Flin Flon and stay here. He said having health care professionals stay for two years at a time "is not good enough." Flin Flon has had difficulty recruiting doctors, Pettersen said, adding any problems within their work environment need to be remedied so they want to come here. On the controversial Bipole III transmission line, Linklater stuck to his party line by touting a route along the east side of Lake Winnipeg. Linklater said this shorter path is cheaper, would bring employment opportunities to 16 communities and is supported by chiefs of First Nations along the route. Pettersen defended the longer west-side route mandated by the NDP, saying his party looked at all aspects of the matter before proceeding. See 'Bipole...' pg. 15
