1. The campaign process is essentially a job interview, so let's start with a job interview question - What do you feel are your qualifications for office?
I have lived in northern Manitoba for 23 years, and have worked in health care for 13 of them. I am aware of many of the issues facing our part of the world and am willing to listen and ask questions, to help understand challenges that others face. I can get along with people, even if I don't agree with them. I try to be proactive, instead of reactive.
2. What is your plan for the future of Flin Flon’s economy? What role will industry/mining play in that plan?
We can't make mining companies stay - industries that focus on extraction will eventually run out of things to extract. Green energy is the future. Green jobs can be a sustainable way forward for places like northern Manitoba. It's time to diversify and look to the future.
3. What measures to benefit northern Manitoba and Flin Flon would you add to a provincial budget?
Many of the Green budget proposals would directly affect northern residents. The Guaranteed Income Assistance plan alone would go a long way toward ending poverty in children, the elderly and the differently abled in our communities. A Green budget would strengthen core services, make telecom services more affordable, improve transportation services, and support small businesses.
4. Where do you believe infrastructure spending in Flin Flon should be focused? Should it be increased? Where will the funds come from?
I don't believe I'm the person to ask about where infrastructure dollars should be spent. Greens believe in giving more autonomy to municipalities to ensure that decision making is on a local level and they control their own purse strings. If we work with and listen to municipalities, they will let us know what they need.
5. What is your plan regarding northern health care, specifically with local health care? What are your thoughts on the current state of Flin Flon health care?
The biggest thing we face in our riding isn't unique to us and we should learn from communities that are seeing success with recruitment and retention of qualified staff (doctors, midwives, and mental health clinicians for example). Bringing back birth services to Flin Flon would be an urgent priority to me. Lowering prescription drug costs and ensuring no more cuts to services and staff would round out my priority list.
6. How do you plan to improve education in small, northern school divisions?
The biggest school division in the province (Frontier) operates many schools in this riding, but this question seems directed toward the Flin Flon School Division (FFSD) specifically. The Green plan is to give equitable funding for all schools so that every child in the province will receive the same level of education, whether they live in Brochet or Wolesley. Greens would also consult with teachers and communities to address community-specific needs.
7. What are your main concerns regarding environmental conservation? Do you support taxation on carbon emissions?
At the core of our platform is environmental sustainability. It informs every policy and idea we put forward. The Greens have thought long and hard on this issue and have realistic plans that prepare us for a future, free of carbon. We want to change how we think and act toward the climate crisis. By putting a price on pollution, we could use the money generated to reduce household taxes.
8. How do you plan to work with the Saskatchewan government to help solve inter-provincial issues with Flin Flon and neighbouring communities?
Sharing resources in border towns seems to have become more of a problem in recent years - especially in health care. Greens believe that it's important to put ordinary people ahead of political wrangling. Governments should work collaboratively to find solutions, so that people don't fall through the cracks created by bureaucracy.
9. Do you plan on changing Manitoba’s tax structure? If so how? How do anticipate the change in revenue will be used?
There are definitely ways in which the Greens want to change the tax system. First, by getting rid of the education property tax and going to a transparent funding model using corporate and personal income taxes. Second, by introducing a Basic Income which would be funded by the removal of certain tax credits, and which could eliminate poverty in Manitoba.
10. How do you feel about negative campaigning? Would you consider you and/or your party to be running a clean campaign? What about your opponents?
I despise negative campaigning. Let your policies speak for themselves. If all you've got on someone is something from their past, or their style of hair, that does nothing for me. I haven't seen my party doing politics that way.
11. What policy or practice do you disagree with your party on and why? Would you consider breaking rank with the party on that issue?
The Greens don't "break rank" - we don’t have ranks to break. The party is very clear about who they serve - the constituents who voted them in. That being said, I don’t think there's been a policy or practice that I've read, over the years, that I've personally disagreed with.
12. In 30 words or less - What is your elevator pitch for undecided voters?
Greens don't do "politics as usual". They believe in giving a voice to the people they serve & in finding a positive way forward that benefits everyone.
13. What question do you wish we would have asked?
Proportional representation! Every vote should count, and the way things are done right now isn't fair to the majority of voters. Greens want to introduce a mixed-member proportional system that would be more accountable to Manitobans. Possibly, if people saw that their vote actually counted, more might be persuaded to get out, and vote.
