Pallister commits to cutting PST, transparency around pot revenues in year end interview
NDP leader Wab Kinew says cut leads province in 'wrong direction'
Manitoba's premier is committed to cutting the PST one point by the end of his first term, and says he will be transparent about how the government uses revenues from pot sales.
Brian Pallister sat down with a group of media representatives Thursday for a year-end interview, saying his health affected his ability to do traditional one-on-one interviews.
The premier is on pain medication for a broken arm suffered when he fell after he got lost while hiking in New Mexico.
Reporters from several major media outlets grilled the premier on topics from verbal gaffes to possible hospital closures. These are highlights from his conversation.
On this past year
"We're pleased to see a turnaround on our fiscal situation in terms of a reduction in our deficit. Some said too much, some said not enough, but it was a step in the right direction.
"We've made a commitment to right the fiscal ship over a period of time. That's exactly what we plan to do."
On running again in 2020
"I have no second thoughts. I've never been more focused in my entire life. I have a lot of excitement about that. I have every intention of [running]. Is that clear enough?"
On possible rural hospital closures or conversions to personal care homes
"I grew up in an isolated part of rural Manitoba. I understand the vulnerability and the association people often have with a hospital, bricks and mortar, as a place that gives you that sense of confidence. But most rural Manitobans are beyond that now. They understand health-care services aren't bricks and mortar, necessarily; they're an ambulance in your yard if there's an accident, proximity to a regional access centre where they can get a variety of care.
"We're spending far too much money, moving seniors many times, into facilities, expensive facilities, where they don't want to be, and where the care level is not what they need.… Part of the solution is PCHs, but we also know part of the solution is better care so people can stay in their home, too.
When asked why he won't answer a reporter's direct question about closing rural hospitals
"I didn't answer his question on purpose, and there you have it. Because I respect my health minister and my health minister is dealing with a very difficult issue and I'm going to let him deal with it."
On the province not signing the feds' 75/25 pot revenue deal
"Well, it was a bad idea a week ago, and so it's still a bad idea. The provinces are doing the lion's share of the heavy lifting, the provinces are the ones that are going to be asked to put, frankly, millions of dollars at risk in terms of setting up this system."
"One hundred and fifty per cent would be better, frankly. You're talking about a massive risk for a questionable outcome, with assured cost consequences and questionable revenue."
On putting pot revenue into safety programs and law enforcement
"No, I'm not committing to that because I don't know what the costs are.... This is premature because we do not know what those costs are."
On funding the City of Winnipeg
"I've got a great reputation for working with municipalities effectively. That's not going to change. I have tremendous respect for municipal governments. They've got costs, we are cognizant of that. The City of Winnipeg, for example, has the sweetest deal, I'd argue, in Canada right now. So I don't want to see that change. I value the City of Winnipeg. I want the City of Winnipeg to have a good deal, so that's fine.
"I give the city hundreds of millions of dollars in reassurance with your money every year. The City of Winnipeg has the sweetest deal in Canada. They have no strings, virtually no strings attached to the money that is given to them by the province. They have a wonderful situation over there and I expect them all hands on deck to find savings in their organizations just like we're doing on our side of the street."
On the promised PST cut
"We'll meet our financial targets. We're on track. We're going to stay on track, no condition, absolutely. Look, if it's all right to run a billion-dollar deficit to feed the beast of a giant civil service at the top, then it's OK to give the people of Manitoba back some of their money.
"I'm dead-on committed to lowering the PST in our first term.… We're going to lower the PST in our first term because it's the right thing to do."
On committing to arts and social groups' key initiatives
"Further investments will be coming. Be patient and be hopeful."
On the 'high heels' comment at his state of the province speech
"I'm 25 years in public life and you're not going to get the rough edges off of me. Genuine and real, they got me.
"Look, I got hell when I got home from my 25-year-old daughter. She said 'Never, ever refer to whatever anyone's wearing, Dad, for crying out loud, right?' It's hard to live with this kind of criticism, right?
"We had a great conversation for 20 minutes, and Johanna referenced that she dressed tall, for me, and I thanked her for it, and I referenced her clothing and I shouldn't have done that."
On management cuts to education
"Given the all hands on deck approach we're taking, there'd be an obligation there to see improvements at the school board level. There will be further progress made on that. Specifics will be announced in the coming year."
On his broken arm and return to Costa Rica
"Not good. It's a, there's four breaks, and lots of Manitobans have to deal with far worse things than this, so let's just put it in perspective. No, I don't have to have surgery.… It's starting to heal, but what has to happen is there's a lot of soft tissue injury.
"[I have fallen again], just once so far. Yeah, I just slipped. Just slipped. Well you're on drugs, right? It's just a - yeah, I landed on my arm.
"I'm hoping we get away [to Costa Rica] next week and be back early in the new year, and that's the first time I've been there since last January."
'The wrong direction': Kinew
Opposition NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the premier's promise to cut the PST will take the province "in the wrong direction," and signals the premier is putting his own "political calculations" ahead of Manitobans.
Kinew said he's also worried the sweeping health-care reform that dominated headlines this year could be followed by cuts to another large portfolio, education, next year.
"Pallister will have to make up the money somewhere. If the revenue is not there, he's going to have to make more cuts to health care, he's going to have to make cuts to education," Kinew said.
He also said he's concerned the government isn't listening to Manitobans who say changes to health care are moving too quickly.
The NDP leader said it's clear there's an "open feud" between the premier and Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, and criticized Pallister's refusal to sign the 75/25 pot-revenue deal with the federal government.
"It's another sign that Pallister doesn't play well with others and that he can't do business with other levels of government," he said.
He said the premier picked a fight with the mayor and has created opposition with the federal government since taking office.
"His insistence that going his own way, it's his idea of being bold, but to everyone else it looks like Don Quixote tilting at windmills," Kinew said.
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With files from Sean Kavanagh