1.
Minto All Candidates Forum Questions
April 12, 2016
Hosted by: Spence Neighbourhood Assoc. & DMSMCA
Here are the questions & my answers.
- Don Woodstock
"Keeping It Real!
Keeping Them Honest!"
1. Accessing
affordable housing is in an ongoing struggle for many of our community
residents. Will you commit to build at
least 300 new social housing units annually for the next five years? What plans
do you have to improve the state of affordable housing shortages in our
community? In your plan will this be
social housing be public housing?
"Yes, I will
build at least 300 new social housing units annually for 5 years making sure
the housing is first ‘affordable’ low-income housing then, low-income housing
because there is a difference. First
item to do is to get an audit of current derelict buildings that the City
currently has on their books. Fast-track
the process of demolish or purchase so it doesn’t take 3-4 years. Create housing co-ops – one that will make
the purchase of these homes to never be sold for profit. This will keep rents low &
affordable. The plan will be for both
types of housing."
2. Will you
continue Rent Assist for those living on a low income?
"Yes, but what we will do differently is
change up the model of Administration so more than the current 10% of eligible
folks can get assistance. We end up
spending a lot of time & money administering over a system where it could
be spent better – on the people. We need
less administrators & administrative red tape, so that more people have
access."
3. Social
Housing is an integral part of the diverse housing landscape in our community,
where does your Party stand on committing to maintain and not sell off social
housing structures in the future?
"What did Medicine Hat do? They discovered that it is cheaper to the
taxpayer to find housing for someone rather than leaving them on the street. They would save approximately $80,000 a year. I like Medicine Hat’s approach and should I
be elected, I would put a Private Member’s Bill for legislation to make sure we
adopt Medicine Hat’s model of Housing First.
Time has come for us to stop talking about this issue & act on
it. I would be the strongest advocate to
suspend the empty promises while apartment blocks lay idle. The apartment block at the corner of Ellice
& Langside stood empty for 5+ years, supposedly being renovated. Yet no one saw anyone there. Half of Sage Creek was built in 5 years. So, any political party or elected official
can promise you all they want, but talk is cheap. There are a lot of us who understand what is
happening here in Minto to a lot of good people. We can do better."
4. Having a
safe and well maintained home is important to safety and well-being. Many of
the social housing infrastructures in our community are in need of renovation
and maintenance. What ideas do you and your Party have to maintain the
renovations program of Manitoba social Housing units?
"Let’s not be fooled by party rhetoric. Let’s keep it real. Let’s keep it honest. It is impossible to depend on federal
transfer dollars & higher taxation to keep social programs in this province
running. We have to be creating more
jobs, less people on welfare, better use of taxpayer dollars, decrease
administration, no more prison expansions – in fact, we need to reduce prison
populations. So, my answer to this
question – if we truly want to have better housing & infrastructure – let’s
be honest, we have to push for this Province to be a ‘have’ province. Going to the Federal Government with our
hands cupped is not moving forward. Real
income & real business opportunities are how we will be able to have the
revenue for special grants for housing renovations & social housing.
"Manitoba Hydro – A Crown Corporation - if they
were handling their finances better they would be able to provide grants for more
than just windows, but have competitive loans for the purpose of retrofitting
your homes, beyond windows & insulation."
5. Energy
efficiency is a way to a warm, healthy, safe, and cost efficient home for our
community and Province. How will you help community residents who want to make
improvements to their home to be greener and more energy efficient (solar
panel, geothermal pump, etc.)?
"Manitoba Hydro can help by becoming an Green
Energy Sector Leader rather than just an electrical power supplier. This will create green business opportunities
and less red-tape for incoming businesses to Manitoba.
For any Business Model to be successful –
you need relatively low labour costs, relatively low Hydro, relatively low land
costs, and guess what, Manitoba has all of that & centrally located in Canada. Yet still, we do not have an economy that is
self-sufficient. For Economics 101
folks, ‘Steady Growth & Good Jobs’ is a con job."
6. The purpose of the Restorative Justice Act (2015) is
to support the development and use of Restorative Justice programs in
Manitoba. What is your party’s plan to
support the continued efforts of the restorative justice model in Manitoba and
how will you make restorative justice options more accessible to our community
in West End Winnipeg?
"As a West End
resident and social activist, I am endorsing Bill 60 and its policies on
restorative justice. Family Violence
& Youth offenders would have a chance to have a more speedy court hearing
and help to reduce the burden on our Criminal & Family Court System. Combining
the Restorative Justice & the Families Justice Initiatives will help to
make a clearer picture of peoples’ lives and circumstances to help in the
decision of sentencing. Advisory
Councils, the new Prosecution Unit, new and expanded mental health and drug
courts should all be reassessed to ensure that funding/administration
costs/necessity of the positions to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent
properly.
The Perry
Preschool Study: Results - The study
shows that a high-quality program for young children living in poverty, over
their lifetimes, improves their educational performance, contributes to their
economic development, helps prevent them from committing crimes, and provides a
high return on taxpayer investment.
An office for
Restorative Justice will be on Sargent, Ellice Avenue, or Cumberland right in
the thick of things, and very visible to the community and accessible.
A new model is
needed – Spend more money in early childhood development with emphasis on
prenatal care vs building prisons. I
said it 4 years ago that it was the wrong thing for the government to embark
on. I am saying it again 4 years later,
after no improvement to our community; it’s time for someone who truly wants to
make a difference in improving folk’s lives that are in the inner-city."
7. When people are
in need of urgent support, it is essential that there are accessible and
coordinated resources available to them in the community. This is often a difficulty faced by those in
our community during times of crisis.
This issue has been addressed in other areas of Winnipeg through a
provincially funded Block-by-Block Community Safety Initiative. What are your plans to address this issue for
families living in the West End?
"This initiative was first launched in 2013 as a Crime
Fighting initiative. To date, I have
heard no stats, no research, no reporting to the media or general public on how
well this initiative is working. I
reviewed a website & found many MLA’s & top ranking folks “in-charge”
& am not confident of its leadership & vision. In May, 2015, Police Chief Clunis stood in
front of the City Council building and announced its “Smart Policing Initiative”
which is a part of the Block-by-Block Initiative explaining that this will take
place over the next 5 years. It seems that
it will be many years before this initiative will come to fruition.
My philosophy has always been to govern more at the
street level than in a marble-laid office so the philosophy of joining forces
is appealing. A phase of the
Block-by-Block initiative focuses
on improved housing, better access to wellness services, neighbourhood
beautification and improved infrastructure.
Here in the West End, my focus will be on the neighbourhood - New lighting,
a facelift, more education about the root cause of crime. The 24/7 Safe Space, which I have strongly supported
since its infancy, speaks directly to crisis assistance in the middle of the
night. Should youth in our community
need assistance, voluntarily or involuntarily, the 24/7 initiative is there to
help, and this is the initiative I feel will best serve during a crisis, and
will see that this initiative continues.
My belief is that this kind of support and more, will eliminate
youngsters being charged for petty things or unnecessarily because they are in
the wrong place at the wrong time due to there are no other places for them to
be."
8. Harm reduction
can be defined as strategies, programs and policies, which aim to reduce the
negative health, social and economic outcomes associated with the use of licit
or illicit substances. It is an evidence-informed and cost-effective approach –
bringing benefits to the individual, community and society (International Harm
Reduction Association, 2006). How will
your party support harm reduction efforts and programs in our community?
"The Addictions Foundations
of Manitoba has reported great results.
Folks who want to change their path in life have a better success rate
if in their program. Their programs speak
directly to root causes. Addresses
them. Lends support. If we could, in one generation, turn around
or eliminate harmful causes such as poverty, lack of housing, and more support of
mental illness as well as addictions, we can look forward to a brighter
future. Many programs today look at
treating the end-result – I would like to change that model – look at the
beginning influence. Let’s start there."
9. What is your
party doing to help the older adults and seniors of the West End “age in place”
safely and have access to safety resources such as emergency medical services?
"Everyone
deserves to stay in their homes for as long as possible. We know that this lends to longer life,
happier mental status and better physical activity. We know today that we are living longer. I believe we need to implement a Medical
Savings program just for Home Care that will see the Education tax diverted
into this Medical Savings, say at age 60.
Set it up as a tax-free investment as the senior will
be paying tax on
the services when used.
-
Ambulance/EMS
-
Healthcare doctors & nurses in-home visits
-
Transportation in vehicles (not ambulances)
while remaining in gurneys provided at a lesser cost than EMS
-
Prescription coverage 100% after 70 years of age
-
Coordination of services for housecleaning &
yard work"
10. Crime Prevention
addresses the risk factors in communities and connects people with protective
factors (programs, supports, resources).
This approach meets the needs of community members in a multi-facetted
way. In what ways will your party
prioritize Crime Prevention in our neighbourhood?
"A small group of
us in the West End have met on several occasions with the Winnipeg Police
representatives to identify problems occurring in the community. A huge hurdle we have to overcome is the lack
of power by the Police until a crime has occurred. So again, dealing with end results rather
than with beginning influences. Our
social models have to change if we are going to move forward.
The Conservative
government recently passed Prostitution as a legal form of work and the people
who buy the services are breaking the law.
So, to play within this realm, requires us to become a little more
resourceful. More intense lighting on
the streets, being a more vibrant business community, patrols on the street and
cameras in areas of interest. Removing unwanted
elements, such as residences that grow and sell illicit drugs would be very beneficial
to the community. Let us institute a
reward system for information leading to drug busts in West End Homes. Whether it is monetary or service-related, if
there is a benefit for someone to reveal this information then let’s use it to
do the best for our community. Calling
Crime Stoppers or your MLA is one avenue.
Today, if your next door neighbour is selling drugs out of their home, sometimes
you feel helpless or you call the police & it seems it takes forever for a
result. Remember, the Police can’t do it
all.
In other
communities of Winnipeg, prostitutes cannot stand on the corners, such as on Demetre’s
corner street in Lindenwoods. Why is it
O.K. for them to stand here in Minto?
Why do I have to talk to my daughter about prostitution? Not sure, if Andrew Swan who lives in
Wolseley ever had to have that conversation with his daughters."
11. What
does your party propose in terms of mental health care for young adults who are
exiting CFS care and are expected to be independent with little or no
resources?
"The Hughes
Enquiry has many key reforms which includes CFS wards to have extended care to
the age of 25. I firmly believe this to
be a key factor in preparing a child for adulthood to have a better mental
& physical future. If we could spend
one generation of supporting and nurturing CFS children, the number of children
in-care would drop dramatically & permanently. We have the studies, noted & respected
people in their fields have given governments their recommendations and we have
to change the CFS model dramatically, or we will never be able to solve the
problem of young girls like Tina Fontaine, who at a young age prostituting
herself on Sargent Avenue without the MLA & Justice Minister Andrew Swan
caring enough to change it because she wasn’t related to him."
12. Youth
are completing high school and university with few employment opportunities,
what is your party doing to promote accessible career and employment
opportunities for the young people in our community?
"My true passion
is the welfare of our children & what future are we providing for
them. Just recently, one of the
residents of our street, Lipton Street, wanted to do a “Wood Workshop” at our
annual Canada Day Block Party FREE to 30 children who want to see how well they
could do at woodworking. That was a
brilliant idea. But to expound upon
that, with the help of the Urban Knights & Ladies organization, we have
been working to put together a Youth Trade Skills program to introduce the
youth of the West End to plumbing, carpentry, & electrical. We have a big-box company seriously
considering to come onboard with providing the materials the program would
need. Upon entering this program, we
would help to secure funding for individuals who would like to continue into
college or university to further their future in one of the trades.
All communities
thrive when there is a good mix of business & residential needs met. As a huge environmental activist, one of my
main focuses would be bringing in green business/technology. Bringing jobs into the West End should be one
of the main focuses of an MLA."
13. What
does your party promise for the continuation and increased support of
recreation for youth in the inner-city?
How will you party increase support for the accessibility of recreation
in the inner-city, through individual equipment, transportation and health
support?
"When you are a resident of a community you
understand the problems your neighbours face, and one of those is keeping our
youth engaged. We do have properties
that can be revitalized for the enjoyment of the youth, such as the Orioles
Community Centre. Basketball courts,
tennis courts & skate parks are essential to be local & evident in the
neighbourhood for all to use. A lot of,
what I call fluff, is being done in the community today. Minto needs strong leadership at the
political level who care about seeing this community move forward in a positive
way"
14. Transportation
affects all ages, however, the safety and wellbeing of young people is heavily
affected by lack of reliable transportation. What initiatives will
your party take to help people access more efficient public transportation?
"I would like to work
with Winnipeg Transit/City of Winnipeg to institute a Dart Service (shuttle
service that is provided to St. Boniface, Southdale & Ft. Richmond) that
would run around the West End (from Balmoral West to Strathcona & from St.
Matthews North to Wellington). This
service is provided at normal fare & is just a phone call away. To get folks, especially youth & seniors from
A to B safely, hassle free and with frequency is integral for health and mental
wellbeing."
15. How
will your party provide better support for youth in the LGBT! Community in the
education system, health care system and workforce?
"Every
life is precious. All races, creeds,
colours, religion, sexual orientation & disability/ability are equal in my
mind. Our communities are striving to do
better – and the LGBT community is a part of it. I would like to ensure there is enough
information about stereotyping & racial profiling, as well as
discrimination, and as I have seen & felt discrimination on many fronts, I
will strive as a community leader & your MLA to have more understanding out
in the public about people of diverse sexual orientation. This will be in the form of more open
dialogue at schools & rec centres, education in schools & workplaces
ensuring upper-level management engage in the process of acceptance by
attending seminars to implement neutral-friendly facilities. Ex. Washrooms. Doing this in consultation and partnership
with existing groups."
16. A job can be an effective
way out of poverty, but only if the wages cover the basic cost of living. The
Manitoba minimum wage is $11 per hour. The current minimum wage is not based on
any estimate of the cost of living, nor is it indexed for inflation. A
two-parent family with both parents working full time on minimum wage still
leaves them with a household income that falls $1,500 below the poverty line,
and single-parent families$8,000 below the poverty line. Increasing the minimum
wage to the Low Income Cut Off Before Tax (LICO-BT) measure for a single parent
family ($15.53 in 2014), sets the minimum wage based on the actual cost of
living. Do
you believe worker’s pay should cover basic cost of living? Do you support increasing the minimum wage to
the Low Income Tax Cut Off Before Tax measure (LICO-BT) ($15.53 in 2014)
through a series of pre-announced steps by 2020 and indexing it to Low Income
Cut Off-Before Tax?
"Yes I do,
but only if we have a new government in put in place. Due to the NDP’s demonstrations that they are
more interested in hiring people for their political gains, rather than finding
ways & means to put monies back into the pockets of people who need it the
most raising the minimum wage won’t help us."
. 17. Many of our
community members have mental health issues and have difficulty finding work
because of the stigma surrounding their disability. What would you do to help
with educating employers about this problem, and promote the employment of
those living with mental health issues?
"Reaching Equality & Employment Services (REES)
corner of Portage Ave & Erin, I served on the Board of Directors for 4
years. I saw, first-hand, 90% of people
with disabilities/abilities who came to us found employment. That is an impressive number. We focused on their abilities & sought
employers who could use those abilities.
The employers were very satisfied with the workers. Our board was somewhat comprised of folks who
had first-hand experiences with people who had disabilities. That made a huge difference to our
outcomes. Looking at one’s abilities
& finding an employer who needs that ability is paramount."
18. The poverty rate
in our neighbourhood is one of the highest in the city, but many residents lack
the education or skills to obtain employment. What will you do to provide more
skills training and education opportunities to local residents in order to
address this issue? Residents have said
there is a large gap between skills training and finding apprenticeship or job
opportunities locally. How would your party work to close this gap and promote
apprenticeship or employment so residents could find work in their own
neighbourhoods?
"Earlier, I spoke of the Skills Training – the importance
of it. Now, we have to look at bold initiatives
that the NDP government has not done. There
is a huge shortage in the construction industry, and a conversation I had with
Mike Holmes, Holmes on Holmes T.V. show, is “the greatest asset we have is our
youths.” So we need to find ways & means to get
them on-the-job training, apprenticeships and we will be working with folks in
the community to make this happen. We
will bridge that gap."
19.. Alternative
economic development initiatives such as micro-financing and local investment
funds offer a way for communities to generate local income and employment
opportunities. How would you support and promote such initiatives?
"Each initiative would be looked at for viability. Small or large economies thrive on economic
sustainability. So, we need to have
small Mom & Pop operations to do well.
Through consultation and public meetings rather than close door meetings
will help us to develop a model that would benefit the community. Promoting viable initiatives would be one of
my main focuses."
20. Many community members in our neighbourhood
receive Employment and Income Assistance (EIA). Households on EIA have not had
an increase in their Basic Needs Budget –meant to cover food and other basic
needs. When other household supplies and necessities are subtracted, families
are left with less than $4 per day per person for food, well below the cost of
a healthy diet in Manitoba. In 2015, the Manitoba government raised the rent
budget for people receiving EIA to reflect actual rent costs. This increase
only goes halfway to filling the gap in what people on EIA need to survive. The
other major component of the EIA program, the Basic Needs Budget also needs
adjustment. Where does your Party stand
on the Basic Needs Budget and what will you do to ensure that the Basic Needs
Budget reflects the
actual cost of living and the needs of our community?
"In the 70’s in Dauphin,
Manitoba – A study was done for Guaranteed Livable Income. I will take the study & get it looked at
again to help to implement into Winnipeg, Manitoba."
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