Brandon candidates' debates focus on health care, affordable housing, city's downtown

Health care, Westman alienation and the cost of living were front and centre during back-to-back debates between candidates in Brandon's two ridings on Tuesday.

Six candidates running in Manitoba'sOct. 3 provincial electiontook the stage for the two debates hosted by the Brandon Sun Tuesday evening at Brandon University, the first of which featuredBrandon East candidates Len Isleifson (Progressive Conservative), Glen Simard(NDP) andTrent Zazalak(Liberal).

It was followed by a second debate betweenBrandon Westcandidates Wayne Balcaen(Progressive Conservative), Bill Marsh (Green Party) andQuentin Robinson (NDP), who are competing in a wide-open race after PC MLA Reg Helwer, who has held the seat since 2011, decided not to run for re-election.

Heated moments from both debates saw NDP and PC candidates accusing their rivals of failing to meet the needs of southwestern Manitobaresidents,especially regardinghealth care.

Brandon East incumbent Isleifsonsaid his government has worked torecruit and retain health-care professionals in southwestern Manitoba. He also pointed to the PC government's funding forPrairie Mountain Health,which is expanding the Brandon Regional Health Centre, and other initiatives in the region, including funding for expansion ofthe Brandon Police Service headquartersandanew school in the city.

"I fight every dayto better Manitoba and ensure that Brandon is at the table," Isleifson said.

Brandon East NDP candidate Simard saidhealth care remains a majorissue for western Manitobans, especially with recent clinic closures in and around Brandon. When he asked the audience of roughly 100 to raise their hands if they have a family doctor, only about half indicated they did.

He committed to finding ways to address health-care needs by recruiting and retaining workers, and establishing a rural doctor recruitment fund.Healso made a pledge to promote Brandon at the provincial level if elected.

Brandon West NDP candidate Robinson said his partywants to train moredoctors and nurses in the province,including at sites in Brandon, saying people in the city should not be treated as"second-class citizens" when it comes to health care.

Brandon East candidate Zazalak saidLiberals want to see a University of Manitoba satellite medical school at Brandon University to address these issues.

"If we rely on simply recruiting doctors from other countries, other places, what we see in our community is doctors come here, they spend a couple years, and then they move somewhere else," Zazalak said.

"Bringing medical doctors people who were raised here, people who were born here, people who live here, people who are educated here and people who will work here is important."

BrandonUniversity political scientistKelly Saunders who was part of a four-person panel who posed questions to the candidates also raised the issue ofWestman alienation with respect topost-secondary institutions.

She said the universities ofManitoba andWinnipeg received considerably higher funding increases under the PC government than Brandon University did.

"Why is Brandon University at the bottom of the list? Does this really show how we're just not a priority for your party?" Saunders asked Brandon West PC candidate Balcaen.

Balcaen, a recently retired Brandon police chief,noted he was not part of the government that set those budgets, butpledged to fight for post-secondary funding in Brandon if he's elected.

Affordable housing

In response to questions about affordable housing, Robinson said itis a pressing need in Brandon for many different groups of people,from people who are homeless tostudents coming toBrandon. He accused the PC government of worsening the problem over the last seven years by selling off affordable housing.

AnNDPgovernment would not sell any available housing, he promised, and he repeated a promise made earlier in the day by NDP Leader Wab Kinew to encourage new rental builds by lifting the provincial sales tax from the construction of new rental units.

"It's potentially a seven per cent profit incentive," Robinson said.

Balcaen countered that the PCs have the only credible plan for affordable housing. The party has also promised to eliminate the land-transfer tax for first-time homebuyersif elected to their third term something Balcaen said would help get people out of rentals and into homes they own.

The Green Party's Marsh, a former teacher, noted that for those on a fixed income or new to the workforce, rental prices and mortgages are not always affordable oreasily accessible, as more people struggle with the rising costs of living.

Isleifson noted affordable housing issues can be addressedby making life overall more affordable, pointingto minimum wage increasesand tax bracket changes as ways thePC government has done that.

Downtown Brandon

During questions about revitalizing Brandon's downtown, which sits in the Brandon East riding, Robinson saidthere is wisdom to draw from in the community and innon-profits. He claimed there were plans in place for significant development in downtownin 2016, but they were abandonedafter the NDPgovernment wasdefeated by the PCsin that year's provincial election.

"We need to get back to a place where there is a provincial government that's ready to be a partner with what the community wants to do and is ready to do, and the NDP will be that government," Robinson said.

The party has also said it willend chronic homelessness within two terms if elected.

Balcaen said the methamphetamine crisis has taken a toll on the community, but "Manitoba isn't the only province and Brandon isn't the only city" where it's an issue.

He said he supports puttingmoney and resources into harm reduction. He would not commit to a supervised consumptionsite, citing concerns it could cause the crime rate to rise, but said he is willing to learn more.

"I don't think police will ever arrest their way out of these situations," he said. "They're social issues and they're issues that need to be partnered with other agencies and work to help solve these areas."

Advance voting for the 2023 provincial election begins on Saturday. Election day is Oct. 3.