Ensure Timely and Equitable Access to Services and Resources
You can review our description of this priority here.
These are the four questions that we posed to each party related to this priority issue.
If elected to from the government ...
- What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
- Does your party commit to implementing a transparent and accountable system that measures and publicly reports on wait times for disability services?
- What will your party do to address the reported inadequacies related to disability services and resources and the serious limitations in the educational and health care services?
- How will your party address the wide regional disparities in disability services and the inequities that continue to be faced by First Nations adults living on reserve?
Party Responses
Green Party of Manitoba
Green MLAS will ensure Wait times for disability services are reduced through job creation after consultation on what jobs are needed where to address bottlenecks to prompt service. We support transparency and accountability so yes, Green MLAs will work toward implementing a transparent and accountable system of public reporting.
Lack of funding for staff resources including culturally appropriate training has led to the inequities experienced by our relatives on reserves. Addressing the TRC actions will also go along way toward healing.
Manitoba Liberal Party
Q: What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
A: Manitoba Liberals are committed to rebuilding the Manitoba public service and ensuring that public services are delivered promptly. The PCs seven years of cuts and freezes have left government departments with inadequate resources to the task. We will do more than just hire: we will invest in technology and processes to speed access to service.
Q: Does your party commit to implementing a transparent and accountable system that measures and publicly reports on wait times for disability services?
A: Yes, this is a benchmark that should be pubic.
Q: What will your party do to address the reported inadequacies related to disability services and resources and the serious limitations in the educational and health care services?
A: In all these areas, we have to improve staffing levels. We are committed to rebuilding our health care, education and disability services. We also want services that are efficient and smoothly-functioning. As we rehire and rebuild, we will work with the public who use the services to see they’re functioning.
Q: How will your party address the wide regional disparities in disability services and the inequities that continue to be faced by First Nations adults living on reserve?
A: The current lack of disability services is unacceptable. We take the position that all Manitobans are Manitobans, and as it stands, the Government of Manitoba is funded on per capita basis from the Federal Government – which includes everyone on reserve. We will work in partnership with First Nations, and the Federal Government to fund accessibility programs, to address disability services.
Manitoba Liberals also made a major health care commitment, to ensuring that everyone has a family physician or nurse practitioner, with clinics to provide wraparound care across the province. These sites can also be used to enhance and deliver disability services.
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
Wait times for disability services have reached unacceptable levels. An NDP government will invest in expanded disability services across the province to tackle the backlog. We will offer transparent and reliable information on wait times. And we will bring people with disabilities to the table to offer feedback and advice to health, education, and social service authorities on how to improve the system.
The lack of services has a disproportionate impact on First Nations and Indigenous people. The Manitoba NDP are fully committed to the proper implementation of Jordan’s Principle. We will work with the federal government to develop and implement an approach in accordance with Jordan’s Principle that will ensure First Nations people with disabilities receive the services they need when and where they need them.
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
Q: What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
A: The PC Party of Manitoba is committed to reducing wait times for disability services, and has demonstrated this commitment through the introduction of new intake processes in some program areas, as well as $5 million in new funding to help reduce waitlists and increase capacity for therapies and case management. In the past year, more than $21 million was dedicated toward expanding the capacity of CLDS to support new program entrants. We recognize the pandemic significantly impacted access to services and we will continue working to overcome any lingering setbacks.
Q: Does your party commit to implementing a transparent and accountable system that measures and publicly reports on wait times for disability services?
A: Yes, the PC Party is committed to implementing a transparent and accountable system to measure and publicly report on wait times for disability services. The government has been consulting on and developing a process to track and publicly report wait time information for programs serving people with disabilities and their families. A re-elected PC government will begin reporting for public accountability, and will work to address deficits identified in that data.
Q: How will your party address the wide regional disparities in disability services and the inequities that continue to be faced by First Nations adults living on reserve?
A: The PC Party recognizes it takes multiple levels of government to address inequities faced by First Nations, but acknowledges that when it comes to First Nations adults living on reserve services are to come from the federal government. Regional disparities in disability services are being partially addressed via the Manitoba Accessibility Fund, which is providing grants for 42 organizations across the province undertaking projects to remove barriers for people living with disabilities. Wage increases brought in by our PC government will also have province-wide impact.