2022 Fort Whyte Byelection Archive

Parties' and Candidates’ Answers To Our Questions

You might be familiar with Disability Matters Vote (DMV) from the last provincial election as we placed many hundreds of lawn signs across the province. Disability Matters Vote is a non-partisan public awareness campaign and joint initiative of Barrier-Free Manitoba and Abilities Manitoba. DMV has taken the opportunity of the Fort Whyte byelection on March 22 to seek the parties' and candidates' feedback on the following questions:

Questions for Candidates

Have disability issues affected you and your family?
How do wait times for disability services affect your constituents and how can this best be addressed?
Why do you think that Disability Support Workers are among the lowest-paid care providers in your constituency? What can be done about this?
What do you see as being the greatest accessibility challenges within your constituency and what will you do to address the challenge?
How do the issues of disability and poverty affect your constituents and what can be done about them?
What do you see as the biggest employment barriers for people with disabilities in your constituency and how can they be eliminated?

Question for Parties

What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
Will your party commit to implementing a transparent, accountable system to measure and publicly report on wait times for disability services? If yes, please provide details on how this will be accomplished within the next two years.
What level of income do you see as dignified?
How will you ensure the provision of a dignified income within current programs?
How will your party ensure that the Accessibility for Manitobans Act’s legislated promise of substantial progress towards full accessibility by 2023 is met, and will you commit to meaningful consultations?
How will your party ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings, and structures?
What will your party do to ensure a stable, fairly paid, and qualified workforce providing service to Manitobans with disabilities?
Will your party commit to implementing equitable wages for all disability support workers, comparable with other caring professions in Manitoba?
What is your party’s commitment to ensuring equity in employment and in outcomes for Manitobans with disabilities within the government and broader economy?
How will you ensure that Manitobans with disabilities are actively and continuously promoted to the business community as valuable contributors to the workforce ad economy?

If you live in Fort Whyte, please vote. You are legally entitled to take time away from work to vote.

Election day: Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Hours: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Advance voting: Thursday, March 10 to Thursday, March 17 Hours: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 6:00 pm Sunday

Answers are listed below in alphabetical order by last name:

Green Party of Manitoba Party Candidate:
Nicolas Geddert

No response as of March 14, 2022.

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Candidate:
Obby Kahn

No response as of March 14, 2022.

Manitoba Liberal Party Candidate:
Willard Reaves

How have disability issues affected you and your family?
I have a grandchild who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It can be a challenge to ensure that we are always advocating for his inclusion, and to ensure that he is not being discriminated against.
How do wait times for disability services affect your constituents and how can this best be addressed?
People with disabilities can be in extreme discomfort and pain. Long wait times can have an adverse effect on their physical and mental well-being, and lead to further issues down the road. This can best be addressed by investing in and prioritizing disability services so that people with disabilities can get the help they need when they need it.
Why do you think that Disability Support Workers are among the lowest paid providers in your constituency?
Disability Support Workers are among the lowest paid providers because they do not seem to have a strong advocate for their profession. Much like the disabled, it appears that those who support the disabled are on the margins without a voice. I want to be that voice.
What do you see as being the greatest accessibility challenges within your constituency and what will you do to address the challenge?
There are many accessibility challenges in the Fort Whyte community. Transportation, medical services, access to care, and accessing every day amenities to name a few. To address these challenges, I would listen to those in the community about what solutions they would like to see, and then I would work collaboratively with my counterparts at the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal levels to work towards achieving solutions.
How do issues of disability and poverty affect your constituents and what can be done about them?
Disability affects people of all incomes. Those with disabilities face barriers in employment, and there can be costly renovations needed to make housing accessible. Loss of income, childcare costs, and increased medical costs all can affect people with disabilities and their loved ones. The Manitoba Liberal Party believes that we need to raise the income floor by ensuring that every Manitoban has a minimum income. We are committed to raising the minimum wage, reforming EIA, and introducing a minimum basic income.
What do you see as the biggest employment barriers for people with disabilities in your constituency and how can they be eliminated?
Discrimination, and Accessibility are the biggest employment barriers for people with disabilities. We need to invest in disability support programs that promote employability. We need to show employers that people with disabilities can be fully capable of doing as good a job or better as a non-disabled person, and that it is to the benefit of their organizations to hire and integrate people with disabilities into them even if some adjustments must be made to accommodate.

Manitoba New Democratic Party Candidate:
Trudy Schroeder

How have disability issues affected you and your family?
I have family members who have experienced short term and long term disabilities. Each experience is unique but they share a common theme: the need to advocate for supports and services. It shouldn’t be this hard. Manitobans living with disabilities should have easy access to the supports and services they need to live full lives.
How do wait times for disability services affect your constituents and how can this best be addressed?
Families in Fort Whyte are waiting too long for the services they need. And often the supports they receive do not meet their unique needs. We need to invest in disability services so families can get the support they need when they need it.
Why do you think that Disability Support Workers are among the lowest paid care providers in your constituency?
What can be done about this? Support workers go above and beyond to care for the families they work with. Throughout the last two years of the pandemic, they took on great risk to continue to provide essential support to Manitobans with disabilities. They deserve a fair and competitive wage that reflects the risk and essential nature of their work.
What do you see as being the greatest accessibility challenges within your constituency and what will you do to address the challenge?
Fort Whyte residents face many barriers in our community. From transportation to the accessibility of provincial and municipal services. This impacts people of all ages. I would work with residents and disability advocates to make our neighbourhoods safer and more accessible.
How do the issues of disability and poverty affect your constituents and what can be done about them?
Even for people with moderate to high incomes, the costs related to disabilities can be daunting. Whether it is access to medical services, adequate physiotherapy, adaptations to housing, the financial burdens for these constituents is large, and the supports are not adequate. The NDP is working hard to make life more affordable for everyone.
What do you see as the biggest employment barriers for people with disabilities in your constituency and how can they be eliminated?
Everyone deserves access to meaningful employment. The pandemic has shown us how employers can adapt to meet their employees unique needs and we have to carry these lessons moving forward. My hope is that with the recently released Employment Accessibility Standard for Employment that government (and hopefully and NDP government in 2023) can push employers to eliminate employment barriers. Government has a responsibility to promote fair and inclusive hiring practices. As an employer, I believe the province should be a leader in creating accessible jobs for Manitobans with disabilities.

Answers are listed below in alphabetical order:

Conservative Party of Manitoba:

No response as of March 14, 2022.

Green Party of Manitoba Party:

No response as of March 14, 2022.

Manitoba Liberal Party:

Issue 1: Timely Access to Services

What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
The Manitoba Liberal Party believes in accessible service for all Manitobans, and that the best way to build stronger communities is to have those services be located close to home. Manitoba Liberals have committed to putting psychological assessments under medicare while growing psychological services across the province to ensure that children can be assessed while there is time to develop a care plan. We’ve committed to increasing the home care budget by 10% in the first year to improve levels of care.
Will your party commit to implementing a transparent, accountable system to measure and publicly report on wait times for disability services? If yes, please provide details on how this will be accomplished within the next two years.
Government departments are able to provide better reporting on the programs and services they provide. Not only that but this information is crucial to program development and success by measuring outcomes and expanding successful projects. Manitoba Liberals believe that good data makes good policy and will commit to publicly reporting on wait times for disability services across the province.

Issue 2: Dignified Income

Through the Disability Support Act (Bill 72), Manitoba has attempted to address income support for Manitobans with severe and prolonged disabilities.

What level of income do you see as dignified?
Manitoba Liberals believe that all Manitobans deserve a livable wage. We have committed raising minimum wage to $15 within two years of being elected
How will you ensure the provision of a dignified income within current programs?
In addition to reforming EIA, Manitoba Liberals will introduce three complementary programs to help lift people out of poverty that provides individuals with choice as well as job opportunities:
- A minimum basic income based on a “negative income tax” model, that tops up income
- Raising minimum wage within two years of being elected
- A voluntary “Manitoba Works for Good” jobs program that would pay individuals who find themselves out of work with to do jobs in the public interest, as an alternative to EIA or basic income

Issue 3: Fully Accessible Manitoba

How will your party ensure that the Accessibility for Manitobans Act’s legislated promise of substantial progress towards full accessibility by 2023 is met, and will you commit to meaningful consultations?
Manitoba Liberals believe that we need to partner with our Accessibility Groups to ensure that these goals and the needs of our communities are met. We have committed to infrastructure funding with a focus on accessibility. We were-and, are strong supporters of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act and the proactive process to removing barriers affecting persons with disabilities.
How will your party ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings, and structures?
The province needs to ensure that new buildings and existing government building adhere to accessibility standards. This involves developing a plan to take stock of inaccessible spaces, create a compliance action plan with funding to get the work done and reporting on progress.

Issue 4: Fair Wages

What will your party do to ensure a stable, fairly paid and qualified workforce providing service to Manitobans with disabilities
Manitoba Liberals believe that disability support workers deserve to earn competitive, livable wages. The best way to ensure we are attracting a stable and qualified workforce is to ensure that these jobs are good jobs, because Manitoba Liberals believe having a good job with fair pay is one of the most important things to everyone across the province.
Will your party commit to implementing equitable wages for all disability support workers, comparable with other caring professions in Manitoba?
Manitoba Liberals agree that disability support workers deserve to be paid an equitable wage comparable to other care professions.

Issue 5: Unleashing Employment Potential

What is your party’s commitment to ensuring equity in employment and in outcomes for Manitobans with disabilities within the government and broader economy?
Manitoba Liberals have committed to a basic minimum income model for EIA recipients to remove barriers from seeking or having employment while receiving benefits. We need to ensure that the province is an active partner in developing awareness and programs supporting employment of people with disabilities and breaking down barriers.
How will you ensure that Manitobans with disabilities are actively and continuously promoted to the business community as valuable contributors to the workforce ad economy?
Raising awareness of the opportunity that exists within the disability community should be a government priority. Unfortunately, funding for these programs has stalled and vacancy rates have risen steadily under the PC government. Manitoba liberals will reinvest in Disability support programs that promote employability.

Manitoba New Democratic Party:

Issue 1: Timely Access to Services

What will your party do to ensure the comprehensive reduction of wait times for disability services?
We know sustained and sustainable investments in disability services is the best way to reduce wait times for services. That is why, for example, we have committed to cancelling private sector home care contracts made by the PC government and taking those funds to invest them in increasing support for home care in Manitoba. We have also committed to increasing supports for mental health services in the community – that includes hiring more counsellors and psychologists for community clinics. Our goal is to reduce wait times for access to services and we believe our plan to invest in health care services in our community will provide a road map for the realization of the goal.
Will your party commit to implementing a transparent, accountable system to measure and publicly report on wait times for disability services?
If yes, please provide details on how this will be accomplished within the next two years. It is difficult right now to access accurate and timely data for wait times for disability services. This data exists in different departments and areas and is not centrally compiled nor is it easily accessible for families or people with disabilities. This should change and we are committed to developing in consultation with community advocates, families, organizations and people with disabilities a system to track wait times in a standardized format that is accessible, available and in plain language. We would work with the Accessibility and Advisory Council as well as the Disabilities Issues Office in order to develop standards, seek input and feedback, and then move to implementation

Issue 2: Dignified Income

Through the Disability Support Act (Bill 72), Manitoba has attempted to address income support for Manitobans with severe and prolonged disabilities.

What level of income do you see as dignified?
We are committed to providing a dignified income for people with severe and prolonged disabilities. We know such an income must be sensitive to the various needs of people who have severe and prolonged disabilities and so are open to the fact that there may be no single number that is appropriate for people with disabilities. But we believe there must be a foundation that provides a basic income that is adequate to live a dignified life for all people with severe and prolonged disabilities. As such we would strike a panel of experts to make such a determination. We look forward to working with advocates, organizations, families and people with disabilities to make this goal a reality.
How will you ensure the provision of a dignified income within current programs?
We will move immediately to enable a panel of experts to design the program to meet the needs of people with severe and prolonged disabilities in order to implement this important change. We believe this move will provide a model for how people with severe and prolonged disabilities can be best supported. In the interim we support using existing programs to ensure people with severe and prolonged disabilities receive a dignified income

Issue 3: Fully Accessible Manitoba

How will your party ensure that the Accessibility for Manitobans Act’s legislated promise of substantial progress towards full accessibility by 2023 is met, and will you commit to meaningful consultations?
We will work towards the realization of the AMA’s legislated promise by, in the first instance, listening to the voices of Manitobans with disabilities in the course of the implementation of the regulations and standards that fall under the AMA. We do believe that ongoing and meaningful consultation will not only allow for the development of regulations that meet the spirit and letter of the AMA, it will reflect the real needs of members of our community. We believe meaningful consultation requires listening, but also it requires equitable participation in the development of regulation and in its implementation and monitoring. The PCs use of outside consultants has in the past obscured the voices of people with disabilities who are impacted by the choices that have been made. We commit to not only listening but to acting on the suggestions and recommendations of people with disabilities in our province.
How will your party ensure the timely and comprehensive prevention and removal of barriers in facilities, buildings, and structures?
The NDP is committed to developing a disability policy lens and provincial disability strategy to address issues such as transportation, access to technology and housing. These will complement the provisions of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. We have committed to ensuring our infrastructure investments not only build our province but make it more accessible in the process. We are committed to making sure our infrastructure investments are viewed through a disability lens so that we can reduce and remove barriers to access when building or renovating buildings and structures in our province.

Issue 4: Fair Wages

What will your party do to ensure a stable, fairly paid and qualified workforce providing service to Manitobans with disabilities?
The first step in ensuring a stable workforce of service providers for Manitobans is to allow them the ability to bargain freely. And we would also end the various freezes on funding that have been ordered by the PCs. Agencies and organizations have seen their funding cut or frozen over the past several years which makes it difficult to provide appropriate compensation to their workers. By ending this freeze we will help to realize the goal of a stable and fairly compensated workforce to provide services to Manitobans. We would also move to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour so that no Manitoban who works full time should live in poverty. We are committed to raising the minimum to this level over the course of our mandate should we form government.
Will your party commit to implementing equitable wages for all disability support workers, comparable with other caring professions in Manitoba?
Yes, the NDP is committed to ensuring disability support workers receive equitable wages in our province. The first step is to allow workers a say in determining their wage rather than dictating freezes and de facto cuts as has been the practice of the PCs. In addition, ensuring the grants organizations and agencies receive for services that employ disability support workers are not frozen year over year will allow wages for these workers to be more comparable to other caring professions in Manitoba. We know disability support workers do some of the most important health and social work in our province and we are committed to offering the supports necessary to compensate them appropriately. We would also move to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour so that no Manitoban who works full time lives in poverty. We are committed to raising the minimum to this level over the course of our mandate should we form government.

Issue 5: Unleashing Employment Potential

What is your party’s commitment to ensuring equity in employment and in outcomes for Manitobans with disabilities within the government and broader economy?
Our party is fully committed to equity in employment for persons with disabilities. We would work with the Civil Service Commission to improve existing standards and practices to attract, recruit and retain persons with disabilities to work in the public service. We would create the conditions for gainful employment in dignified work. To this end, we would work to reduce barriers to finding work and provide the necessary supports required for success in the workplace. The NDP believe that government practices with respect to public sector employment should serve as a model for all employers in the province and to this end we will seek to lead by example.
How will you ensure that Manitobans with disabilities are actively and continuously promoted to the business community as valuable contributors to the workforce ad economy?
Persons with disabilities have much to contribute to our province and we are committed to working with them to ensure all businesses are aware of the benefits and skills they have to offer. We know stigma and prejudice must be combatted and we know there can be a lack of awareness regarding the skills and contributions people with disabilities make to our communities. That is why we would engage in educational and awareness campaigns to ensure the facts of the valuable contributions and potential Manitobans with disabilities can make to our communities is promoted and highlighted. We will also commit to partnering with the business community through educational institutions on co-op placements which will provide important links for training between education institutions and businesses. We know these programs could be a bridge and benefit people with disabilities and business alike.