Lakeside
Manitoba Liberal Party (MLP) - Candidate: Neil Stewart
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
Persons can become disabled at different stages of their lives. I have always been amazed at the people who sacrifice so that they can care for people whom are disabled. These are the real hero's and without them we are lost....We must support both groups.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
Employment of persons with disabilities interests me the most. I served on numerous hiring boards and on many occasions we were able to hire people with disabilities. Sometimes there were institutional barriers that prevented them from being hired, and other times there was what in hindsight was subtle discrimination. Our focus was not always holistic in nature and thus we did not hire as many disabled persons as we could have. When I retired I moved to the Lakeside electoral district. I noticed the community had an above average awareness of the need to provide employment to disabled persons. The community support system that supports this has been faced with funding cuts...which makes no sense whatsoever to me...
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
I think that the persons lodging the complaints are continually faced with a variety of types of discrimination. I believe the simple lack of the sense of belonging is the single biggest shortfall that needs to be addressed. Inclusion in all aspects of life is so important...
New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP) - Candidate: Dan Rugg
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
Disability has played a large roll in not only my life but my families as well. My oldest daughter graduated from Red River College in the community services field, with a diploma in disability and community support. She has worked in residential homes to day programs as well as an education assistant. She currently is a facility manager at a Day Program in Winnipeg supporting people with intellectual and physical disabilities. My other Daughter has also grown up her whole life with a hearing disability, this has allowed myself and my family to become strong advocates for people with disabilities.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
Choosing one out of the five priority issues is very hard for me, they are all so important however I will focus this question on “skilled workforce”. Our frontline workers should always be one of the main priorities in our communities, they do work that is essential to keep the community growing. I see first-hand how tired and burnt-out people in this field can be as I have mentioned my daughter has been working in the field for over 2 and a half years now. Making wages liveable and fair across the board so there is room for growth. Being understaffed due to things such as wages, does not allow for the people being supported to live their lives to the fullest. I want to see this sort of change for the field so not only do the frontline workers get to live with less stress, so do the people being supported.
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
Lack of education and knowledge is what creates negative environments, educating people on the VPA and how everyone has the exact same rights would help decrease the amount of complaints coming forward, We as people need to learn to accept everyone.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PC) Candidate: Trevor King
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
Disabilities have played a significant role within my family having a family member born with an intellectual disability and for those family members who have developed disability through aging or having experienced life altering chronic disease. Trying to provide essential services for education, employment and housing and meeting basic life needs can be very challenging especially in rural Manitoba. We are very fortunate to have some great programs in this constituency particularly the “Community Living Interlake” helping to support persons living with disabilities and keep them in the small rural environment.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
I believe that a priority focus should be on meeting the basic needs for those living with disabilities. We know that inequities exist and that those with limitations are a highly vulnerable population. Provision of financial incentives for both individuals with disabilities and for community organizations will enable those with both physical and mental limitations to remain in the communities where they were born and raised. This will enable them to find affordable housing, meaningful employment and services that can meet their needs. The PC Government has introduced a new disability income support program and will continue to work with our community leaders to ensure the needs of those living with disabilities are being met.
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
It is concerning to see the high rate of complaints to the Human Rights Commission against those persons dealing with disabilities. The issue of discrimination and intolerance has been evident for many minority and vulnerable groups. Discrimination and intolerance can occur both consciously and unconsciously. The cause is often related to ignorance, or lack of knowledge and education regarding the marginalized group in question. Launching public awareness strategies will help to dispel the myths that exist in society towards those who have either physical or mental disabilities. This can be achieved through social media campaigns or school, community and workplace educational sessions. The focus needs to be on showcasing the abilities of all individuals and their contribution and roles in society. We also need to lead by example with respect, dignity and humanity for all persons in our province. This is important to me and to the PC government that I am a part of.