Springfield-Ritchot
Manitoba Liberal Party (MLP) - Candidate: Trevor Kirczenow
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
My son lives with type 1 diabetes, which is often invisible as a disability, but can be very serious. I am part of a team that fought hard over the past few years to improve coverage for diabetes supplies in Manitoba, and we succeeded! Continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps are now included in pharmacare for people of all ages living with type 1. However, I think we need to do more – pharmacare deductibles in this province tend to be shockingly high which means that even though medications and medical devices might be "covered", most people still pay out of pocket for them.
We continue to see accessibility problems in schools for children with type 1 because teachers and school staff are not permitted to assist children with taking insulin. This affects the quality of health care the children receive, and sometimes means that parents choose not to work (if they are able to make that choice) so that they can go to their child each day at lunch time to give an insulin injection.
I am deeply committed to accessibility and equity for all Manitobans.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
I am particularly interested in the proper implementation of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA). I hold a degree in political science from UBC, and I have always had a passion for understanding how the details of legislation and their implementation affect people's lives. It's wonderful to be able to make a flashy funding announcement in front of the press, but the details of "how" and "when" are crucially important to actually getting the work done. In this province, we've seen money announced for various projects or accommodations, but unfortunately lacking detailed plans and the necessary oversight for proper implementation and follow-through. The AMA has the potential to make a huge difference.
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 more human rights complaints have to do with disability than any other area simply because as a society, we have not invested the time, effort and money into ensuring accessibility and equity for Manitobans living with disabilities. We need to change that now, and to realize that work is required to get it right!
New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP) - Candidate: Tammy Ivanco
The candidate did not respond by our September 20, 2023 deadline
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PC) - Candidate: Ron Schuler
The candidate did not respond by our September 20, 2023 deadline