Manitoba's New Democrats unveiled the priorities of their campaign Monday, a seven-point plan with health-care priorities at the top of the list.
In a crowded nursing skills lab at Red River College, NDP Leader Gary Doer said if he's re-elected his government will put 700 more nurses to work.
"There are going to be lots of announcements in this campaign that basically deal with services that people care about," Doer said. "It's very simple: if you have more nurses on the front lines, you will have less patients on waiting lists."
Doer said the new nurses would be trained in Winnipeg, in Brandon and in northern Manitoba. He promised another $1.5 million to expand the Red River College lab alone.
The announcement was welcomed by Louise Gordon, dean of Red River's school of health sciences and community services.
"Our facilities are cramped, and so the capital announcement really allows us to expand facilities, support the province's requirements and just do a better job," she said.
Since the NDP government first came into power in 1999, Gordon said, she's seen an increase in nursing students here, from 135 then to 500 today.
Two hundred and fifty of the promised nurses would join 150 new health-care aides and other professionals as part of a new plan to improve personal care homes, the NDP said.
In addition to the health announcement, Doer listed each of the NDP's seven pledges, up from five during the 2003 election.
Environment, education, safety, roads, taxation and keeping Manitoba Hydro a Crown corporation were the other six items on the list.
Doer said details of each item would be rolled out later in the campaign.
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Manitoba Votes 2007 Headlines »
- NDP wins historic 3rd majority in Manitoba
- Manitoba NDP Leader Gary Doer has led his party to a historic third majority government in the province's 39th general election, taking 36 of 57 seats.
- PCs win 19 seats, lose ground from 2003
- The Progressive Conservatives won 19 out of 57 ridings Tuesday — a drop of one seat from 2003.
- Liberals hold 2 seats
- Voters denied the Liberals official party status on Tuesday, although the party held its two existing seats.
- Greens make slight gains
- The Green party's dreams of a breakthrough quickly wilted on Tuesday night.
- 16 cabinet ministers re-elected, one loses nailbiter
- Sixteen members of Premier Gary Doer's former NDP cabinet in Manitoba were re-elected Tuesday, but Trade Minister Scott Smith lost the riding of Brandon West in a squeaker.