I would like to respond to questions about "where is the Green Party?"

We have had better media coverage in the last two weeks of the campaign. We have been sending out press releases and holding media events since the beginning of the campaign. Our candidates have attended public and special-interest forums whenever we are invited. Our candidates have been out door-knocking and leafletting. Our complete platform is posted on our website, www.greenparty.mb.ca.

Please, those interested, check out our website or CALL us. We have a listed phone number, 488-2831. We would love to reach every Manitoban personally if we could.

Ardythe Basham
Candidate for Wolseley
Green Party of Manitoba

The business of Politics seems to block any genuine presentation of a vision for Manitoba. I choose to believe that most politicians want to have a long-term positive impact on Manitoba, but the pressure to stay in, or get into, power means that they must focus on the short term - whatever will get them elected.

I catch glimpses of a vision from both Doer & Gerrard, but not enough that I would say that it's their VISION that gets my vote. I can only make assumptions about the Green Party's vision because I don't hear anything from them. AND if McFayden wants to be my choice for change, he MUST project a positive alternative, which he does not. If he could project his vision for Manitoba as good as he projects his vision for his family, I would pay attention.

I will vote.

However I would even VOLUNTEER for a party that states a vision that encompasses all of Manitoba, not just the half where their votes are; that trumpets the accomplishments of Manitobans; that focuses on root causes of crime and poverty; that advocates healthy lifestyles for Manitobans vs. advanced medical interventions; that fosters independence, self-reliance, entrepreneurialism and community participation; and I could go on...

Mr. Doer
You came very close. Your idea of expanding hydro for economic spinoff misses the target. Granted there would be sales to other regions, and employment for the construction industry etc., but how about making the hydro utility really beneficial to Manitobans with such low hydro rates that seniors can have a better standard of living and not have to sell their homes because of rising costs? Better would be to attract people to Manitoba because, not only for affordable housing, but also to afford to live in the house, as this really is Winterpeg. Make living in Manitoba a privilege and a reward. That would make you a winner for my vote.

It's a sad thing when your choices are 3 parties who have perpetually lied, cheated and stolen from the populations of this country. What's worse is they are our only choice, so which lesser Liar, Cheat or Thief deserves a chance?

Are immigrants part of the future of Manitoba? or at least in the mind of politicians? none of the three main leaders have said anything about the reality of immigrants in this city. Perhaps because they have no voice and cannot vote. Immigrants who come to Manitoba are also leaving and no one is doing anything about it. They are the ones who could bring up our economy. We need to put more attention to this forgotten group in our community.

I don't think any major party has a decent vision for Manitoba, as all the parties are trying to move towards the center because they think it will gain them votes. It seems as though instead of winning by changing voters' minds, political parties these days are trying to win by changing their own minds. So I will probably wind up voting for the lesser of the evils again.

Platforms, promises, and politics! It is my belief that character is not easily changed. I feel that the best leader of any party and therefore the province is the person who has been involved in a non-political way in their own community to make it a better place to live. If they are not working to make a difference there, what makes them think that they will accomplish anything similar in the political arena. If we all worked at making our smaller corner of the world better, there would be less for parties to platform on or, indeed, to have to fix.

I look forward to watching this televised debate on CBC. Will the tough questions be asked though? Can the public submit questions? Real people want to ask real questions. These things in the past have come off as contrived - that's not acceptable anymore. It's time that the public had more than just observer status.

How might one a) attend the debate, and 2) pose questions if unable to attend?

Why don't we have Televised Leader Debates like in the US.

Watch the Party Leaders debate the issues and the propositions?

*** Comment from CBC Moderator ***

CBC-TV in Manitoba will broadcast a leaders' debate on the evening of Thursday, May 17. Watch the CBC Manitoba Votes 2007 website for details.

I've lived here 3 times. When I was 1.5 years old, while dad was working on the first Floodway. When I worked at CAE Aircraft in the late 70's. When I chose to come back here from Guadalajara, Mexico, BECAUSE Manitoba is a friendly village with big town opportunities. That didn't happen through Political Vision. It happened because of the people. We don't have visionary leaders anymore. They're all technocrats trying to play the spin-doctor game. It suggests that we've lost the hunger to demand better leadership, better long-term solutions to clean water, innovation without limits imposed by decaying systems like the proposed adoption of California's Emission Standards, poor interprovincial trade barriers restricting us from buying Canadian, instead of paying freight from California veggie and fruit growers and US cheeses, instead of our own products. All that Fuel, tarrifs, and duties, not to forget pesticides.

There's no vision beyond the next feudal election campaign anywhere in Canada. Its just that our warlords aren't armed with more than wordsmiths and media/image consultants. Will the comedian who's doing the PC ads ever have to answer for his comments in Parliament or Court? No, its Show Biz of the worst kind. The man with the media-Gold, makes the rules. Until more people run as independents...

I am quite fed up with the taxes here to all levels of governments, and the many excuses the make work government has to keep my hard earned tax dollars or to find more excuses to twist my paycheque into coughing up more.
At what point, is it not ok, to keep throwing money at a government who cannot control it’s spending, nor accurately validate what exactly it has spent our money on?

Just because a previous political party made a mess does not condone nor give ongoing permission to commission us to death to analyze the screw ups and find better ways to not spend our dollars on commissions and screw ups.

Suppose the elected officials had to actually be accountable for the decisions they make. If they voted for something that ended up being a huge error in judgement they are in their entirety held accountable. In a corporation or business. all management is held accountable right up to the president. if the company fails. Someone knew something that they should have shared and corrected. so culpability.

Now throw in that the fear of being caught at this screw up now we have criminal activity of cover up. Eventually the fear of being caught catches up everyone panics and now we have finger pointing and accusations. They are all culpable and therefore accountable. What next?
Fire the lot. Hire new entire new staff. (hold an election). set an example for the next up and comers.

We are trying to teach our children the socially acceptable behaviours, yet we condone, accept, and excuse the most morally reprehensible, socially derelict behaviour by those in power over our life lines our paycheques and tax dollars. What in thunder do you think our children are going to expect?
Manitoba is a beautiful place with so much to offer and yet we have back room deals, pathetic criminals bleeding our morality on the streets, and even worse running our governments. Good Lord and these people are patronizing and condescending to us by telling us it is not their faults.

As far as I am concerned, at this very moment, none of the parties. Last provincial election I was able to come to a conclusion and vote for the party who I thought would stand up for Manitoba and lead it in to a better tomorrow; campaign promises were at a minimum.

Now, all these so-called election promises are too far fetched for even Fido to retrieve. The PC is promising to reduce school tax by 50%... the schools barely benefit from the school tax as it currently stands, so where are they going to get funding from... the magical money tree out in the backyard? School programs will be cut even further, leading children to get a sub-standard education further proving that today's youth will make it as adults.

The NDP is swearing up and down that more doctors will be available in the province if reelected and that Hallway Medicine will end, shorter waiting lists and more nurses.... Mr. Doer, you have had 10 years to do that already? When will you make good on your "guarantees"?

The Liberals.... so far I've heard something about helping out the Aboriginal Communities, and some mutterings about Health Care. Dr. Gerard, please speak up with something I can at least consider when it comes time to mark an X on my ballot.

The Green Party. Where the HECK are you? I haven't heard anything, and YOU want votes? At least say something.....

I'm still not convinced and I really do want to vote. I did in the last election and am a proud voter. I still haven't heard anything about post-secondary education and that is important to me as I am a University Student.

If they really want my vote, please stop trying to trump each other with better "promises". I want to hear something real, and not that the Jets may make a come back. Reality people, reality.

We've heard so many promises from all three major parties. Each promising one variation of the same issues. Of particular concern, on the surface one can hardly tell where the PC platform ends and the NDP platform begins.

Our beloved politicos have finally succeeded at blurring their policies into one analogous lump.

This is why a clear and concise vision would be useful. It would show voters the underlying philosophies and policies of each party, not just the hot spots du jour.

Not one party has clearly defined their vision. I would like to see a clearly articulated PLAN that would help the average tax-payer understand where the plan starts and ends.

I'd like to see a PLAN that plainly states how the myriad promises will actually be accomplished.

Enough rhetoric. Show me the plan...