EDITORIAL: NDP failing grade deserved if not slightly premature

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/02/2024 (449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s a game that’s played in politics when a change occurs in government.

The newly elected party gets a grace period of sorts from the public.

When their shortcomings are pointed out they can rightly or wrongly point to the previous government with blame.

The closer this is to their election, the more effective it is.

After all, the NDP in Manitoba are still working under the previous PC budget, and no doubt many financial decisions made by the former PC government have ripple effects.

Policy decisions will have fallout for some time, even years as a new party with new ideas tries to address them.

But the electorate will not stand for that forever.

Parties tend to overstate the effect of past governments on current policy, attempting to stretch the grace period by years.

That’s why the Jan. 29 report card on the NDP’s first 100 days in office by the PC opposition seemed a little premature.

Indeed, in many ways it is early.

Until a government has at least tabled their own budget, it’s difficult for them to make change.

But the report card considers that by judging the NDP on their time in office and their action on key campaign promises.

It’s no surprise though to see the report card assign the NDP an “F” in education, crime and safety and healthcare.

The marks, while harsh, are fair.

Consider education. The NDP has long expressed their skepticism for public private partnerships when it comes to building schools.

Basic logic suggests that adding a third party to the mix who needs to make money from their construction will not make it cheaper for taxpayers in the long run. Horror stories from other P3s across Canada lends credence to this belief.

But the NDP did not firmly take a stand on how they will construct the very much needed schools announced by the previous government.

In December, Wab Kinew revealed that his government would “probably” abandon the building of nine new schools and 660 daycare spaces.

As we enter February, we still haven’t heard a timeline for when planning will begin or a plan to allow their construction.

It’s also clear that the NDP over-promised on health care.

Improving on the PC record is of course a very low bar, but the NDP seem to be having trouble even achieving that.

They have announced some new initiatives but have yet to provide a plan to bolster staffing and retention. In cutting the out-of-province surgeries they’ve eliminated an expensive short-term solution, but replaced it with no plan at all.

They’ve also put the brakes on plans for six new personal care homes for seniors, something that is deeply disturbing.

On crime and safety, the opposition points out that Kinew made a promise to tackle bail on the provincial level within his first 100 days in government, despite bail being a federal issue.

There’s no surprise then that they have been unable or unwilling to do so.

The good news is, that despite receiving a failing grade, the comments on the report card could still remark on their potential.

“Student needs to focus and is capable of much more than they’re showing so far,” could be in the report card comment section.

They have a single session of governing behind them.

The spring legislative session, with the opportunity to make priorities and table a budget will be the first important report card.

The grace period still exists, but to extend the report card metaphor, some tutoring or extra homework may be required.

Yes it still feels a little rich to see the PC party call out the NDP on their governance, even as they begin to recover from the drubbing the electorate gave them in the recent election.

While controversy still swirls on who pressured who in terms of the Sio Silica issue with some local MLAs ducking questions on the issue, it’s clearly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

But this should also be a wake-up call to the government that Manitobans expect them to improve, to make a tangible difference.

They’ve got this far simply by not being the PC Party.

It’s time to show Manitobans what they are, and what they can do for us.