View From the Legislature

This past week, provincial, territorial and the federal government concluded negotiations with Canada’s generic drug manufacturers on the price of some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in Canada.

This past Tuesday I welcomed two special guests to my office at the Manitoba Legislature. The first, Mary Deacon, is the Chair of Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative.

The provincial government announced last week that provincial park lease and service fees will be frozen for the next two years as consultations with cottage owners and associations continue over that time frame.

For a number of years, I’ve been asking elementary schools in the Steinbach Constituency to provide me with the name of some books that each would like to add to their school library.

Changes to taxation, while important, are not always easy to recognize. Some, like the increase of the provincial sales tax by the former NDP government, are easy to see as it appears on the receipt of almost every purchase that is made. Other changes are more difficult to notice but can be very significant.

As the Minister for Health, Seniors and Active Living, I’d like to remind you to be careful over the next few weeks and to be mindful of the colder temperatures outside that our province is known for and that we have been experiencing over the past few weeks.

With 2017 now almost complete it is time to both reflect on the year that was and to look ahead to 2018.

Last week I visited with employees in the Department of Health to both wish them a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday and to thank them for the work they have done over the past year.

Last Thursday saw the close of the fall sitting of the Third Session of the 41st Legislature, where our government was able to introduce several legislative measures focused on fixing the province’s finances, improving services, and rebuilding the economy.

I am very pleased to announce that the province will be providing more than $2.6 million in grants to projects for non-profit and community-led organizations, community-driven neighbourhood revitalization.