As the Winnipeg Free Press’s series “No Running Water” has more than amply demonstrated, the NDP have badly neglected northern communities.  More than 1400 homes have no running water.  This is the legacy of 12 years of NDP inaction.

Contrast this situation of NDP inaction, to what happened in Ontario. In 1992, the Ontario government took the lead in working with Ottawa on an agreement to ensure many communities in Ontario have access to running water for their residents.  This 1992 Liberal-NDP partnership agreement ensured homes in 21 First Nation communities in Ontario where there were homes without running water would have their homes connected to running water.  This was followed by a Liberal-Conservative partnership agreement in 1996 which ensured an additional 14 First Nations communities would have their homes connected to running water.  In spite of this example from Ontario, the Manitoba NDP have done nothing similar to ensure Manitoba homes are connected to running water and more than 1400 homes in Manitoba are still not connected.  Indeed, shockingly, one of Manitoba’s senior Ministers said not long ago that he was not even aware of the Ontario agreements.

In June 2009, Jon Gerrard was in Garden Hill and saw first hand the very poor conditions with many homes with no running water.  It is past time that this is changed and that communities all over Manitoba are ensured of having running water for their homes. 

Manitoba Liberals are promoting a petition to get action to ensure all Manitobans have access to clear running water, and to be sure that First Nations communities in our province are treated fairly. 

 

A copy of this petition can be downloaded from “Our Platform” webpage.

http://mlp.manitobaliberals.ca/our-platform/

To add your voice, please print a copy of this release petition, then gather signatures, and bring or send the petition in to Jon Gerrard’s office in the Legislature –

 

at Jon Gerrard MLA-River Heights, Leader-Manitoba Liberal Party, Room 169, Manitoba Legislature, 450 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8.

For more information please call 945-5194.

 

PETITION

 

TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA:

 

These are the reasons for this petition:

1. Many Manitobans living in First Nations communities do not have the same access to clean water as the majority of Manitobans.
2. Manitobans living in First Nations communities with poor sanitation experience poor health.
3. Lack of access to clean tap water will continue to increase health risks for Manitobans in First Nations communities.  
4. Too little has been done in the last 12 years by the Provincial Government to ensure all First Nations communities in Manitoba have adequate water infrastructure.

 

We petition the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as follows:

1. To request the Premier consider advocating and partnering with the Federal Government to ensure all First Nations communities have access to clean running water for all their homes.
2. To request the Premier to consider working closely with the Federal Government and First Nations communities to address and erase the massive water infrastructure gap that exists on many First Nations communities in Manitoba.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________