Manitoba Throne Speech Fall 2010 - Highlights

November 16, 2010

2010 THRONE SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS

Economy and Innovation

·         small business tax eliminated Dec.1

·         new Manitoba Youth Corps

·         small business incentives for women, young people

·         new innovation agenda

·         new trade advisory organization

·         new strategy to reduce use of fossil fuels

 

Educating for the Future

·         plain-language report cards

·         co-ordinated in-service days

·         student consequences for late assignments and poor performance

·         more student-friendly movement and transfer between high school, trades, colleges and universities

·         new initiatives to combat bullying in schools

·         plan to improve student attendance

·         innovative ‘Early Returns’ program phased-in at licensed daycares and nursery schools

·         online child-care registry to be expanded provincewide

·         expansion of infant-care spaces

·         pension plan for child-care workers beginning Dec. 1

 

Health Innovation

·         new ambulance helicopter

·         100 per cent access to a family physician

·         quick-care clinics staffed by nurse practitioners

·         primary health-care bus

·         mobile units for minimally invasive surgery

·         legislation to cap health-administrative costs

·         construction of ACCESS St. James, new Women’s Hospital, Ste. Anne Hospital and Mental Health Crisis Centre at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) to begin this year

 Safer Communities

·         expanding the Gang Response and Suppression Program

·         hiring more community-based police

·         establishing a new mental-health court

·         working with Ottawa on tougher federal laws on home invasions, carjackings and knife crimes

·         developing new programs to keep youth in school and out of gangs

·         planning for new correctional facilities

·         initiating a new strategy to combat human trafficking

·         developing a strategy to stop cyberstalking

·         expanding the Safety Aid program to more communities and allowing Manitobans of all ages to participate

 

Helping Families and the Environment

·         new program to improve programming and infrastructure of community clubs

·         new initiative to revitalize rural community centres

·         better protection for those buying cell phones, condos and insurance

·         new measures to protect against real-estate fraud

·         strengthened FASD strategy

·         enhanced suicide-prevention strategy

·         further increase to minimum wage

·         expansion of age-friendly initiatives

·         long-term plan for seniors’ housing and care

·         improvement to pension rules

·         regulation of residential development outside of Winnipeg to ensure proper water and
waste-water treatment

·         new nutrient-reduction targets to save Lake Winnipeg

·         expanded efforts to reduce greenhouse gases

·         new protected areas

·         strengthened Polar Bear Protection Act

·         measures to help beluga whales

·         improvements to provincial parks including repairs to damage caused by the recent bad weather

 

Rural and Northern Manitoba

·         new five-year highways and bridges plan

·         work toward better access to Red Seal Apprentice designation in rural and remote areas

·         expanded drainage, especially in the Interlake region

·         long-term downtown redevelopment strategy for Brandon

·         construction of Westman CancerCare Centre and Flin Flon Clinic, provision of dialysis services at Gimli, Russell and Peguis, and ambulance facilities at Ste. Rose and Arborg which are now underway

·         new emergency ward at the Dauphin Hospital