Face-off number two - All-Candidates Forum at Fort Whyte School

Jean delivered a punchy performance at the all-candidates meeting this evening. She emphasized the efforts the Manitoba Liberal Party is making to promote and enhance education. She emphasized the efforts of the 2003 Liberal candidate in Fort Whyte, Gerry Sankar, to promote the need for construction of a new high school. She spoke of my efforts to promote a new high school on this blog.

Jean also spoke about our party's question in Question Period about building a high school. Kevin Lamoureux, our Liberal MLA for Inkster asked the Minister of Education yesterday whether he was going to back up the comments of Christina McDonald, the NDP candidate, at the first forum: that she would ensure a high school was built in Fort Whyte in a year and a half. Peter Bjornson, the NDP Minister of Education waffled and failed to back up his party's candidate in Fort Whyte.

Tonight, Christina McDonald was singing a different tune. There was no more talk of completing the high school in a year and a half. Tonight, she said the decision on the high school "can't be rushed." Tonight she said this needed time. It was a big change from her tune only a few days ago.

Jean gave a good summary of the steps needed to get the high school for Fort Whyte. She also indicated her stubborness and her ability to be persistent in pushing for important goals like this. In short, she said she would be a "professional pest" until the high school was built.

The Conservative candidate came under quite a bit of criticism, and interestingly, a good deal of it coming from the Green Party candidate. Shelagh emphasized time and time again the importance of planning for high schools at the time major new subdivisions are planned. Guess who was there - working in the Premier's office when someone forgot to make sure there would be plans for a high school for Fort Whyte - that's right, the Conservative candidate, Hugh McFayden.

So we are left with a decision. If you support a new high school for Fort Whyte:

- do you vote for the Conservative candidate, who was around when the Conservatives in the 1990's forgot to ensure adequate plans were there for the high school?

- do you vote for the NDP candidate, when the NDP don't even have a high school for Fort Whyte on the Public Finance Board schedule for the next three years?

- or do you vote for Jean Paterson, the self-described "professional pest," who will make sure that the job gets done whoever is in government?

The choice is yours.