The NDP and Green Party have entered the race for the riding of Winnipeg South, with Dave Gaudreau is running for the NDP and Caitlin McIntyre is running for the Green Party.
McIntyre claimed she represented three voices in this campaign: the voice of the green party, students and women.
“I am proud to be the only female on the ballot,” said McIntyre.
McIntyre stated that if elected she would start addressing the issues such as foreign accreditation for doctors and nurses, direct investment in education, and youth unemployment affecting university students.
“It’s incredibly difficult for graduating students to get a job once they finish post secondary education,” McIntyre pointed out.
Gaudreau said he felt that to truly stimulate economic growth, “you need to make sure people are looked after first.”
“Health care and education are paramount to this process.”
Gaudreau claimed that he would also address tuition costs. “I would propose tax cuts to multi national corporations to be stopped and that money used within Canada to educate Canadians,” said Gaudreau.
McIntyre mentioned that there was “scaling back in support for lower tuition fees” and that the problem was a lack of stable operating grants. She said that she wanted to try and increase stable predictable funding to universities.
Gaudreau commented that he would welcome feedback from the University of Manitoba and students. “After all, who knows better than one living it”
McIntyre said that the first step to working towards what is best for the University of Manitoba is listening. She also said she felt it was incredibly important that she was part of the university, since she is currently a graduate student at the University of Manitoba.
Gaudreau touched on student engagement in the election, saying that he believes students feel they are disconnected with politics and “don’t realize the power they have.” He explained that he would love to work with students to encourage them to “flex that power.”
McIntyre said that combating voter apathy was an important issue. She explained that forty percent of the voter electorate didn’t turn out in the Winnipeg South riding in the last election. “So more people didn’t vote than actually elected Rod Bruinooge.”
McIntyre stated that if students want to see change in Ottawa they need to “get together and start voting.”
Other issues that Gaudreau discussed was a reform to the Canadian Pension Plan “to help every Canadian retire with dignity.” He emphasized the idea that people come first and concluded by asking “Why can’t we make out Health Care, Education, pensions the envy of the world?”
McIntyre also claimed that is very important to represent females in the Winnipeg South riding, explaining that young women were underrepresented in Parliament..
McIntyre also pressed the need for green technology as opposed to supporting the fossil fuel industry with billions of dollars that could be used to “educate and employ Manitobans.”
