The Manitoba Provincial Politics Discussion - Page 71

dmacc · #**1401** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 5:05 PM**

Looks like the entire board of Manitoba Hydro resigned. They don't like that the Pallister won't meet with them regarding their concerns and that he was looking to remove the Chairman. I don't have a big problem with them all leaving. Now a stronger more autonomous board could be appointed.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ma...155715259.html

esquire · #**1402** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 6:15 PM**

^ It is disturbing how neither party can seem to get a handle on Hydro. The NDP went buck wild with it and practically ran it into the ground, and now the Tories are dealing with a totally avoidable debacle of a Tory-appointed board resigning because the premier won't meet with them.

Manitoba Hydro is a large part of this province's economy, and a front-burner political issue due to its immense debt load... what on earth is Pallister's excuse for refusing to even meet with them to the point that they felt they had no other choice but to resign? What is more important that it couldn't wait? Could Pallister not miss one Tory event (which is something he actually does make time for) to meet with the Hydro board?

Wigglez · #**1403** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 6:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It is disturbing how neither party can seem to get a handle on Hydro. The NDP went buck wild with it and practically ran it into the ground, and now the Tories are dealing with a totally avoidable debacle of a Tory-appointed board resigning because the premier won't meet with them.

Manitoba Hydro is a large part of this province's economy, and a front-burner political issue due to its immense debt load... what on earth is Pallister's excuse for refusing to even meet with them to the point that they felt they had no other choice but to resign? What is more important that it couldn't wait? Could Pallister not miss one Tory event (which is something he actually does make time for) to meet with the Hydro board?

He's probably trying to avoid attaching his name to anything Hydro related so he can continue to blame the NDP in the next election for Hydro's disastrous financial situation.

The board probably didn't want their names attached to an organisation that is just going to be used as a scapegoat for political gains.

Or maybe Pallister forgot to pay his Hydro bill and just didn't want to get yelled at.

dmacc · #**1404** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 6:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It is disturbing how neither party can seem to get a handle on Hydro. The NDP went buck wild with it and practically ran it into the ground, and now the Tories are dealing with a totally avoidable debacle of a Tory-appointed board resigning because the premier won't meet with them.

Manitoba Hydro is a large part of this province's economy, and a front-burner political issue due to its immense debt load... what on earth is Pallister's excuse for refusing to even meet with them to the point that they felt they had no other choice but to resign? What is more important that it couldn't wait? Could Pallister not miss one Tory event (which is something he actually does make time for) to meet with the Hydro board?

Was the board already a Tory-appointed board? Cliff Graydon should have been the go between of the board and the Premier. I don't have much issue with him not meeting with them. I would assume Cliff would be the one to raise issues of the board and bring direction to them. Perhaps the Chairman didn't like what he was hearing from Cliff and wanted to circumvent the process.

I don't know enough about how much the board has changed since Palister was put in. If many of the board members have been in for a while it may be because they knew they were on the hot seat.

esquire · #**1405** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmacc

Was the board already a Tory-appointed board? Cliff Graydon should have been the go between of the board and the Premier. I don't have much issue with him not meeting with them. I would assume Cliff would be the one to raise issues of the board and bring direction to them. Perhaps the Chairman didn't like what he was hearing from Cliff and wanted to circumvent the process.

I don't know enough about how much the board has changed since Palister was put in. If many of the board members have been in for a while it may be because they knew they were on the hot seat.

The current board was appointed May 2016, a couple of weeks after the PCs won the election. I cannot imagine a scenario where the much maligned NDP appointees would have been left in place for nearly two years after the Conservatives took office!

dmacc · #**1406** Posted **Mar 21, 2018, 7:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

The current board was appointed May 2016, a couple of weeks after the PCs won the election. I cannot imagine a scenario where the much maligned NDP appointees would have been left in place for nearly two years after the Conservatives took office!

You're probably right. However, the PC's had a budget passed by the NDP that they needed to review as it had basically been implemented for them. The PC's have been prioritizing their clean up with one big project per year from biggest to smallest. Health Care which is the most costly area for the province was first. This past year they have put a big focus on the Education part. Don't forget Cannibas legalization, Federally mandated Carbon Tax and health care transfer payment changes.

I am unsure but it sounds like Hydro will get its day sooner rather than later. This might be the year of the Crown Corps.

rrskylar · #**1407** Posted **Mar 26, 2018, 8:58 PM**

good read

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...or-the-public/

dmacc · #**1408** Posted **Mar 27, 2018, 1:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

good read

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opin...or-the-public/

I like the article, it feels incomplete though. Like the article had a couple more paragraphs to go. Its nice that the article doesn't appear to place blame on anyone but rather discuss why there are differences between the two. It's often easy to blame the stakeholder you dislike right away simply because it matches the narrative you want it two.

dmacc · #**1409** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:24 PM**

So my partner, a teacher, was telling me how she has missed 2 months of teaching days this year due to work shops and training. I like teasing her and said, you know, if you are going to have two months worth of education to take every year isn't there a better time of year you could be in these seminars and training courses? You know, a time when it wouldn't take you away from the kids.

Does anyone know why teachers can't be expected work in the summer? I'm sure we could find enough for them to do in this time. Imagine the money saved if you didn't have to pay a substitute teacher to cover a teacher when you could have them take their training in the summer.

drew · #**1410** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmacc

So my partner, a teacher, was telling me how she has missed 2 months of teaching days this year due to work shops and training. I like teasing her and said, you know, if you are going to have two months worth of education to take every year isn't there a better time of year you could be in these seminars and training courses? You know, a time when it wouldn't take you away from the kids.

Does anyone know why teachers can't be expected work in the summer? I'm sure we could find enough for them to do in this time. Imagine the money saved if you didn't have to pay a substitute teacher to cover a teacher when you could have them take their training in the summer.

Would you be willing to use your holidays to take seminars and courses?

Of course not.

If you wanted summer's off, or the other perks teachers receive you could have gone that way As a career path.

My wife is a teacher, and if I suggested what you are with your partner, I'd probably be kicked out of the house.

Best way to save money with respect to public school costs is to get Winnipeg and the rest of the province down to three or four divisions, total.

bomberjet · #**1411** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:32 PM**

Unions. My uncle was heavily involved with the teachers union. it's unions. They shut'er down about this time of year and are at the lake, travelling, whatever, until late August.

bomberjet · #**1412** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:35 PM**

Not ragging on teachers as I respect what they do. But it's not really holidays. They get 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at spring break, then all summer off. However, during the school year they're grading papers at night, prepping lessons and such.

esquire · #**1413** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:40 PM**

Missing 2 months of teaching days for PD or whatever sounds like an awful lot. I don't remember any teachers of mine being away for anywhere near that much time. In that case it probably isn't unreasonable to expect teachers to do some of that work during school vacations.

I don't begrudge teachers their hard earned summers off, but it's a bit much to spend over 20% of your annual working days in training and workshops.

esquire · #**1414** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

If you wanted summer's off, or the other perks teachers receive you could have gone that way As a career path.

Ha, funny you should mention this. The top student in my high school class, a brilliant guy with 99 or 100 grades in everything, ended up going into engineering. A buddy of mine saw him recently and he said that he's actually thinking of leaving the profession and becoming a teacher.

As much as a grind as teaching can be, there is something appealing about that lifestyle

dmacc · #**1415** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew

Would you be willing to use your holidays to take seminars and courses?

Of course not.

If you wanted summer's off, or the other perks teachers receive you could have gone that way As a career path.

My wife is a teacher, and if I suggested what you are with your partner, I'd probably be kicked out of the house.

Best way to save money with respect to public school costs is to get Winnipeg and the rest of the province down to three or four divisions, total.

Granted they should be fully entitled to holidays, however, 11 weeks of holidays is a little much. 4-6 weeks is a more reasonable number even if the majority of the population don't get that amount of time off. Why not, 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 Week Spring Break, 2 Weeks after Canada Day and Then 1 Week at Labour Day? The rest is spent in the class room and summer in workshops.

Or allow Teachers to choose when they take holidays like everyone else. giving them 4-6 weeks holidays over a 12 month period is much more feasible and affordable then paying a sub and my partner for two months of teaching time. I have a hard time believing that it should just be a case of it's the cost of doing business.

I guess this is why I will never be elected to office.

VANRIDERFAN · #**1416** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 3:00 PM**

Good to see this act coming into force.

The more water being able to be retained in the watershed means less damaging flooding which has a direct impact on Winnipeg and surrounding areas. Another possible benefit is less fertilizer run-off getting to lakes and rivers and cutting down of algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg.

https://www.manitobacooperator.ca/ne...atersheds-act/

We have to quit trying to fight nature and instead working with it to mitigate the damage due to flooding.

dmacc · #**1417** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 3:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Missing 2 months of teaching days for PD or whatever sounds like an awful lot. I don't remember any teachers of mine being away for anywhere near that much time. In that case it probably isn't unreasonable to expect teachers to do some of that work during school vacations.

I don't begrudge teachers their hard earned summers off, but it's a bit much to spend over 20% of your annual working days in training and workshops.

Granted she may be a bit of the exception to the rule as she is some sort of Leader of some sort in her school and may have a few extra workshops. She very seldom brings work home with her.

As a teacher you generally only have 6ish hours a day of in class teaching time. Her class starts at 8:45 and ends at 3:15 or 3:30 maybe 3:45. She is there 8-4:30 which gives her an easy additional 2 hours to do preps for lessons and dealing with parents. She does get a little stressed out come report card time but she rarely ever needs to bring it home. She just start a couple weeks in advance, not to mention they are given an in service to allow them a full day to work on them.

I feel a lot of the problem is a decent fraction of teachers are racing kids to the parking lot after school is out. Granted they may be bringing the work home with them but they do need to get that addition 2 hours of non class time in per day to amount to a full time equivalent.

Ando · #**1418** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmacc

Granted she may be a bit of the exception to the rule as she is some sort of Leader of some sort in her school and may have a few extra workshops. She very seldom brings work home with her.

As a teacher you generally only have 6ish hours a day of in class teaching time. Her class starts at 8:45 and ends at 3:15 or 3:30 maybe 3:45. She is there 8-4:30 which gives her an easy additional 2 hours to do preps for lessons and dealing with parents. She does get a little stressed out come report card time but she rarely ever needs to bring it home. She just start a couple weeks in advance, not to mention they are given an in service to allow them a full day to work on them.

I feel a lot of the problem is a decent fraction of teachers are racing kids to the parking lot after school is out. Granted they may be bringing the work home with them but they do need to get that addition 2 hours of non class time in per day to amount to a full time equivalent.

Uh ... connection to Manitoba provincial politics?

Ando · #**1419** Posted **Jun 21, 2018, 9:25 PM**

Pallister in trouble for not paying taxes or getting a reassessment on his secret hideaway in Costa Rica. See his detailed response to the allegations in the video.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...-tax-1.4713378

Jets4Life · #**1420** Posted **Jun 22, 2018, 2:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ando

Pallister in trouble for not paying taxes or getting a reassessment on his secret hideaway in Costa Rica. See his detailed response to the allegations in the video.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...-tax-1.4713378

The next Provincial election will be a gong show. The choices:

1. A upper class tax cheat, who is so thin-skinned, he cannot take criticism without getting lawyers involved.

2. A wealthy First Nations man, who has a criminal history so long, that the average person would ask the inevitable: "Why has this clown never done time?"

3. An irrelevant party that seems to never have it's act together.

pick wisely...