Q. Does this initiative align to any particular political party agenda? What is the political impetus behind this initiative?

A. The MCC is an apolitical organization, in fact, that commitment is so important to the MCC it is mentioned in the second item of its Vision. In any event, Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province isn’t about what suits a particular political party; it’s about what suits Manitoba. To be sure, Government has a role to play, but the essence of a democracy means Manitobans must take the lead in defining the vision and the plan of action that will make our province great.

One final point, too often we rely on government to solve our problems. This can be risky as issues are becoming more and more complicated and resolving them can require years of consistent effort. Consistency can be a challenge in the public realm as government’s change and even within governments Ministers come and go in Cabinet shuffles. We need to develop a vision – an agenda – that moves forward no matter what government is in power.  

 

Q. What are you as an individual doing to help make Manitoba a have province? ( JFK USA President said “ask not what my country can do for me but what can I do for my country”)

A. Simply put, true success comes from enjoying what you do best while contributing to something beyond yourself. That is why, while Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province talks about “Everyone – with the opportunities they desire”, it also talks about everyone “taking responsibility; and dedicated to dignity, independence and prosperity”.

The three C’s of “Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province” sets out a framework where individuals are both self-fulfilled and serving their community.         

   

Q. What are the issues stopping Manitoba from being a have Province?

A. The Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province pamphlet sets out three basic issues that are holding us back: we lack the courage to ask the tough questions, we lack a commitment to the vision, and we lack a course of action. These are the broad brush strokes. To truly move forward we need consensus and a more detailed plan. That is why the MCC is now broadening the discussion so as to get buy-in, feedback, and suggestions about the next steps.    

 

Q. What assurances do you have that government/business will buy into this?

A. It is important to remember the type of buy-in we are seeking right now. The MCC doesn’t claim to have all the answers, we aren’t even sure that the framework outlined in our pamphlet is the right way to go. That is why we are seeking feedback on the framework and ideas on how to move Manitoba forward. We think we are on the right track – in fact we put a lot of thought/effort into the framework – but we have to have an open mind to the feedback otherwise consulting is a hollow exercise and people will become jaded. The crucial buy-in at this point is the agreement that more needs to be done to achieve what we – as individuals, and as a province – can be.

Assurances are few and far between, so there is no guarantee that there will be the necessary buy-in, but here are two certainties: we will not achieve our potential if we do not work together and it is the duty of the MCC to try (note the MCC’s Vision).

 

Q. A ‘have’ province for whom? Big business and fat-cat entrepreneurs? What’s in it for the ordinary citizen – the little guy?

A. This is a very important question because this agenda is all about putting an end to the notion of “us versus them”. In fact, the framework specifically and very deliberately talks about the prosperity of everyone. Our key economic strategy centres on ‘great jobs’, the bridge between economic vitality and individual prosperity.   

 

Q. Do you mean more balanced equalization payments?

A. Equalization is an issue. By definition, receiving equalization payments means our province cannot provide public services that are reasonably comparable to those of the other provinces without receiving financial help from the federal government, and that is a little embarrassing. But the MCC wanted a vision for Manitoba that is so much more than the traditional definition of a ‘have not’ province. That is why the being a ‘have’ province seeks to bring out the best of what we are as Manitobans, and what we can be as a province.

Q. Our provincial economy continues to grow each year, so what is the problem?

A. This question raises three issues:

a) Do we have the courage to look at the story behind the numbers?

For example, the national economy is doing very well, how much of Manitoba’s growth is due to national trends as opposed to our own house being in order? We are lagging other provinces in many areas (job growth, labour force growth, wage growth, post-secondary students in the workforce, net losses due to interprovincial migration).

b) Should we be doing better and are we ready if the national economy loses steam?

How much of this economic growth is due to government funding? Typically, Manitoba’s capital investment relies more on the public sector than any other province. Is this sustainable?

And don’t forget, the business community is in a strange position – it will identify government’s policies that are making it hard to compete and call for change but the next day the business community has to do everything it can to thrive, to show that it was wrong, that it can compete in the current environment.

Sure some economic growth is there, but we have to ask ourselves, is this environment in effect handicapping our businesses so that growth is slower than what it can be, driving businesses away, or slowly but surely wearing them down?

c) Can we fight complacency?

We have to move from asking whether things are good to asking whether things are good enough. Sure the economy is growing, but we have challenges: taxes are too high, infrastructure is in disrepair, wages are low and Manitobans are leaving in droves. When you speak to many of our companies and our communities you hear that times are tough. 

Although we are the most diversified economy in the land many of our clusters are shallow (i.e. only have a few key companies) – that means we are vulnerable, certain sectors would be decimated if just one or two companies left.

We need the drive to bring out the best in what we can be – it is an entrepreneurial drive, a perpetual commitment to improve. Report after report suggests that communities are more likely to pull together after they hit rock bottom. Do we really have to take that risk, or let things get that far?      

 

Q. If we are a ‘have not’ province why is our unemployment level so low?

A. Unemployment simply means that most of those seeking work are getting work, it doesn’t tell you what kind of jobs you have (high paying, high skills?), how many jobs you are growing, whether people are under-employed (i.e. have less work than they want or they are over-qualified for their job) or how many youth are leaving (in fact, you could have low unemployment because so many people are seeking jobs in other provinces). It is good that most of those who are seeking work are finding it, but those unemployment numbers only tell a fraction of the story. That is why “Making Manitoba a ‘Have’ Province” is seeking a better understanding of our economy.