Canadian Nature Federation - Manitoba Wildlands
Manitoba Election Survey 2003

Voting Box
This election survey has been sent to all four political parties in Manitoba. (Election day is June 3, 2003.) For details on public policy regarding Manitoba’s lands and waters, 1999 election environment commitments, policy and protected areas mapping, go to manitobawildlands.org. Each question has been posed to the political parties based on their campaign to form government in Manitoba. The survey requests either a Yes or No answer to each question, with comments optional. Please Note: responses from the political parties have not been altered in any way. When a party did not answer a question with a definite Yes or No, " — " was entered.

Protected Areas Questions    Manitoba Hydro Questions
East Side Lake Winnipeg - Planning Initiative Questions    Climate Change Questions   


East Side Lake Winnipeg — Planning Initiative

Q1 Will your government maintain protection for all lands on the East Side of Manitoba currently protected from development?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — The Terms of Reference for the East Side planning process specifically note that planning must remain consistent with the Protected Areas Initiative.
PC    
Green Party   And expand protection.
Liberal — — Lands need to have a final decision made as to permanent protected status as soon as possible.



Q2 Will you make completion of protected areas network on the east side a central requirement of any east side land use plan?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — As noted above, planning for the east side will respect the Protected Areas Initiative. The east side region is unique in that it contains the first wilderness park, Atikaki, that was established in Manitoba under an NDP government in the late 1980s. Several other protected areas have been added since that time making the east side one of the more well represented regions in the Province- and for good reason. The establishment of these parks and protected areas represent the high value we place on the boreal forest of the region and that is one of the principle reasons that the East Side was chosen as a pilot for sustainable planning.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal    
Context: Atikaki Wilderness Park was not protected from mining until 1997. Other upgrades of zones on former parks to protected status were also made in 1997.


Q3 Will your government make sustainability for woodland caribou herds, calving areas, and habitat a central ingredient for any east side land use plan?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — When the NDP came into government, we began a first of its kind planning process in Manitoba for the East Side to ensure the long-term sustainability of the area. The East Side was chosen as a pilot for planning based on its uniqueness as an area of contiguous boreal forest that includes wildlife habitat for caribou. It was also chosen based on the many needs of communities that are located in the area. Meeting the needs of communities and maintaining the integrity of the boreal forest are two of the underlying principles of the planning process, as outlined in the Terms of Reference for the East Side Round Table. Our recent creation of the South Atikaki Provincial Park will be vital in the preservation of habitat for the Woodland caribou.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal    
Context: South Atikaki Park is currently designated with a land use classification that allows development.


Q4 Will your government uphold the fundamental principle indicated in the East Side Lake Winnipeg Round Table Terms of Reference, “Maintaining the ecological integrity and biological functions of the boreal forest within the planning area”?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — The principle of “maintaining the ecological integrity and biological functions of the boreal forest with the planning area” will continue to be upheld as a fundamental principle of the East Side planning process.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal    



Q5 Will your government immediately file materials missing from the East Side Planning Initiative public registry file, keep all meetings open, include planning table members in the stakeholders advisory committee (as per the COSDI model), and make all reports, presentations, documents from planning initiative meetings available to all participants?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — The East Side Planning Initiative is a first of its kind in Manitoba in bringing sectors and communities together to advise government on a sustainable plan for this very unique area. Information has been made available on the public registry, and it will be a priority for our government to ensure that all formal reports and meeting minutes are posted to the public registry to provide timely and comprehensive information to the public.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal    
Context: None of the presentations made to the planning table are in the public registry. Members of stakeholder advisory committee & First Nation council are not being provided documents which Round Table members recieve.


Q6 Will your government guarantee public, transparent public review of any land use planning recommendations, and reports with public registry posting of comments before finalizing any land use plan?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — The East Side Planning Initiative is a public, consultative process, brining sectors and communities together to advise government on a sustainable plan for the area. We are committed to a transparent and public review process.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal    
Context: All land use planning should have public review prior to adoption.


Q7 Will your government consider a policy of equal per diem for participants in the east side planning initiative (including First Nation Council and Advisory Committee)?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — Per diems have been established as per the standard per diem rate for government public consultation processes.
PC    
Green Party    
Liberal — — Our government would consider this request. We would consider an equitable and transparent per diem calculation for participants.
Context: An East Side Planning Initiative planning table sub committee recommeded $50,000 annual funding for First Nations to assist in community participation. That recommendation has not been brought forward, has not been acted on.


Q8 Will your government put in place the annual support to First Nations communities affected by the east side planning initiative, as per sub committee recommendations?

  YES NO Comment
NDP — — First Nations are working through the First Nations Council that has been established by the NDP to ensure that First Nations communities have a strong voice in the planning process. Through the Council, First Nations will advise on the level and type of support that best suits their community. We will set aside resources for communities and are also seeking additional support through the federal government.
PC — — We agree with this in principle. We must respect existing treaty rights and obligations.
Green Party — — No answer given.
Liberal   Yes, so long as support is linked to reasonable speed in making progress in planning.