Episode 29 was delayed by a week after Spirited Kenny’s reconstituted group birthday celebration rendered him hors du combat. Marty explains the prep required for some Chanukah cuisine and other Jewish delicacies. Family was the focal point of life when there was only 3 TV channels growing up. Marty describes a bit of his maternal family history.
8:55 – Last week’s provincial byelection was seen as a referendum on the PC government’s management of health care. We talk about Kevin Klein holding off the opposition challenge and the analysis of The Black Rod: Kevin Klein pops the NDP bubble Kenny, who lives in the riding, felt the byelection was almost beneath the radar, while Marty described the possible factors- campaign exhaustion following the civic campaign, and the difference between running for a council seat and running for a party in the Legislature. Even with 3000 Tory votes staying home, negative messaging about Klein, and weak gov’t polling, Premier Heather Stefanson did not sustain a setback. The political scientists tried to spin it, but Kenny asks, “Since when is winning, losing?”
19:12 Listen to the Hive Hair ad, revived from our Kick-FM files!
19:48 – Kevin Klein talks about his victory, crime and safety, and the political atmosphere in Manitoba in a refreshing conversation. An important factor he learned during his run for Mayor that helped his PC campaign: “Politics need to be at the doorstep”. How does media coverage and attack ads affect voters? ‘An impression is given to them’, that Klein believes melted away when voters spoke with him directly. “It’s ugly” at the Legislature when candidates are attacked by MLAs using Parliamentary privilege to duck consequences for lying; “It stops good people from running for office.” More generally, he unwinds obstacles to implementing good health policy that politicians never acknowledge.
Klein will focus on public safety, leading to a long and smart discussion of recent gun crimes, especially a Friday night shooting outside the Green Brier beer vendor. A 15 year old boy fired the gun and the getaway car had 2 young adults. The cops found he used a loaded 9mm handgun with an auto sear, an over-capacity magazine with an obliterated serial number, and had 23 Percocets. Why are these gun traffickers free and not held to protect public safety? Klein asserts Winnipeg has a city-wide gang problem and refers to Jino Distasio’s idea: “We have to go after the top 100 criminals in our city now- aggressively.” Klein explained the necessary resources he will fight to get for the Winnipeg police, including personnel, cops cars and a dedicated downtown station and staffed unit as “the crime rate has been soaring out of control” and children are recruited by gangs. People in Kirkfield Park won’t go downtown or ride the bus due to fear and “Politicians are afraid to have that conversation… we have to crack down on the gangs that are in our community centres.” Marty raises the concept of initiating truces between rival gangs. Klein mentions incorporating former gang members into such outreach, ways of keeping vulnerable kids safe, how to assist homeless folks. He gives his views on upcoming dealings – and possible fights- with the Premier and the opposition, and improving our province with strong leadership.
1:26:00 Our recap of the Klein interview and a pointer to Marty’s personal memories on the passing of Liberal MP Jim Carr
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