Last week the Pallister government announced a new funding block system for Child and Family Services (CFS) agencies. Under the guise of new reform, the province is cutting $100-million from funding for children in care.





According to the Pallister Government's own numbers, the new block funding system for CFS agencies announced on Monday, February 11th, will see $435 million going to agencies in 2019/20.





That is $108-million less than the $543-million agencies spent in 2017/18 - and rolls back funding levels for children in care to where they were five years ago.





It is shameful that the Pallister Government is balancing its books on the backs of the most vulnerable people in the province when the amount of time spent by children in care is at a record high and still going up.





The government's numbers on children in care have been unreliable.





The Minister boasted the government had seen the first reduction of children in care in 15 years, from 10,700 to 10,328. This turned out to be because the PCs had changed the way they counted children in care as they stopped counting kids in unpaid care.





According to the Annual Reports of Manitoba's Child Welfare Agencies, the number was closer to 11,150.





BRANDON SUN: Block funding cheating CFS: Liberals

CITYNEWS WINNIPEG - Watch: Block funding for CFS - Some says the numbers don’t add up





MANITOBA HYDRO REVIEW





There is no need for this review. It is a complete waste of public money to the tune of $2.5 million dollars.





Gordon Campbell should not have been involved with the review from the start.





We already know the former NDP government was behind the decision-making process behind the Keeyask Generating Station and the Bipole III power transmission line projects.





Premier Pallister can get the answers he’s looking for from previous studies done by Boston Consulting and the Public Utilities Board.





CBC MANITOBA : Manitoba opposition parties renew criticism of hydro review after Gordon Campbell's departure





WINNIPEG FREE PRESS : Campbell dumped as head of Manitoba Hydro review following assault allegation









ROAD & BRIDGE GRANT PROGRAM

This is from a rural municipality in southwestern Manitoba that is dealing with the Pallister government’s massive cuts to road and bridges grant programs.

We've heard lots of complaints from municipalities, construction businesses and workers alike who are at the receiving end of Pallister’s cuts.

The average funding per municipality is only enough to pave 86.5 feet of road, or about 26.4 metres.

It’s not even enough to re-pave the Premier’s driveway! Not to road standards, anyway.





FESTIVAL DU VOYAGEUR





Here I am with the very-deserving winners of the beard growing contest.

Avec les gagnants du concours du barbu.









I LOVE TO READ MONTH

Thank you to all the schools who invited me out to read for I Love to Read Month!

Here I am with the grade 4 class at école Précieux-Sang





MOOD DISORDERS GALA





Silken Laumann gave a wonderful speech at the Mood Disorders Gala.

Thanks to Tara Brousseau Snider and everyone who worked so hard to make this night a reality and bring attention to this issue.





Join me for breakfast Thursday, March 21!

I'll be speaking at the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce 2019 Leaders Series Breakfast.

I'll be sharing my vision and ideas for growing Manitoba’s economy.

Click here to get your tickets .









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All the best,

Dougald Lamont

MLA St. Boniface, Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party