Manitoba Election 2016

Michael Lazar - Tuxedo

1. Why did you decide to run in the 2016 Manitoba election?

I have always believed in public service and contributing to the community. It isn’t enough to sit at home on the sofa and complain; you have to be prepared to roll your sleeves up and be part of the solution. I believe that I have a lot to offer from my 33 years of practising law and involvement in community affairs.

2. What experience will you bring to complement your role as MLA?

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba (1978) and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law (1982). I was admitted to the bar of New York State in 1983 and to the Manitoba bar in 1984.                                    I have served as Chair of The League for Human Rights, Vice President(Community Relations) of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, Vice President of the Rady Jewish Community Centre, and as a founding board member of the ManitobaEthnocultural Advocacy and Advisory Council (MEAAC). I have served on the boards of The Canadian Jewish Congress, Congregation Etz Chayim and the Provincial Employees Care for Kids Daycare. I have lectured on Criminal Law and Family Lawfor the Community Legal Education Association (CLEA) for many years, and have served on the steering committee for the Shalom Square Folklorama pavilion.

 

3. Is there anything in particular you would like to change in our province? In your electoral division?

The current NDP government has grown complacent and arrogant, and has shown a lack of candor and respect for Manitobans (witness their flip-flop on raising the PST). The Conservatives have a right-wing, Harperite leadership, whose MLAs and candidates are muffled by the leader’s office.  I want to offer the people of Tuxedo and Manitoba a fresh and moderate alternative, that is both thoughtful and issue-focused.

4. What key issue(s) / topic(s) would like to stand for in your role as MLA, and why is it important to you?

One of my priorities is to advocate for greater investment in child care centres and early-years educators. The Liberal Party is committed to bringing in full-day kindergarten for our children, and to invest in daycare and in well-trained daycare staff. Quality daycare is a wonderful and effective way to help socialize our children and begin their education, while allowing their parents to maintain employment. This will contribute to healthier families while also stimulating the economy. We need to look at improving access to daycare for all Manitobans. One way would include promoting flexible-hour daycare. In our modern economy, many jobs no longer fit into a 9-to-5 model. We need flexible-hour daycare to allow parents whose jobs might include shift work, evening and/or weekends, or other non-traditional work hours, to participate in today’s economy and provide for their families.

I am also committed to a fairer and more efficient criminal justice system. The Liberal Party is committed to putting more  resources into drug courts, restorative justice and to engage pro-actively in mental health care. We need to reduce delays in the system which disadvantage accused people and victims alike.

 

5. What is one thing in particular that you value about the electoral division that you wish to represent?

Tuxedo is home to a highly educated and engaged population. Our people are knowledgeable and concerned about our society and it’s future, as it relates to the quality of life that we pass on to our children and grandchildren.

6. Do you have any other comments regarding your candidacy?

Like all Manitobans, the people of Tuxedo are concerned for the future – for themselves, their children and their grandchildren. This means fostering an economy that will retain our young people and allow them to be prosperous here, to have effective health and education systems for our families, and to have a careful stewardship of our environment for future generations.