Manitoba Election 2016

Ted Marcelino - Tyndall Park

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

I have always been committed to community work. I ran for office in 2011 and I am running for re-election now because I strongly believe in serving my community. I’m proud of our government’s support for seniors and young people, two of the groups that need better resources in Tyndall Park. I want to continue in my role to ensure that the needs of families are being looked after and to ensure that everyone has access to more opportunities in their home community.

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

I was already serving the community long before becoming an MLA for Tyndall Park in 2011. I have done extensive volunteer work helping new Canadians, worked as counsel at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and served on the Residential Tenancies Commission of Manitoba, where I helped ensure fairness and due process in disputes between landlords and tenants. This experience, plus my four-year term as MLA, has given me a clear grasp of the issues facing my community and the many ways government services can help with our lives. I am proud that I have been able to deliver and improve the resources and services needed by my constituency.  The people of Tyndall Park can rest assured of my full-time dedication to doing the work of government and my commitment to putting my time and effort into serving the community.

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

The rapid development, growing population, and diverse make-up of Tyndall Park mean that there are many issues that need to be addressed. Among them are education, day-care spaces, and investment in housing and cooperatives. Students from Tyndall Park attend Sisler High School, which has the largest student population in Manitoba. I would like to see a Regional High School in Tyndall Park to help ease the number of students attending Sisler High School. Families with young children should be confident that day-care spaces will be available for their kids. The NDP’s plan to create 12,000 accessible, high-quality child care spaces will ensure that they have more options. In addition, we need to commit to investing in infrastructure, housing, and cooperatives to provide good jobs and ensure that everyone has a proper place to call home. All these issues need attention so that the people of Tyndall Park can achieve the high quality of life that the NDP government envisions for all the people of Manitoba. Because everyone matters.

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

The biggest issues facing Tyndall Park include healthcare, education and poverty. Our government is addressing these issues by keeping life affordable, building better education (including keeping post-secondary education affordable), offering better healthcare, creating jobs for young people, increasing the minimum wage, and expanding personal care home for seniors. I would like to see the continuation of these programs and the delivery of vital services not only for the people of Tyndall Park but for the whole province as well.

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

If there is one thing that I value most about my electoral division, it is diversity. The people of Tyndall Park come from diverse backgrounds, but despite our differences, we are a tight-knit community celebrating and appreciating the uniqueness of each individual while working collectively and contributing to the life of our community.

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

I have the experience and knowledge to understand the issues and needs of Tyndall Park. I am well-rooted in the community. I have been doing community work ever since I arrived in Winnipeg many years ago in the early 80s. Public service has always been part of my life. It defines who I am, and I want to continue in this role by serving the people of Tyndall Park and by being a part of a team moving Manitoba forward towards sustainable and dynamic economic prosperity.